ExCom 2023-24: Jessica Berlier, CDFA, Secretary

Jessica Berlier, CDFA was elected and installed to serve as SDA National Secretary at the 2023 SDA Annual Business Meeting. Berlier, who previously held the Membership Committee Liason, is a Member-at-Large of SDA.

“I will continue finding new ways to grow and sharing that experience with others. I hope that my service to this organization will inspire others to reach for leadership roles,” Berlier said. “The experience can be more than career changing – in my case, it was also life changing.”  Berlier is the Project Coordinator for Gensler in Los Angeles, California.

Fridays After 5 Featuring SDA National President Marie Tomala

SDA member spotlight, Fridays After 5, showcases the varied creative, fun, adventurous, or interesting achievements our members accomplish after business hours.

This week’s Fridays After 5 showcases SDA National President Marie Tomala. 

Marie is a data and project analyst with Cuningham Group Architecture in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In her current role, she provides Deltek Vision/Vantagepoint database system support and training for over 300 staff members across all company offices. She works with firm leaders to assess and forecast financial health and staffing needs. 

Marie is a 10-year member of SDA and SDA Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter. She was first elected to the SDA Executive Committee as National Secretary in 2018. Since then she has served as National Vice President and National President-Elect. She also spent two years working with the National Education Services Committee. Within her home chapter, Marie has served in a variety of capacities including President, Secretary, Programs Co-Chair for five years, Bylaws Committee Chair for two years, and Business Partners Chair for three years. 

As a project analyst, Marie brings to ExCom her strategic thinking expertise, large multi-state firm perspective, and knowledge of how to effectively deploy resources nationwide. As a data analyst, Marie will add a focus on data metrics and return on investment to reach SDA’s vision for success. 

Marie is ready to turn up the volume on SDA. She knows a thing or two about groups: how to get and keep members, what tools are required to coordinate play, the need for practice and advance planning,  and what it takes to perform at a high level, 

It’s no surprise then that Marie is also a member of the rock and roll band, Vinyl Revival.  Continue on to learn more about our National President’s musical talents. As a bonus, we’ve created a Spotify playlist of  Vinyl Revival’s cover songs to get you ready to boogie into a new year of SDA. 

What instruments do you play?

I play the piano (synthesizer, organ, piano – keyboards), and sing.

When did you start playing music?

I was 5 when I started playing piano – I came home from kindergarten that first day and said – “Mom, I only want 2 things. I want my ears pierced and I want to play the piano like Mrs. Hermerding – my kindergarten teacher!” Ultimately the ears got pierced – twice, and I have a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance.

Marie shreds the keyboards in this video clip of a Whole Lotta Shakin Going On

When did you join your current band?

My husband – Greg, the bass player in Vinyl Revival, has been playing in bands since he was in high school – so for 50 years. We have been together since 2001. I’ve always pestered him that I wanted to play in a band (I’ve been playing for ballet classes, in Musical Productions, and for hire as an accompanist). So, finally, he said – Ok, let’s get a band together. So we started casually getting together to play music in a band around 2010. We ended up in the current line-up of Vinyl Revival in 2015. We treat it as a hobby, so no extreme rehearsing, and we don’t want to play every weekend. Prior to Covid, we were playing once a month for the most part – sometimes it’s more. Unfortunately, Covid put things on hold. We’ve done a few Facebook live events but that’s about it. The great news is, June 11 was our first monthly show “Post Covid”. We are so excited to be back performing live music!

Vinyl Revival

What is your favorite song to perform? 

Heatwave, probably most well known by Linda Rondstadt; I also love Centerfield by John Fogerty because it’s about baseball and I love baseball.

What kind of music inspires you? 

I am a girl from about 1968-1990. I am inspired by southern California country-rock (Eagles, Jackson Browne, Flying Burrito Brothers, Little Feat, Linda Rondstadt). I love rock groups with lots of vocal harmonies (Fleetwood Mac, Hollies, CSNY, Beatles). I also really find joy in the music of the Beatles, Van Morrison, Billy Joel, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Steely Dan…, and Green Day!

Do you write music? 

I play almost every weekend in a Catholic Church. So although I do not write music, I improvise music all the time – and that’s without reading anything that’s written down – just off the top of my head. I find lots of enjoyment from that.

Click on the pic to hear Marie on keyboards in May 2021 with her church choir

If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?

Billy Joel

What is the most useless talent you have?

Well, I can juggle – I just really can’t find much use for it. I had to learn to juggle as the musical director/pianist for the show Barnum at a theater in Northern Wisconsin in the mid-80s. Haven’t used juggling since then except to entertain the grandchildren!

How is playing in a band, like being on ExCom? Well, like my emphasis on “The Power of Members working Together” this Term – the members of ExCom -in fact, the members of SDA are a group of powerful Teammates working together to further our common goals. Once we are all in sync (no pun intended) with our common goals, the music we can make together is truly limitless!

Listen to a little Vinyl Revival in this outdoor concert