Southern Oregon Repertory Singers’ Jessica Bailey will be stepping down from her role at the end of January, ending her time as executive director of the choral organization.

Upon Bailey’s departure, the Rep Singers will bring in new Interim Executive Director Rebecca Goldman to take up the mantle as the group continues to put on choir concerts, singing a wide range of tunes from around the world.

“Jessica has been an exciting executive director with lots of innovative ideas in terms of marketing,” said Ellen Hamer, president of the Rep Singers board who has involved in the organization’s leadership for well over a decade. “Jessica been enormously helpful and a tremendous help in the transition as well; I’m very fond of her and the good work that she did.”

Bailey, whose last day is scheduled for Jan. 31, led the choral group in the executive director role for more than a year.

“She had a big impact on donor relations; she’s reached out in a wonderful way and connects with patrons and donors … a lot of that credit goes to Jessica” said Lola Egan, secretary of the Rep Singers board and in leadership with the the organization for the past six years.

“We’re very grateful and happy with Jessica, and it’s sad that she’s leaving, but we’re also happy to find Rebecca,” Egan added.

Throughout January, Goldman will shadow Bailey, learning about the ins and outs of the executive director role ahead of taking the interim position on Feb. 1.

“The job is an intricate and multifaceted one with many hats, from the big picture and donors and activities to admin tasks and financial areas with bookkeeping,” Hamer said. “(Rebecca) was a consultant for Silicon Valley start-ups and has a highly qualified background in multiple areas.”

During interviews, Goldman stood out to the Rep Singers’ leadership.

“She shared propositions for us, was very impressive and has a very strong background with development, media and computer skills and has a wealth of talent, training and background that fits into our needs,” Egan said.

Goldman is set to lead the choral organization for the next six months before she and the organization’s leaders reevaluate her staying on long term.

The soon-to-be interim executive director previously served as an executive producer for a theater company, worked as an editor and writer, educator, art producer and communications consultant. Goldman holds degrees in philosophy, art and critical thought.

The board was initially planning a months-long search for the new executive director until a mutual contact in California led them to Goldman.

“It was an interesting occurrence. We started to form a search committee for the new executive director, but Jessica and Rebecca have a mutual contact in Santa Cruz,” Hamer said. “Rebecca was recommended to us, and it was a transition opportunity for us.”

“It was just a fortunate situation to have a seamless transition with no gap,” Hamer added.

Another factor that made Goldman a prime candidate for the Rep Singers was her instant connection with longtime artistic director Paul French, who’s conducted and led the choral group with wife Jodie French for the past 36 years.

“She interviewed with Paul French, and they spent two hours together and he was very happy about her,” Hamer said.

Goldman will take the reins for the Rep Singers’ upcoming concerts in March and May.

“Charm Me Asleep,” a concert aimed at celebrating music’s power to transport, renew and express emotion, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 22, and 2 p.m. Sunday, March 23.

Scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 24, and 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 25, “Cannons into Bells” will center on themes of compassion in response to human suffering. The concert’s title and selected songs will tell the real-life story of Albanian children collecting 20,000 shell casings and melting the metal into a peace bell.

The Southern Oregon Repertory Singers consists of over 60 vocalists and the concerts feature music from around the globe, covering a wide range of themes and styles, with tunes from as far as Haiti and Finland.

To learn more about the choral group, or to purchase tickets for upcoming concerts, visit repsingers.org.