Members
Betsy
Bass Section Leader
Betsy grew up in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. Her passion for handbells began at age 11 when she learned to ring from her mother at Peace Lutheran Church in Gahanna, Ohio. Since then, she has had the privilege of ringing with several excellent handbell ensembles, including Handbells Columbus, Jubilee Ringers of Worthington United Methodist Church, and The Mid-Ohio Valley Ringers. As a founding member of Columbus Rings, Betsy has been with the organization since it began in 2018. When not playing bells, Betsy enjoys reading, yoga, and spending time with her husband and stepdaughter and their dog, Lu
Carol
Carol is a retired nurse with a B.S. in Nursing from The Ohio State University. She was introduced to handbells at First Community Church and rang for 10 years before becoming Director of the FCC Whitechapel Ringers. She joins CR in 2025 to improve her ringing skills and to enjoy the camaraderie and growth as a ringer.
Carol
Battery Section Leader
Carol has been ringing handbells for nearly 45 years, beginning in a Cleveland Heights, OH, church bell choir in junior high and high school. Since moving to the Columbus area, she has rung with Worthington United Methodist Church’s Jubilee Ringers and has been a charter member of several advanced community ensembles: Symphonic Handbells of Columbus, Handbells Columbus, and Columbus Rings. Before retirement she worked for decades in book publishing, primarily on college textbooks. Her two daughters live on opposite coasts (Seattle — including her two grandchildren — and NYC), which makes for wonderful travel destinations but few and far-between family visits.
Dan
Dan grew up in beautiful Cleveland, Ohio, where he played chimes and handbells at his family’s church during high school. While living in San Francisco, Dan played handbells with the pop/rock ensemble Bell Appeal, in addition to playing cello and piano in local amateur orchestras. Since his relocation to Columbus in 2018, he has had the privilege of being a member of the most challenging and supportive musical ensemble yet: Columbus Rings. When not ringing, Dan owns Prologue Bookshop in the Short North.
Denise
Treble Section Leader
Denise is a retired music teacher. She taught orchestra, general music, band (color guard), and handbells during her 30 year career with the Marietta City Schools. She moved to the Columbus area in 2014 to share a home with her daughter and grandson, but still travels back to Marietta weekly to direct her church handbells and to participate with the Mid-Ohio Valley Ringers, an auditioned ensemble based in Vienna, West Virginia. Moving here was like coming home, because she grew up in Westerville and first played bells at Central College Presbyterian Church, before going to Bowling Green State University to earn a Music Education degree. When she is not ringing, conducting, or repairing bells, she enjoys quilting and crocheting, and has spent many hours watching her grandson, Austyn, at soccer games and track meets.
Janet
Janet has been ringing with Columbus Rings for the past 3 years. Additionally, she is an active member of several church handbell choirs around central Columbus. When she’s not ringing handbells, she is the Chief Human Resources Officer at Restaurant Equippers and owns an HR Consulting firm. Janet lives in Hilliard, OH with her two dogs.
Jarod
Director
Jarod has been ringing and directing handbells for more than 15 years. He was introduced to handbells as an undergraduate music assistant at North Broadway United Methodist Church in Columbus under the direction of Carol Ann Bradley. He rang bass bells for 5 years in Handbells Columbus, a community ensemble composed of ringers from Central Ohio under the direction of Jennifer Fry and Al Adcock. He holds degrees, in Vocal Performance from Otterbein University, and Musicology from the Ohio State University. He recently earned a Master’s Degree in Public Policy & Management from the John Glenn College at Ohio State. Jarod serves as the Director of Music Ministries for Worthington United Methodist Church, where he directs the Chancel Choir and Jubilee Ringers. As a “daytime gig” he works for University Libraries at Ohio State. When he’s not conducting, ringing, singing, or reading, you’ll find him spending time with his wife, Sarah, and their Irish Terriers, Gus and Maeve.
Josh
Josh has been a member of Columbus Rings since it’s inception in 2019. He started ringing around 11 years old and since then has played in various church and community groups around Columbus. His favorite handbell technique is the ‘pluck’ and wishes it were used more frequently.
Kathy
Kathy began ringing in a church choir in Oregon in 1992 and has been ringing ever since, glad to have joined a church choir in Columbus, Ohio. The camaraderie that is developed and the cooperation that is essential when ringing bells keeps her involved. Since joining Columbus Rings in 2019, Kathy has valued the opportunity to develop her bell skills and expand the music repertoire she’s been able to play with a tremendous group of musicians.
Kelly
Kelly joined Columbus Rings in 2021 after returning to Columbus from New York City, where she played with the Christ Church NYC handbell choir for five years. She began ringing at age 10 and hasn’t stopped since. She also plays the french horn and oboe. When not playing music, Kelly enjoys writing and annoying her very loud cat, Judge.
Katelyn
Secretary
Katelyn has been part of Columbus Rings since 2019. Katelyn learned to play handbells as well as piano and violin in elementary school. Prior to moving to Columbus, she rang with River City Ringers of San Antonio, TX and the Archdiocesan Handbell Choir in St. Louis, MO. When she is not with Columbus Rings, she is likely spending time in nature, reading, or watching movies with her husband, two kids, and two cats. She is also a faculty member in Biomedical Engineering and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at The Ohio State University where she researches and develops ocular biomaterials and drug delivery systems.
Katherine
Treasurer
Katherine grew up in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and learned how to play handbells as a child at Peace Lutheran Church in Gahanna, Ohio. She continued to play off and on over the years with various groups before joining Columbus Rings in 2019. Outside of the bell world, Katherine enjoys crafting, gaming, and reading in her free time. She is also the proud owner of a cat named Roux.
Maria
President
Maria joined Columbus Rings in 2022, eager to expand her knowledge and skills at ringing. She has played flute and piano since a young age. She rang handbells for two years in elementary school. She continued playing flute in the orchestra at the University of Notre Dame. She was also a member of the Notre Dame Handbell Choir. Go Irish! She earned her MS of Nursing from the Ohio State University. Go Buckeyes! She works full time as a Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She is the director of the Adult Handbell Choir at Grace Lutheran Church in Westerville, Ohio.
Mercedes
Board Member
Mercedes is a middle school instrument music teacher in Columbus Ohio where she has taught concert band, jazz band, orchestra, and general music hand bells! Mercedes is the founder of the Columbus Youth Jazz (CYJ) Girls Project. The CYJ Girls Project at the Jazz Arts Group, is a month-long jazz ensemble that celebrates female and gender expansive students in jazz.
She lives in Worthington with her husband and two children. In her free time, she enjoys training for, and running in, local races.
Olivia
Olivia is joining CR in Fall 2026. Bio posted soon!
Tony
Tony joined Columbus Rings at the beginning of 2020, and has been ringing since he was 4th grader. He completed his bachelors in music from Capital University in 2019, and his masters in parish ministry from MTSO. Blessed with many wonderful teachers and mentors, Tony began taking on Bronze level music when he was a high school freshman! His participation in the youth vocal and bell choirs at Church of the Messiah UMC in Westerville, OH took him on mission tours across multiple states. Tony also assists in running the Columbus Ring social media accounts. He met his wife Amy in college, and they married in 2022.
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