Meet The Team

Chris Misik grew up in Chicago and moved to Lake Zurich to attend Carmel Catholic High School. She attended Mundelein College (now Loyola University Chicago) and earned her BME in vocal music education and performance and she completed advanced courses at Northwestern University.  

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Chris is currently a vocal teacher and vocal coach at Lake Zurich High School. Her passion is supporting music and theatre throughout District 95 schools. Her talented son, Billy, was the spearhead of this Foundation. Working with the creative Foundation board members and the mission of this organization is Chris's inspiration as she continues to work and inspire the arts in our community. CARPE DIEM! Seize the Day!

Karen...

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Nick Juknelis received his Bachelor of Arts in vocal music education from Augustana College (Rock Island, IL). While at Augustana, Juknelis served as assistant to Dr. Jon Hurty, conductor of the Augustana Choir, Chamber Singers, and Handel Oratorio Society. Also active as a piano accompanist, Juknelis served as a rehearsal accompanist at Augustana for such pieces as Verdi’sRequiem and Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms. Mr. Juknelis earned the Master of Arts in choral conducting and pedagogy from the University of Iowa where he studied with Dr. Timothy Stalter and Dr. Richard Bloesch. He is an active member of the Illinois Music Educators Association, where he served as a District VII choral representative for many years. Since 2003, he has served as choir director at Lake Zurich High School where he conducts Concert Choir, Bare Voices, Bel Canto, Troubadours, and Cadet Choir. Choirs under Mr. Juknelis’s direction have performed across the United States from New York to Hawaii; internationally they have performed throughout Austria, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and The Vatican. He and his family are excited to live in the Lake Zurich community. 

Kathy is a lifelong advocate for the performing arts and is proud to serve on the Billy Misik Foundation Board. A Lake Zurich resident for more than 25 years, she and her husband, Tony, raised three daughters in a home filled with music and theater—where family sing-alongs were less of an activity and more of a way of life. For more than 15 years, Kathy has taught piano and voice, inspiring hundreds of students to develop their musical talents while building confidence and self-belief. Her passion extends beyond the studio through mentorship, volunteerism, and community service. Kathy and Tony have performed in Carmel High School's annual Street Scenes fundraiser for over 30 years, entertaining audiences with comedy, song, and dance in roles including Roxie Hart (Chicago), Rachel (Glee), and Tina (Tony n' Tina's Wedding). Their family has also choreographed productions at May Whitney and Seth Paine Elementary Schools, Lake Zurich Middle School South, and Lake Zurich High School, helping young performers discover the joy, teamwork, and confidence that theater inspires.

Tony first shared the stage with his wife, Kathy, at Buffalo Grove High School in Oklahoma!—a performance so unforgettable it apparently set the course for the rest of their lives. Since then, they've married, moved to Lake Zurich, raised three daughters, and appeared in numerous community theater productions.  To support their theater habit, Tony works as a Solution Engineer with cloud-hosted software, helping "make local government work better"—a challenge only slightly less complex than preparing students for audition monologues. Together, he and Kathy have co-directed three musicals and a dozen youth dance camps, inspiring young performers to love musical theater (or at least find their light). When he isn't on stage or in the cloud, Tony can be found in the woods attempting to throw plastic discs into metal baskets instead of nearby trees. He is proud to combine his passions for community, performance, and technology in support of the Billy Misik Foundation.

Cindy Malin is a long-time resident of Lake Zurich who has always appreciated the performing arts.  She has worked as Lake Zurich High School’s Drama Club Sponsor and House Manager, and has volunteered for the LZHS Band Boosters, Cricket Theatre, Friends of Atonement Music Ministry, and other organizations.  

Cindy graduated from Valparaiso Univeristy with a Bachelors in Economics, after which she applied her economic acumen in the corporate world for a dozen years before switching her focus to family, fitness, and non-profit work.  Cindy, her husband of more than 25 years, and her two adult daughters have all enjoyed performing and consuming music and theatre, and she is thrilled to be a part of the Billy Misik Foundation Board in order to continue its excellent work of building community and promoting the vocal and dramatic arts.