NOTES ON PEOPLE (01/01/06)

NOTES ON PEOPLE

Cathedral honors choir director

PARMA, Ohio - On Sunday, November 20, 2005, St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Parma, Ohio, honored Markian Komichak on the occasion of his 15th anniversary as director of the 40-voice parish choir.

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Mr. Komichak moved to Cleveland in 1980 to organize the Kashtan Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, which he still teaches. The ensemble is well known for its outstanding performances that represent the Ukrainian community in Greater Cleveland. The ensemble has performed at the White House, in numerous cities across the United States and has been on tour in Ukraine.

In 1990 Mr. Komichak assumed the position of director of the Ukrainian choir at St. Vladimir's and, in 1995, also began directing its English choir. His love of liturgical music is evident to all and was a driving force when he received his master's of music degree from Cleveland State University in 1996.

Besides the choice and his work with Kashtan for 25 years, Mr. Komichak also teaches three groups of 60 children in the parish's School of Ukrainian Dance. More recently, he became involved on the diocesan level of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the U.S.A. by compiling various liturgical books for the entire diocese.

In recognition of his dedicated work, a certification of appreciation was presented on behalf of Metropolitan Constantine to Mr. Komichak by the parish clergy, along with a gift from the parish. The presentation was made at the conclusion of the liturgy on November 20.

Roxanne Decyk wins alumni award

URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Roxanne Decyk, daughter of Walter and Tillie Decyk, has been awarded the 2005 University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award.

One of the few female executives to have reached the upper echelons of the corporate world, Ms. Decyk is director international for the Royal Dutch Shell Group of Companies, in which she oversees regional support, global security and global real estate.

In the near future, she is slated to become director of corporate affairs and oversee such functions as global external affairs and international government relations.

Prior to joining Shell in 1999 Ms. Decyk had practiced law, pursued a doctorate in corporate governance at Oxford and was instrumental in the successful restructuring of International Harvester into Navistar.

She was a 1973 Bronze Tablet and summa cum laude graduate from the University of Illinois College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and was a 2002 recipient of the college's alumni achievement award.

Ms. Decyk was honored by her alma mater for her dynamic leadership in navigating the complexities of large corporations and for her impressive rise to the corporate elite.

Ruslan Tracz's photos displayed

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - More than two dozen images of the Orange Revolution hung on display recently in a Winnipeg gallery. Taken by Ruslan Tracz, 23, the collection included color photographs, video and leaflets from both of the candidates contesting the 2004 presidential election in Ukraine.

Mr. Tracz left Canada to cover the election and began working for the Kyiv Post in Kyiv, according to a December 15 article in the Winnipeg Free Press.

"Many eyes in Winnipeg were focused on Kyiv as well, partly because of our city's large Ukrainian Canadian population, and also because a then-22-year-old University of Manitoba and St. Boniface Diocesan grad named Ruslan Tracz happened to be there, working for the Kyiv Post, the city's largest English-language newspaper," the Winnipeg Free Press wrote. "Tracz's presence in Kyiv provided Free Press readers with news reports and photographs straight from the front lines of these historic events."

The exhibit, titled "Voices of a Nation: Inside the Orange Revolution," was being shown at the Outworks Gallery in Winnipeg through December 20, 2005.

According to the Winnipeg newspaper, Mr. Tracz's images are also notable because they show "the counter-demonstrations by supporters of Viktor Yanukovych, who was Yushchenko's political opponent." Mr. Tracz began working in Ukraine prior to the election on October 30, 2004.

Poet Bohdan Rubchak honored with gathering

CHICAGO - On September 17, 2005 friends and supporters of poet Bohdan Rubchak held a farewell gathering at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art (UIMA) in Chicago to wish him well in his new home in New Jersey. A recently retired professor of Slavic and comparative literature at the University of Illinois in Chicago, Prof. Rubchak has had a close relationship with the UIMA since the mid-1970s. Not only did he promote a series of literary evenings devoted to Ukrainian writers and poets, but he often introduced and analyzed the works of the visiting writers. A collage of the literary programs in which Prof. Rubchak took part was created by Lialia Kuchma, curator of the art exhibits at the UIMA. A sculpture by Alexandra Kochman was presented to Prof. Rubchak from his friends at the institute. Seen below (from left) are: Vira Bodnaruk, Mariana Rubchak, Prof. Rubchak, Ms. Kochman, George Kolomayets, Luba Markewycz, Konstantin Milonadis and Oleh Kowerko.

Notes on people is a feature geared toward reporting on the achievements of members of the Ukrainian National Association. All submissions should be concise due to space limitations and must include the person's UNA branch number. Items will be published as soon as possible after their receipt, when space permits.

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