Dr. Ryan Person, Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at Morningside University, has released a distinguished list of five honorees who will receive the 2022 Culmination of Distinguished Achievement (CODA) Legacy Awards during Homecoming Weekend 2022 festivities.

The individuals selected are as follows:

Gloria (Rogalla) Corbin – Gloria Corbin grew up in Belmond, Iowa, where she learned to love music in church and school. That love led her to Morningside where she earned her B.M.E. degree in 1963. In preparation for her career in music education, Dr. Donald Morrison, Mr. Wade Raridon, Dr. James Wood and many others shaped her college experience in the voice studio, Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers and opera productions. Over her 23-year career teaching general and choral music at K-14 grade levels, she maintained a private voice studio, performed as a mezzo soloist, and was involved in church and community music endeavors. Gloria was a frequent choral clinician, and her children’s choirs performed at state conferences and clinics. The Iowa Choral Directors Association (ICDA) influenced her teaching and became a focal point of her career. Gloria served in numerous capacities including the first editor of the separately published newsletter, The Sounding Board, ICDA president, Summer Choral Symposium chair, ACDA North Central Division Conference program chair, and for ACDA co-penned The Presidency: The Prospect, The Performance (state president handbook). Desiring to become involved in system-wide proceedings, she earned a M.A. in Educational Leadership from Iowa State University followed by a Ph.D. in Staff Development/Teacher Education from Colorado State University (Ft. Collins). The next two decades were spent in various roles in educational leadership. Gloria met her late husband, Chuck Corbin ’62, at Morningside. They had two children and have five grandchildren. Now in retirement, Gloria stays busy with her family, traveling and remains active in ACDA/ICDA; a highlight being asked to present a T.O.M. Talk (Thoughts on Music) at the ACDA Sioux Falls NC Division Conference. Corbin adds: “Music is a lifetime thing.” Life experiences continue to be the “right order of things” – inner and outer forces that equal fate. Blessings include the right people, at the right time, and in the right setting, all providing paths for personal and professional accomplishments.

Keith Dye – A Doctor of Education in College Teaching of Music, Teachers College, Columbia University; Master of Arts in Music Education, West Texas State University; Bachelor of Music Education, Morningside College. As Professor of Music Education at Texas Tech University, Keith Dye is a member of the Teaching Academy and a Service Learning Fellow. He served in administrative capacities as Associate Dean for Academics, Interim Director of the School of Music and currently as Director of Educational Programs for the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Formerly, Dr. Dye was Assistant Director of Bands, working with all aspects of the athletic and concert bands. Dye was elected President and College Division Vice-President of the Texas Music Education Association (TMEA), the world’s largest music education organization with over 15,000 members. In this capacity he served five years on the executive board of TMEA and oversaw the annual state conventions with over 30,000 in attendance annually. He is also in demand as a music educational consultant and works with leading music education companies including the MusicFirst, Warwick Music and Live Music Tutor in developing and enhancing their online educational platforms and instructional content. Dye serves as an instructional advisor to school districts and music programs in Texas. A public-school band director for 19 years, he has more than 43 years of successful experience in music education. He maintains an active schedule of presenting sessions and leading clinics on a wide variety of music education instructional techniques and strategies, crucial topics, and best practices for school districts and state and national conferences. While a student at Morningside College from 1975-1979, Keith was a trombone student of Jay Wicker and Randy Kohlenberg. He served as President of the Gamma Xi chapter of Phi Mu Alpha and was a member of the concert and jazz bands.

Karla (Engbard) Santi – Karla Santi is the CEO and founding partner at Blend Interactive, a 22-person web strategy, design, and development agency. A 1998 graduate of Morningside, she began building websites during her graphic design internship in 1997 at Spectra Grafx Studios. Karla launched her digital firm, Santi Interactive, and returned to Morningside to teach Web Design & Development for three years before founding her current company. She also employs another Morningside graduate, Sam Otis, who has been with her company as a Lead Designer for over 15 years. Karla has recently been named the 2022 SBA’s Small Business Person of the Year for South Dakota and is an active member of the Sioux Falls business community. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Sioux Falls Development Foundation, including the Talent & Workforce committee, where she helps to attract and retain employees at the state and local levels. As a business founder, Karla serves on the board of Startup Sioux Falls, where she aims to meet the changing needs of the entrepreneurial community. Karla also strives to encourage young women to explore STEM programs and pursue careers in technology, recently keynoting the WINGS STEM Career Conference held at Morningside. She utilizes her BS in Graphic Design and Minor in Business in her profession and is a role model for many future graduates and entrepreneurs.

Mark Schnaible – The internationally renowned bass-baritone and vocal technician, Mark Schnaible has enjoyed a distinguished career in the classical music world for the past 35 years. His singing has been described as “elegant,” “‘magnetic,” “stunning,” and “impressive.” With over 100 operative and oratorio roles in his repertoire, he continues to impress audiences in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. As a vocal technician, his students are engaged by leading opera houses in the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Houston Grand Opera, as well as numerous regional companies in the United States and Europe. Additionally, they are chosen for young artist and studio programs, are competition winners, recording artists, and hold positions in the field of academia at all levels. He currently serves on the voice faculties of The Manhattan School of Music, The Curtis Institute of Music, Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, The Metropolitan Opera Lindemann Development Young Artist Program, The Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio of the Arizona Opera, Israeli Opera Meitar Opera Studio, as well as maintains a private voice studio in New York City. Schnaible holds his Bachelor of Music from Morningside (1985), a Master of Music from Baylor University, and was given an honorary Doctorate of Music from Morningside in 2005. He currently resides in New York City with his wife, Patricia, and their miniature Havanese Panda.

Eleanor (Everett) Tasker – A 1949 graduate of Morningside College, Eleanor Tasker has been an admired Sioux City musician for over 70 years. At Morningside, she sang in the Morningside College Choir under the direction of Dr. Paul MacCollin, and also studied with Florence Primmer, and Dr. John Herman, Dr. Ricestrup, and Leo Kucinski. A celebrated figure in regional church music, Eleanor has been recognized for her excellence in Siouxland for decades, notably having served as organist and conductor at Morningside Presbyterian Church for many years. As a music leader, she worked tirelessly to guide musicians to produce beautiful music through fellowship and camaraderie. While serving in various musical capacities throughout her career, Eleanor may be best-recognized as a foundational figure in the development, promotion, and support of congregational bell choirs in and beyond Siouxland. In 1981, she began a well-known bell choir festival in Sioux City entitled “12th Night,” which remains to this day. In January 2022, a commissioned work composed by renowned composer Cathy Moklebust was dedicated in honor of Eleanor’s many years of service and excellence. Eleanor has been a member of the Sioux City Women’s Club, Sioux City Schubert Club, Sioux City Concert Course, National Association of Methodist Musicians, and the National Association of Bell Ringers. In 2005, she received the Siouxland Treasure Award. Eleanor and her late husband, Allen, were parents to six children. Tasker adds: “We are common, everyday people. If we can encourage other people to express themselves through music, I feel I have served my commission, as well they have theirs.”

The Morningside University School of Visual and Performing Arts CODA Legacy Award is an annual award bestowed upon outstanding music, theatre, and arts alumni and faculty nominated by their peers. The School of Visual and Performing Arts is proud to offer opportunities for Morningside students to experience the fine arts on campus, regardless of major. With four choral ensembles, six instrumental groups, multiple art shows, and countless visiting performers and artists, the arts are alive and well at Morningside.