Nancy K. Olson - Past President
Nancy K. Olson has served as the instrumental director and music department chair for the past twenty-two years in the Bottineau Public School District teaching 5-12 band, jazz band, classical guitar I & II, and class piano. Under her direction, her students participate in region and state music contest and elementary music festival. The concert band also goes on a major US tour every four years. She taught elementary vocal music in the Jamestown Public School District for one year as well as ran a private piano studio for 20 years in both Jamestown and Bottineau.
Nancy attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN where she received a double major in K-12 Instrumental/Vocal Music and Business Administration. She has directed several Honor Band Festivals in north central North Dakota as well as at Jamestown College. Nancy is the manager of the Bottineau County Elementary Music Festival each year, and she also adjudicates at area elementary music festivals.
Professional memberships include NDMEA, NAfME, Phi Beta Mu (founding member & Chapter Secretary since organizing), National Band Directors Association – NBA (current Vice President), NDNBA, Women Band Directors International, Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educators, NEA, and NDU. Nancy serves on the advisory board and as a chaperone with the Northern Ambassadors of Music European Tour. She has received an Honorary FFA Degree, the Distinguished Service Award from the Bottineau Jaycees, and the Allegro Band Award from the NDNBA.
Providing educational opportunities for students is very important to Mrs. Olson. Since beginning her tenure in the BPS, she has been very proactive in pursuing scholarship dollars and providing at least a half scholarship for any Bottineau student to attend a week of study at the International Music Camp.
Mrs. Olson is married to her husband, Paul, who is a Senior Program Manager at Benchmark Electronics in Rochester, MN. They have 3 grown children. Karin, husband Paul Held, and 6-year old son, Anders, reside in Moorhead, MN, Jonathan (JP), lives and works in Fargo, and Stefan who is living and working in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Two adopted cats, Mittens and Baldur, round out her family.