Teresa HurLbut

VOENA Board, Chair

Teri Hurlbut returns to the VOENA Board after a short hiatus. She brings strong educational credentials and many years of experience in music education. Teri earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music, as well as in Italian, from Holy Names College as well as a doctorate in Education from St. Mary’s College.  

Professionally, Teri continues to focus on Music Education.  She has taught vocal music in the schools , and currently accompanies a children’s choir and teaches piano in her home studio.  As both a classroom teacher and a school administrator, Teri has always supported the arts professionally and personally.

Having worked as Annabelle Marie’s accompanist in the “9 O’clock Choir”, Teri is delighted to be an integral part of the VOENA community again.

Julie Daigle

VOENA Board, Vice Chair

Growing up in foster care in Northern Maine, Julie’s dream was to move to sunny California, to establish her own preschools, and empower children to follow their dreams.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, Julie relocated to Vallejo and began her journey as a Montessori teacher.  For the past 4 decades, Julie has helped build foundations of several Montessori schools in the Bay Area, including Starlight School in Benicia.

Julie believes that the key to living a joyful life is to discover your heartfelt passions and allow your intuition to effortlessly guide you. She became a certified Passion Test Facilitator in 2009 and has helped hundreds of people worldwide discover their passions. Her foundational belief in the spiritual nature of life inspired her to become a certified Reiki Master in 2011 and has used this training to help families and their loved ones dealing with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. 

Throughout her career as an educator, Julie has heard children, parents, teachers and grandparents "VOICE" their desire for a "New educational Model” that provides a pathway to achieve their highest potential. Julie is currently working with a core team to help this vision become reality in Solano County. 

As a VOENA Board member, Julie aspires to EMPOWER children to connect with their passion for singing, travel, and most of all, to be Ambassadors of PEACE.

Marianne Bunce

VOENA Board, Secretary

Marianne Bunce has worked as an RN and Clinical Nurse Specialist in Oncology in both public and non-profit hospital systems, working on the front lines as well as holding local and national leadership roles. Currently, she is a Hematology/Oncology RN at the Veterans Administration. She has been involved in music since an early age, and both of her children learned musical instruments and were members of VOENA. Ms. Bunce is active in the community, holding board positions on the California East Bay Oncology Nursing Society and VOENA, and is an active member of the Benicia Lions Club.

Irene Eraklidis

Chief Operating Officer, VOENA Board, Treasurer (Interim)

Irene attributes her acumen for business, leadership, and complex project management to the combination of a 20+ year corporate career that took her to more than 30 domestic installations and 20 countries, augmented by her transition to the entrepreneurial world where she has worked with hundreds of companies across a broad range of industries to create business and action plans that improve financial performance, culture, growth, operational capabilities, and critical leadership skills. Irene’s educational background includes an MS and BS in Linguistics.

DR. CELESTE SPILLANE

Board Member

Dr. Celeste Spillane developed a passion for music by studying piano and violin in her childhood. In her junior year of high school, Celeste had the opportunity to tour Japan with her school orchestra. Upon graduating, Celeste attended Stanford University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Biology. She went on to receive her medical degree from the University of California at Irvine and completed her residency at Kaiser Santa Clara. She then pursued a fellowship in cardiology at the Martinez Veteran’s Hospital. She practiced cardiology for more than thirty years and retired from Kaiser Vallejo in 2019.

Since retirement Celeste has resumed her piano lessons. She believes that being exposed to music early in life has helped her develop and explore her creativity. By joining VOENA’s Board, Celeste is looking forward to working with young people who are cultivating their love of music.  

JENNIFER CASTANEDA

Board Member

As a member of the Solano Association of Realtors (SAOR), Jenny has sat on the Board as a Director and is now President-Elect for 2024. She is also a trustee on the SAOR Foundation which grants money to non-profit entities that serve for the betterment of children and elderly in our community. Jenny also served on the Benicia Bocce League Board from 2020 – 2024.

Jenny brings excellent organizational leadership and fundraising skills to VOENA to help the choir’s growth and sustainability. She is committed to fostering inclusivity and diversity to enrich VOENA’s culture and nurturing environment for all.

Dawn Norton

Board Member

Dawn began her career in public health as a “disease detective” for the CDC, moving on to assist Bay Area Counties with surveillance and investigation of foodborne disease as an epidemiologist for a non-profit organization. She is currently the Head of Safety and Quality for Sonomaceuticals, LLC, a small, woman-owned company focused on upcycling Chardonnay grape pomace to capture its nutritional wonders.

While science won her career path, music, dance, and world culture have always been integral parts of Dawn’s life. After moving to the Bay Area in 2004, she joined Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine and, after several years of study under Kumu Mahealani Uchiyama, was invited to join their professional performance company. The opportunity to travel to Hawai’I and Tahiti to perform, learn from sister companies, and honor their cultural heritage was profound, confirming for her that music and dance have the power to cross borders and bring people together—core to VOENA’s mission. 

Dawn further shared her love of music teaching early childhood music classes in Napa, under the mentorship of Justine Chadly. Dawn’s daughter has been a VOENA member for five years.