Welcoming New Leadership to Season 47
Season 47 News
As Portland Gay Men’s Chorus steps into its 47th season, we are proud to introduce two extraordinary leaders who will help shape the future of this organization. Douglas Orofino joins us as Associate Artistic Director, bringing deep roots in choral music education and performance across the Portland community. Allen Tomlinson steps in as Executive Director, returning to PGMC after serving as a past board member and board chair, and bringing decades of communications and nonprofit leadership experience to the role. We are thrilled to welcome them both and excited about everything Season 47 holds.
Douglas Orofino
Associate Artistic Director
Douglas Orofino joins the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus as Associate Artistic Director, bringing with him a rich and varied musical life deeply rooted in the Portland community.
A countertenor by training, Douglas is the Director of Choirs at Ida B. Wells High School in the Portland Public School District, where he leads one of the city’s most active choral programs. He also serves as the Artistic Director of the West Linn Community Chorus and currently holds the position of Community Choir Repertoire and Resources Chair on the board of the Oregon chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.
A West Coast native, Douglas is a recent alumnus of the Chicago College of Performing Arts, where he studied classical voice performance with renowned countertenor Mark Crayton. His work spans choral education, community music making, and professional performance, and we are honored to have him leading alongside Dr. Braeden Ayres as Season 47 gets underway.
Allen Tomlinson
Executive Director
Allen Tomlinson steps into the role of Executive Director of the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus, bringing with him a deep familiarity with this organization and a remarkable breadth of professional experience.
Allen is no stranger to PGMC. A past board member and board chair, he has been invested in the chorus’s mission and future for years. He is also the husband of David Sims, a T2 singer who has been a member of the chorus since 2017, making PGMC very much a part of his daily life long before this appointment.
Professionally, Allen brings decades of communications and nonprofit leadership to the role. He and his husband owned an advertising agency and publishing company in Florence, Alabama for nearly 30 years. More recently, Allen served as Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications for the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute and as communications advisor to the CEO of Portland General Electric. Throughout his career he has worked extensively with nonprofits both as a board member and as a strategic communications advisor.
We are thrilled to welcome Allen into this role and deeply confident in the future he will help build for PGMC.
