About our Director, Sheila Nugent
Harmony 500 Director Sheila Nugent became Piney Hills Harmony's director in 2011. Prior to that she served as interim director and assistant director and has been a member of Sweet Adelines since 2003. Other chorus positions have included president, board member, bass section leader and Visual Team member.
Sheila regularly attends Sweet Adeline regional and international educational seminars. She has sung bass and baritone in several quartets and currently sings lead with Forte!. She has also competed internationally as a dual member with Top of the Rock Chorus in Little Rock, Ark. For her outstanding contributions to Piney Hills Harmony, Sheila was voted local Sweet Adeline of the Year (2004) and Sweet Adeline Extraordinaire (2016).
Sheila is currently the Curriculum Specialist at Simsboro High School. She earned her Doctorate of Education at Louisiana Tech in 2012. She has been married to the love of her life, Kevin Nugent, since 2009 and has a wonderful step-daughter, Madeline. She and her family make their home in Ruston.
Please contact Sheila if you have any questions about Piney Hills Harmony!
About our Assistant Director, Rebecca McNeill
Rebecca became our assistant director for sound and musical expression in the summer of 2017. Another honor occurred in the spring of '17: She was spotlighted on the regional Wall of Fame. Before then, Rebecca already held multiple chorus posts – lead section leader and Showmanship Team member.
Rebecca brings a musical background of band and church choirs and ensembles to the assistant directorship. She has been a member of Piney Hills Harmony for 10 years and served many of those on the board of directors and as chorus treasurer. She is currently enrolled in the Sweet Adelines' Director Certification Program and also furthers her musical education by attending regional and international SAI events.
The musical gene definitely runs in the McNeill family. Two of Rebecca's daughters are in Piney Hills Harmony – Keera and Alanna; another daughter, Caitlyn, was a member before moving to Florida; and husband Michael is also a loyal PHHC supporter. Their dedication to the chorus is also seen in the fact that they live in Winnfield and make a 90-mile round trip to come to chorus each week.
About our Assistant Director, Sallie Rose Hollis
Sallie Rose is our assistant director for showmanship and visual expression. She is the most veteran member of the chorus, having joined in 1989. In 2001 she was named the chapter's first Sweet Adeline of the Year and in 2015 chosen as Sweet Adeline Extraordinaire.
Through the years Sallie Rose has served as PHHC president, Visual Team coordinator, baritone section leader, co-marketing director and Script Committee chair. She has sung in multiple quartets; previous musical experience includes playing the flute, plus decades of a cappella singing. Other activities include membership in Epsilon Sigma Alpha service group and teaching for World English Institute. She has a biweekly column in the Ruston Daily Leader.
Sallie Rose and her husband Hooshang Khorasani live in Ruston. She retired from Louisiana Tech in 2008 as an associate professor journalism and assistant director of the News Bureau; she worked there 34 years.
