Meet our Board of Directors
Karen Dumont, President
Karen Wonder Dumont, soprano, recently relocated to middle Tennessee from western New York. Favorite musical theatre roles are Rosa Bud (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), Marian (The Music Man), Cunegonde (Candide), Johanna (Sweeney Todd), and Kate (Kiss Me Kate). She has a special place in her heart for Gilbert & Sullivan and has enjoyed lead soprano roles in The Pirates of Penzance, HMS Pinafore, The Mikado, Princess Ida, The Sorcerer, Ruddigore, and Patience. She has done numerous recital programs including Cornell University’s Summer Concert Series. As a concert soloist, favorites include Orff’s Carmina Burana, Mozart’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. She also enjoys appearing in local charitable cabarets and with Women’s Works, a group dedicated to performing works by women composers. In Nashville she is a Co-Managing Diva for Opera on Tap, which brings live opera to local taprooms. In Ithaca, NY she led the Cornell Savoyards both as a student organization, and later as president during its transition to a nonprofit community theatre organization. It is this company which inspired her to partner with Julie to bring light opera to Franklin. In “real life”, Dr. Dumont is a veterinarian who lives in Franklin with her husband, 3 boys, 2 cats, and Daisy the dog.
John Schultz, Secretary
John Schultz is a professional educator, having served as a principal for 32 years. His theatrical experience includes acting in, directing or conducting over 160 shows at every level — school, community and professional theater.
Nicholas Branson, Vice President
Nicholas Branson (tenor) has been an avid lover of light opera/musical theatre since 2013. He studied classical voice at Lee University in Cleveland, TN and did graduate work at Belmont University.
Nicholas is a choral scholar for The Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Brentwood, TN and was asked to perform for the second inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2013 with the Lee University Festival Choir.
Nicholas has performed numerous roles in opera, operetta, and musical theatre including Dr. Neville Craven in The Secret Garden (2015), Monostatos in Die Zauberflöte and Don Curzio/Don Basilio in Le nozzle di Figaro in Prague, Czech Republic and Salzburg, Austria (2017); as well as recent performances with FLO including Ralph Rackstraw in HMS Pinafore (2023) and Alfred in Die Fledermaus (2024). He has been a chorus member with Nashville Opera since 2018 and has acted as an understudy to their tenor young artist for two seasons (2019 and 2020).
Nicholas is excited to be a part of the Board for FLO. He is an experienced hobby sewist with a love for historical costume and stage craft; Nicholas acted as the Costume Designer for FLO’s production of Die Fledermaus in 2024 and will be assisting the Costume Designer on future projects as part of his duties with the Board.
Ben Kahan, Treasurer
Ben Bio
Shelley Schneider, Vice President
Shelley Schneider is excited to perform with and join the board of Franklin Light Opera. A native Texan and Baylor graduate of vocal performance, she recently moved to Nashville to live closer to her parents. While in Texas, she taught private voice lessons in several colleges in Ft Worth, Houston and Austin. In addition to teaching private lessons, Ms. Schneider has also music directed and conducted several musicals. In 2010, Ms. Schneider studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. Her performing career is diverse and includes Shakespeare plays, musicals, operas and cabaret shows. Some favorite performances include Amy in Company by Sondheim and Dinah in Trouble in Tahiti by Bernstein. Ms. Schneider teaches at Belmont University and Lipscomb University as an adjunct professor of voice.
Chad Dumont, Member at Large
Chad Dumont has over 20 years theater experience and is a jack of all theatre trades. Previously a board member for the Ithaca Savoyards in New York, Chad brings valuable insight and direction to help keep an organization on track and pointed in the right direction.