Associate Professor of Music Mark Boyle has been involved in the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) since he was in graduate school and has valued the many opportunities the organization has made possible in his career.

That’s why he didn’t hesitate when a colleague asked for his help on making the regional conference more sustainable 10 years ago.

“ACDA has done a lot for me and my career,” Boyle said. “They’ve provided growth opportunities and helped me become a better conductor. This is my way of giving back.”

Boyle was able to pair background in technology as an electronics technician in the Navy with his dedication to the profession of choral directing to implement an app that housed all the conference materials for the approximately 800 attendees of the Eastern Regional Conference allowing the event to go paperless.

While the regional conference is hosted in even years, odd years bring a national ACDA conference. The app went over so well at the regional conference that the person planning the 2016 conference asked for Boyle’s assistance in using the app there for its thousands of attendees.

Since then, the position has evolved into what Boyle refers to as his second full-time job for a couple of months a year leading up to the conference date. As App Chair, he works with an all-volunteer team of five, coordinating all the data and functionality for the app. Work for each conference begins the prior fall – and in even years he now works with representatives from the other four regional conferences to provide a consistent experience across the organization.

He also takes pride in adding special features that he knows fellow choral directors will appreciate, like linking all the pieces performed at the conference directly to where they can be purchased for directors’ own choirs.

“It’s a tremendous team effort, and it’s not a thankless job,” he said. “The organization treats me well and is very appreciative.”

The ACDA demonstrated their appreciation this spring when Boyle’s efforts earned him the National Volunteer Excellence Award at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Conference in Dallas in March. He was the fourth person to be presented with the award and the first awardee outside of the Southwest region where ACDA is headquartered.

At the previous national conference, the awardee had decades of service to the organization so Boyle was surprised to find himself on the stage.

While the award, which reads "In grateful appreciation for years of dedication, leadership, and untold hours of service to the American Choral Directors Association and its membership," fittingly describes the time Boyle has spent helping the conference run smoothly, it’s work he is happy to do.

“There’s a saying ‘If there's a job to do, consider it yours.’” Boyle said. “I know how much of an impact this app has on the overall conference, and I love doing it.”