Executive Committee
Miriam Zach, Ph.D. is a musicologist, author, organist, harpsichordist, Iowa native, and since 2016 the Charles and Mary Sukup Endowed Artist in Organ at Iowa State University, and Director of Music/Organist at St. John’s By the Campus Episcopal Church in Ames, Iowa stjohns-ames.org She can be heard on National Public Radio recorded in Princeton University Chapel. After completing degrees at Northwestern University and University of Chicago she taught music in Germany at the Universität Bielefeld, and served as organist for the Church of England. In 1990 she studied Olivier Messiaen’s organ music in Paris, and has performed most of his organ works in Europe and the United States. For 20 years (1996-2016) she taught music history, and Honors music and health at the University of Florida. She is past Dean of the Gainesville, Florida Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, and University of Florida Professor of the Year 2000-2001. She continues to research architecture and music, teach music and health, organize annual international festivals of women composers (iwclib.org), and enjoy playing Baroque chamber music (alachuaconsort.com).
Dr. Stephen Smith (B.Sc. University of London), M.Sc. (Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources) and Ph.D. (Evolution of Maize, University of Birmingham, U.K.) grew up on a farm in eastern England. He came to the US in 1977 to conduct plant genetics research. In 2015, Smith completed a 35 year scientific research career with Dupont Pioneer. He has received the Henry A. Wallace Award for Revolution in agriculture and DuPont’s highest scientific recognition, the Lavoisier Medal for scientific achievement. During his tenure at Pioneer he served on intellectual property committees of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) and the International Seed Federation (ISF). Smith recently served as an expert witness for the US Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding a case of misappropriation of US corn genetics by foreign nationals. He is a Fellow of the Crop Science Society of America and in 2017 and 2018 was made an Honorary Member of ASTA and of the ISF respectively, in recognition of services rendered. Smith is currently an affiliate Professor and visiting scientist in the Departments of Agronomy and Seed Science at Iowa State University, USA.
His involvement in music making began at the age of 7 as chorister in school choirs and through studentship participating in the Haydn Nelson Mass, the Faure and Verdi Requiems, the Sea Symphony by Ralph Vaughan Williams and The Dream of Gerontius by Edward Elgar. Smith's passions are organ music of all genres, choral and orchestral works. He has served on Committees and Boards of the Des Moines Symphony for the past 15 years, including as President of the Symphony Association (2008-2010) and of the Foundation Board (2019-2020). Smith is currently enrolled as a student in organ with Dr. Miriam Zach. Smith also serves on the Board of Living History Museum in Urbandale, Iowa.
Mark Koskamp spends his weekends at Trinity United Presbyterian Church in Indianola, Iowa, where he serves as organist and directs the adult choir. He studied math and music at Central College in Pella, Iowa and now works at the Principal Financial Group in Des Moines. He has served as treasurer and dean of the Central Iowa Chapter of the AGO and was on the steering committee of Des Pipes, Des Pedals, Des Moines, the ten-state regional AGO convention held in 2011. Mark was inspired to study music by his grandmother, herself a church organist. His keyboard teachers have included Norma Faust, Max Daehler, Julia Amada and Davis Folkerts.
Paul Hertz has been organist at Northminster Presbyterian Church in Ames since 2008. A native of Nevada, Iowa, he also plays regularly at Central Presbyterian in Nevada and St. Petri Lutheran in Story City. He has bachelor's degrees in trombone, composition, and mathematics from the University of Wyoming and a master's degree in mathematics from Iowa State University, where he studied organ with Lynn Zeigler (ISU) and Steven Hoffman (UW). Paul produces and hosts classical music programs on KHOI Community Radio 89.1 FM in Ames, serves on the board of KHOI, sings in the Ames Chamber Artists, and is a Lifetime Member of the American Guild of Organists.