Greg Lund (Indiana),
serving until April 2028
Contact: gro.asu-ofn@tnediserp

Jeanette Geslison (Utah),
serving until April 2027
Contact: moc.liamg@tnediserpecivofn

Rob McCollum (Pennsylvania),
serving until April 2027

Taunya Lund (Indiana),
serving until April 2027
Contact: ten.labolgcbs@dnulgl

Cricket Raybern (Oregon),
serving until April 2028

Linda Bernfeld,
serving until April 2027

Jacqueline Horwitz,
serving until April 2027

Eileen Hug,
serving until April 2027

Amy Jex,
serving until April 2028

Melissa Miller,
serving until April 2028

Andy Taylor,
serving until April 2028

Pat Henderson,
serving until April 2029

Stacy Rose,
serving until April 2029

Gigi Jensen,
serving until April 2029

Mary Bee Jensen
1917-2018
Born and raised in Provo, Utah, Mary Bee Jensen identified herself as a dreamer. She taught at BYU for 31 years, where her love of dance blossomed into the founding of the BYU International Folk Dance program. To Mary Bee, the world was her classroom; she traveled to countless countries for festivals and performances, and she served as the US delegate to CIOFF (Confederation International Organizations of Folklore Festivals) for 15 years. Her founding of NFO highlights her philosophy that, “What a person can imagine or conceive in his mind he can accomplish. Impossibles are possible as a thinking person makes them so.”

Vytautas “Vyts” Beliajus
1908-1994
At age 14, Vytautas came from his native Lithuania to America with his grandmother. While living in Chicago, he formed a Lithuainian folk dance ensemble and went on to teach folk dance across the nation. His students, friends, and colleagues knew him as “Mr. Folk Dance, USA.” Vyts founded the magazine Viltis and served as the first chairman of the advisory committee for NFO. He embodied his philosophy that, “If mankind would hold hands in a dance circle, they would not have war and killing.”

George M. Frandsen
1954-present
At the time of NFO’s founding, George was serving as the US delegate to IOV (International Organization of Folk Art). As a student at Brigham Young University, he performed with the International Folk Dance Ensemble. He graduated from BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School as a Doctor of Law in 1980 and has advocated for civil and human rights throughout his legal career. As an advocate of the folk arts community, George helped found World Folkfest, Springville, Utah in 1986 and served as its first president. He also served as the director of the Rocky Mountain Folklore Association of Salt Lake City, Utah. George currently serves as Secretary General for IOV.

Founders

• Vyts Beliajus (deceased)
• George Frandsen
• Mary Bee Jensen (deceased)
• L. DeWayne Young (deceased)