Board of Directors
Lara Craig
Chair
Bio
Lara Craig is a lifelong resident of Steamboat Springs. Growing up in Steamboat, she had a unique opportunity to develop a love of music at a time when the performing arts in Steamboat was just budding. The piano instruction she experienced throughout her childhood eventually led her to study piano pedagogy at Baylor University. Ultimately, she chose to pursue French and English as a major course of study but has maintained her participation with music throughout both of her children’s classical music instruction by accompanying their recitals and performances. Retiring in 2019 with 30 years of experience as an educator in Texas and in Colorado, Lara taught middle school language arts, social studies, French, and choir in the Steamboat Springs Middle School. She has served her community in various capacities including Historic Preservation Advisory Commission and Grand Futures Prevention Coalition. Currently, Lara serves as a member of the Steamboat Springs School District Board of Education as well as a member of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Board of Directors. Lara’s belief in the power of music to inspire, to create beauty, and to connect with others is central to her dedication to the SSO. Lara has supported orchestral music in the Yampa Valley for the last four years as a member of the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, serving the last two years as Board Chair.
Sue Oehme
Vice Chair
Bio
Sue Oehme is the owner and director of Oehme Graphics, a leading fine art print publisher based in Steamboat Springs and an exhibiting artist at Space Gallery in Denver as well as Jim Kempner Fine Arts in New York City. When Sue moved to Steamboat Springs in late 1996 from New York City to run Riverhouse Editions, she soon met our SSO Maestro Ernest Richardson who was then running the Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory. They share a friendship as well as a connection with and fondness for the University of Michigan. Sue brings expertise to the SSO from her seven years on the board of Steamboat Creates (formerly the Arts Council), serving four years as president of that organization. During her tenure, she was integral in shepherding the SSO through some stormy years. In the fall of 2020, Sue collaborated with the SSO for their first in-person concert during the pandemic by creating a site-specific, colorful installation on the side of the Louis Horst Pavilion at Perry Mansfield along with local artist,
Chula Beauregard. Sue Oehme has served on the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors since early 2021 but has long admired the SSO as an avid music lover. Her passion for the SSO stems from her desire to help people understand and grow to love orchestral music, arguably the foundation for all genres of music. If you see her at a concert, please say “hi” and don’t be surprised if she’s crying with joy!
Carol Davidson
Treasurer
Bio
Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Carol was brought up in a musical family and spent her K-12 years playing violin in public school as well as in the Tacoma and Seattle Youth Symphony programs. She played recreationally in college then turned her focus to Graphic Design. After getting her BFA from the University of Washington, Carol spent 15 years working in Seattle as a graphic designer, branding consultant, and advertising executive specifically in the fashion and outdoor industries. With many years as a team leader and on cross-functional leadership teams, Carol has experience with strategic planning, team building, presentations, and relationship building. She is also known for her ability to get things done. Carol moved with her family to Steamboat Springs 20 years ago to head up Smartwool’s global marketing department. Now retired, she devotes her free time to participating in various community non-profit organizations including the Yampa Valley Community Foundation Grants Committee. As a member of the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors for her third year, Carol brings together her passion for education and her talent in marketing and branding to support the SSO, specifically in music education programming and the SSO brand.
Susan Petersen
Secretary
Bio
Susan is a Colorado native who grew up in Fort Collins before attending college at the University of California San Diego and then moved to Steamboat for “one ski season” over 30 years ago. After a season of ski-bumming, she settled into a long career with the Steamboat Parks & Recreation Department overseeing recreation programs and events. She then joined the Yampa Valley Community Foundation where she worked with donors to support the many nonprofit organizations in Routt County. Susan acted as the Community Mobilizer for a statewide prevention effort that focused on youth before joining the team at Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports (STARS) in 2020. As the Development Director of STARS, she cultivates relationships with donors, oversees fundraising events, and works to support its mission. Susan grew up attending orchestra performances in her hometown as a required family event but developed a lifelong love of the orchestra. She served on the SSO Board of Directors from 2017-2019 and recently rejoined in November of 2021 to share her passion for the SSO.
Liliana Hargis
Bio
Liliana Hargis joined the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors in January of 2022. Working with local boards and community organizations around the Yampa Valley, Liliana brings over 15 years of experience to the SSO. She is a graduate of Leadership Steamboat and currently serves as a member of LatinX Alliance. During her high school years, Liliana was fortunate to have participated in a youth orchestra in her hometown of Bogotá, Colombia. During that time, she made a connection with orchestral music that would last for the rest of her life. As an SSO Board member, Liliana is passionate about creating a culture of music development and education for youth in the Yampa Valley that is inclusive and accessible to all. She believes music has a powerful impact in a person’s overall health and wellbeing. Liliana, her husband Ted, and son Jayden live in Hayden, Colorado. In addition to other outdoor activities our beautiful valley has to offer, her son Jayden also enjoys playing the violin and participating in the SSO Immersion Program.
Paul Sachs
Bio
Paul is an attorney with a diverse general practice in Steamboat Springs, including advising many non-profit organizations. He has also been the Municipal Judge for the City of Steamboat Springs since 1993. He received a history and literature degree from Harvard and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to being on numerous local boards, he has directed the Steamboat Marathon since 1999 and has also co-directed the Run Rabbit Run Ultra Marathon since 2007. Three of Paul’s daughters currently take music lessons (piano, violin, and flute) and during COVID, Paul was able to resurrect his own French horn practice. He was happy to be asked to join the Steamboat Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors in the spring of 2022. Paul and his family have enjoyed the SSO performances for many years, and he is honored to be involved in the stewardship of this organization.
Art Stewart
Bio
Bio coming!
