2022-23 NFHS Performing Arts Educator Award Recipients Announced

A total of 56 individuals have been selected to receive Outstanding Performing Arts Educator Awards from the NFHS, including 24 with Outstanding Music Educator Awards, 20 with Outstanding Speech and Debate Educator Awards and 12 with Outstanding Theatre Awards.

The 24 music honorees include seven section recipients and 17 state recipients. Eight individuals are receiving section awards in speech and debate and 12 will be honored with state awards. In the first-ever theatre awards being given, there are six section and six state recipients.

Since 1988 when the first Outstanding Speech/Debate/Theatre Educator Awards were presented, 246 individuals have received section awards and 400 have been honored with state awards. The Outstanding Music Educator Awards began a year later in 1989, and 206 individuals have received section awards and another 379 have been honored with state awards. The Outstanding Theatre Award was given for the first time this year, separating it from the Outstanding Speech/Debate Educator Award, with six section and six state awards presented.

Click here to see prior winners of the Outstanding Music Educator or Outstanding Speech/Debate/Theatre Educator awards.

(NOTE: The following biographical information on this year’s 56 award recipients was written by Ken Burke, coordinator of performing arts and sports at the NFHS.)

Outstanding Music Educator Awards

SECTION RECIPIENTS

Section 1
Rob Westerberg – Wells, Maine

Rob Westerberg is the choral director at York High School in York, Maine, where he has taught for nearly 25 years. Since beginning in education in 1988, his passion for music has helped students reach their full potential, and in 2004 played an integral part in getting a graduation requirement for music approved by the York school committee. York High School remains the only public high school in the Northeast to possess a graduation requirement for music.

Westerberg holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Keene State College and a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Maine. As an educator, Westerberg has earned many awards, including the 2020 York County Teacher of the Year, the 2012 Maine Distinguished Choral Director, and the 2011 Carol Trimble Award for Exemplary Service to Arts Education.

In terms of leading students, Westerberg has overseen a variety of events and performances, such as the 2010 New Hampshire All State Treble Choir and the Maine Festival Chorus performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. His talents have also been used at choral camps like Laurel Music Camp as the high school choral director and at the Summer Youth Music Camp at the University of Maine from 2002 to 2016.

Section 3
Vivian Gonzalez – Miami, Florida

As a music educator since 1999, Vivian Gonzalez has experience in nearly every level of music education. While educating nearly every grade-level on the importance of music during her career, Gonzalez has been able to use her background and platform to inspire music educators across the nation.

Her awards and recognitions include the 2014 Grammy Music Educator Award National Top Ten Finalist, White House Initiative for Educational Excellence for Hispanics Featured Teacher, 2022 Country Music Association Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence, 2016 Magnet Schools of America Region III Magnet Teacher of the Year, 2013 Lady Antebellum 7FOR7 winner, among many others.

In addition to individual success, Gonzalez has played a crucial role in helping students achieve honors and awards. Since 2017 with the Miami Arts Studio, individuals have earned the 2018 Festival Disney Gold Mickey and Best in Class High School Orchestra winner, the 2020 Virtual Heritage Festival Gold/First Place, and more. Gonzalez has had participants in the Boston Heritage Festival High School Orchestra, New World Symphony Side by Side, Orchestra of Americas, and the Carnegie Honors Performance Series.

Gonzalez is currently a member of the Florida Music Education Association (FMEA), a board member of the Florida School Music Association (FSMA) and contributes in a vital way in one of the largest school districts in the country, Miami-Dade Public Schools.

Section 4
Randy Greenwell – Greenfield, Indiana

Randy Greenwell has been an educator of music for decades, and currently serves as the Music Director and Principal Conductor for the Greater Greenwood Community Band. Greenwell has used his talents to help countless amounts of people within the music community through writing, speaking, and presenting at clinics like the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in December 2022.

In 1993, Greenwell was named the new director of bands at Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. During that time, students gained an appreciation for music and accomplished many things under his direction. Greenwell led the Lawrence Central concert band to five Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) State Championships, two Bands of America Grand National Championships, four Bands of America Regional Championships, and earned the 2001 Sudler Shield Award (Sousa Foundation) for Most Outstanding Marching Band Program in the country.

Throughout his career, Greenwell has also served on the ISSMA State Board of Directors and Indiana Band Masters Association as president and vice president. Greenwell’s personal honors include being inducted into the Music For All/Bands of America Hall of Fame, Phi Beta Mu Band Directors Hall of Fame, Grammy Music Educator Award Quarter Finalist, National Band Association Outstanding Conductor Awards and recognized by the Mayor as a Distinguished Citizen of the City of Indianapolis.

Currently, Greenwell continues to be a part of music in Indiana, serving as an adjudicator for ISSMA, authoring a music education book entitled, “A Guide to Becoming an Inspiring Music Educator,” and performing with a variety of ensembles and serving as principal trumpet of the Southland Church Orchestra.

Section 5
Gretchen Bixler – Wichita, Kansas

As a student-focused individual, Gretchen Bixler has been highly involved in music education in Kansas throughout her career. Bixler is presently a vocal music teacher and music director for all Musical Theatre Productions at Eisenhower High School.

While balancing the passion for music and education, Bixler has gained many achievements during her time as an educator. Bixler has been awarded the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) Outstanding Music Educator Award, the Eisenhower High School Teacher of the Year, and was a Goddard District Teacher of the Year nominee.

As the KSHSAA Fine Arts School of Excellence Honorable Mention in 2018, Eisenhower High School has also seen substantial strides for music education under Bixler’s leadership. She has overseen Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) All-State Singers, American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) National Honor Choir Singers, and has had Eisenhower High School Voice Students chosen for Carnegie Hall Honors Performance Series.

Bixler has served as KMEA Executive Council, NAfME Kansas State Delegate for National Leadership Assembly, NAfME Southwestern Division Co-Chair for Inaugural Collegiate Summit Leadership Workshop, and much more during her career.

Section 6
Julia Reynolds – Russellville, Arkansas

Julia Reynolds spent the first 23 years of her career as a band director at Sheridan High School and Russellville High School, and she has served the last 23 years as the Executive Secretary for the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association.

Individually, Reynolds accomplished much as a band director. Reynolds earned the 1984 Stanbury-ASBDA Outstanding Young Band Director Award, the 1997 Arkansas Bandmaster of the Year Award, and was inducted into the Arkansas Bandmasters Hall of Fame in 2019.

Under her direction, students and ensembles succeeded as well. From 1976 to 1999, performers from Sheridan and Russellville consistently received First Division Ratings in Marching, Concert, and Solo-Ensemble. Individual students have attained high placements in All-Region, All-State, and Band Camp Honor Bands since 1976 with her guidance. Bands she has directed have been selected as the Four States Arkansas Honor Band and have performed at the Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington DC and the American School Band Directors Association National Convention.

At the national/international level, Ms. Reynolds serves on the Phi Beta Mu International Board and is on the advisory board for the Mid-West International Music Conference.

Section 7
John Burn – San Jose, California

John Burn started his career in 1989 as band director at both Santa Cruz High School and Mission Hill Junior High School in Santa Cruz, California. In 1991, Burn became band director at the high school he graduated from, Homestead High School, where he still serves as Director of Bands and Orchestra.

Burn has held numerous leadership positions in the California high school music space, which include presidencies with the California Music Educators Association, California Band Directors Association, California Music Educator Association - Bay Section, Santa Clara County Band Directors Associations, and Santa Cruz Jazz Festival Board of Directors.

Described as a humble and kind music educator, Burn continues to push the next generation of musicians through his teachings. Every year, for over 20 years, Homestead is represented by at least five students in both the Santa Clara County Honor Band and the California All-State Honor Band. In 2021, he led his band to a WBA Regional Marching Band Championship. Bands under his guidance have also performed in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Section 8
Kathy Stefani – Moscow, Idaho

For more than 30 years, Kathy Stefani has been a music educator in public schools in Idaho. With experience at every grade level as a music educator, Stefani has helped the state as a whole stay motivated and passionate about music education.

Locally, Stefani worked for many years as the Region 2 Music President. In this role she organized multiple honor band and choir events that benefited many students throughout Region 2. Stefani was elected as the President-Elect position for the Idaho Music Educators Association (IMEA), a two-year commitment, where she was instrumental in organizing the state Honor band, jazz band, orchestra, mixed choir, and treble choir, then worked as the President of IMEA, and currently serves as the Past President for the IMEA. Throughout her time, she played a key role in vital initiatives, development programs, and more, including establishing the Idaho Music Educators Mentorship Program in 2019.

Named the 2022 Idaho Music Educator of the Year, Stefani not only has a significant amount of individual success, but also has seen students achieve a lot with her leadership. During her time as an educator at the middle and high school level, her ensembles and bands were recognized with awards such as All-Northwest Choir, First Place in the Nampa All-City Parade, and Gold at the Seattle Heritage Festival. Individual student achievements include 24 Idaho All-State selections, 8 All-Northwest selections, 15 Idaho State Solo sections, and more.

Stefani has been awarded Idaho’s Governor’s Award for the Arts/Music Education, Grammy Teacher of the Year Semi-Finalist, Grangeville High School Teacher of the Year, and the first ever Grangeville Community Foundation Award.

STATE RECIPIENTS

Wayne Splettstoeszer Torrington High School
Torrington, Connecticut

Splettstoeszer has been a music educator at Torrington High School since 1996 and has led bands to perform at the CMEA All-State Conference, the National Cherry Blossom Parade, and the National Independence Day Parade.

**Lisa Linde
**Newton South High School
Newton, Massachusetts

Lisa Linde serves the music community in Massachusetts by educating, adjudicating, presenting, and conducting. She has been an educator for over 30 years and has been the Band Director at Newton South High School since 1998.

Kason Jackson Carteret High School
Carteret, New Jersey

As a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and success in music, Kason Jackson has taught at Carteret High School since 2015 and is a member of the New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA) and the New Jersey American Choral Directors (NJACDA).

**Charles Heck
**Indian River High School
Philadelphia, New York

Charles Heck is not only a 9-12 Band Director, but he is also coordinator of the 18-member music faculty and department in the Indian River School District that serves a diverse student population of 3,360.  He has led students to Jefferson Lewis County MTA Bi-County Festivals, NYSSMA Solo and Ensemble Competitions, Zone 5 Area All-States, and NYSSMA All-State / Rochester.

**Peter Roach
**Mill River Union High School
North Clarendon, Vermont

Peter Roach is a music educator and director, leading a marching band program that regularly performs in Vermont All-State Parade, The Wallingford Memorial Day Parade, The Middletown Springs Memorial Day Parade, and the Loyalty Day Parade where he earned first place this year.

**Tony McCardle
**Calcasieu Parish Schools
Lake Charles, Louisiana

Tony McCardle has held numerous positions in the Calcasieu School District, including Elementary Classroom Teacher, a Quality Instructional Mentor, a Principal and now serves Director of Career and Technical Education, Visual & Performing Arts and College Programs where he plays a vital role in overseeing all performing arts activities.

**Jamie Young
**Lake Cormorant High School
Walls, Mississippi

In her current role at Lake Cormorant, Jamie Young teaches beginner band, middle school band, high school band, jazz band, color guard, winter guard, general music, leadership, and dual enrollment music appreciation. Young is heavily involved in the Mississippi Bandmasters Association as she serves as President, and has helped achieve student success in honor bands, the MBDA All-State Concert Band, and the prestigious Mississippi Lions All-State Band.

**Earle William Dickinson
**Lifelong Music Educator
Shellsburg, Iowa

With a 42-year teaching career, Earle William Dickinson became a legendary music educator in the state of Iowa. For 20 years, Earle served as the editor of the Iowa Bandmasters Magazine. He is a past- President of that association and was a highly sought-after guest conductor. For 40 years Earle has adjudicated Iowa’s festivals, the All-State Band selection process, and has directed countless amounts of ensembles.

**Korey Coffer
**Harvard High School
Harvard, Illinois

As the Director of Bands at Harvard High School, Korey Coffer actively serves within his school and state, as an adjudicator for the Indiana State School Music Association and the Illinois Grade School Music Association. He received National Board Certification in 2016 and recently successfully completed his Doctorate of Education.

**Jennifer Wieland
**J.A. Hughes Elementary School/Lafayette High School
Red Lake Falls, Minnesota

Jennifer Wieland has been an integral voice in the resurgence of music programs through the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL). Wieland has not only served her students but has served her community by being a member of the MSHSL Music Advisory Committee and the MSHSL Region 8A Committee.

**Valerie Bell
**Harmony Project KC
Parkville, Missouri

As a music educator, Valerie Bell has maintained success in her programs and is a valued member with the MSHSAA. Bell is on the Prescribed Music List String Review Committee, serves as a String Music Adjudicator, and is currently serving on the Instrumental Music Adjudicator Training Committee which revises and updates the training of adjudicators across the state.

**Doran Johnson
**Westside High School
Omaha, Nebraska

With continued excellence throughout his 35-year career, Doran Johnson has found success individually and while leading musicians. Individual honors include the Nebraska Music Education Association Outstanding Educator Award and the Phil and Terri Schrager Distinguished Teaching Award, while his ensembles have earned Grand Champions of several Choir Invitationals, FAME National Finalists, and more.

**Laura Eberhardt
**Cimarron High School
Cimarron, New Mexico

Under her direction, Laura Eberhardt’s band program has been described as “thriving” and she has been described as a “tireless giver”. During her career, Eberhardt has been awarded the 2017 “New and Emerging Educator” award from the New Mexico Music Educators’ Association (NMEA), has been named “Music Educator of the Year” for 2022, and was the Band Vice-President for NMEA.

**Jeremy Haas
**Duncan Public Schools
Duncan, Oklahoma

Jeremy Haas has been named Teacher of the Year, Director of the Year, Honor Band Clinician, and more in the communities he has been in. With experiences at multiple schools and leading a number of different bands, Haas has maintained prosperity at each school, earning many Superior Ratings, many OSSAA Sweepstakes Awards, and for 6 years in a row own the OSSAA Outstanding Achievement Award.

**Patrick Ryan
**Great Falls High School
Great Falls, Montana

Patrick Ryan’s choirs have been recognized by both the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for their excellence and have been invited guests for showcase concert performances at their Northwest Conferences. Known for his amazing teaching and music skills, his students are consistently invited to be members of the Honor Ensembles associated with ACDA and NAfME.

**Cole Haole-Valenzuela
**West Salem High School
Salem, Oregon

Noted as a community builder, Cole Haole-Valenzuela is highly involved within the city of Salem and has been in education for nearly a decade. As an Oregon American Choral Director’s Association (OACDA) Emerging Conductor Award winner, Haole-Valenzuela’s ensembles have placed in the top four of nearly every competition they have been in the past five years.

**Ramon Rivera
**Mount Vernon High School
Mount Vernon, Washington

Ramon Rivera is an active leader throughout his school and the state of Washington. In 2020, Rivera took a position at Mount Vernon High School in western Washington and has quickly established the Mariachi program at MVHS as well as several levels of dance / folklore classes honoring Hispanic heritage.

Outstanding Speech and Debate Educator Awards

SECTION RECIPIENTS

Section 1
Raymond Shay – Princeton, New Jersey

Raymond Shay has had a great impact on speech and debate in New Jersey throughout the entirety of his career. As a National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) honor society member for 26 years, he has been a speech and debate educator for nearly 20 of those years. Shay coached at La Salle College High School for over ten years, and his team earned National School of Excellence of Awards from NSDA and the National Catholic Forensics League (NCFL) six times during his tenure. His teams were also recognized as NSDA’s Valley Forge Overall District twice, Debate Sweepstakes Champions twice, and Pennsylvania High School Speech League (PHSSL) District #11 Sweepstakes Champions for 12 straight years.

Following his coaching career at La Salle, Shay took on a new role at Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart in Princeton, New Jersey. Shay founded the speech and debate program there, while significantly growing the speech and debate program in only five years.

Now serving on the executive committee for the NJ Speech and Debate League, Shay has worked with the NSDA as a co-chairman and committee member, with the NCFL as a committee member, the PHSSL as district chair and state tournament official, and with the Philadelphia Catholic Forensics League (PCFL) as president/league director and executive committee member.

Section 2
Rachel Page – Highland Heights, Kentucky

As an educator since 2002, Rachel Page continues to develop students’ minds in the science classroom and on speech/debate teams. Page has coached speech and debate ever since her first year, and even incorporates speech and debate activities and skills like impromptu speaking, congressional debate, and public forum debate into the classroom.

Page has an extensive list of accomplishments and honors throughout her career. In 2018, Page was presented the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Kentucky District Coach of the Year award, and the following year was inducted into the Kentucky High School Speech League (KHSSL) Hall of Fame. Page has also been awarded the KHSSL Senior Debate Coach of the Year, KHSSL Northern Kentucky Region Senior Speech Coach of the Year, NSDA Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Award.

Page’s speech and debate teams have achieved great success under her supervision, both at the state level and national level. As students under her have qualified nationally in various events throughout most of her career, she has had students receive awards like, Kentucky District Student of the Year, state champions, regional champions, and numerous quarterfinalists and semifinalists.

As a highly involved speech and debate coach, Page continues to serve in numerous capacities, including KHSSL Board Member and Secretary of the Board, along with serving as the Kentucky District Chair for the NSDA.

Section 3
Richard Bracknell – Temple, Georgia

Richard Bracknell has been an educator for over four decades at numerous high schools, while coaching speech and debate for 32 years. As Bracknell has earned the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Distinguished Service Gold Key, the speech and debate students that he coaches have been successful in a variety of events, including Dramatic Interpretation, Public Forum Debate, Policy Debate, and more.

Not only has Bracknell served his own team, but he continues to help other programs through directing the Peach State Debate Tournament, which has been a Tournament of Champion Qualifier for 12 years.

Throughout his illustrious career, Bracknell has been awarded for his amazing work with students. He has been recognized as the Carrollton High School Teacher of the Year, a US Presidential Scholar Teacher, College of Charleston Educator of the Year, and has been inducted into the Georgia Forensic Coaches Association (GFCA) Debate Hall of Fame. Bracknell has also been named GFCA Coach of the Year twice, has been selected STAR Teacher thirteen times, and Golden Apple winner twenty times.

Bracknell’s students have benefited from his direction, as twelve students have won GHSA/GFCA state championships, with ten runner ups during that time, as well. 203 students have qualified for the NSDA national tournament and NDFL national tournament, with nine Academic All American Debaters in the previous three years.

Section 4
Kenneth Carter – Chatham, Illinois

Kenneth Carter is an English teacher and head speech and debate coach at Glenwood High School – a position he has held since 1994. While being highly connected to the speech and debate, he has been able to coach hundreds of students throughout his career and has been a mentor for new coaches at various central Illinois schools.

He has been awarded Teacher of the Month twice, the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) Distinguished Service Gold Key, Co-Coach of the Year for the Egyptian Forensic League in 2013, and received the Ball-Chatham CUSD #5 Excellence in Education Award. His accomplishments do not stop there, however, as he has seen his students find their voice in speech and debate over the years.

As Carter has committed time and effort into the dynamic speech and debate programs he’s coached, his students have received significant awards while participating. His teams have had top five finishes and champion award winners, have qualified in IE and Group Interpretation including three competitors who placed in the State final round, and have qualified for the NSDA National Tournament for the past seven seasons with three semi-round finalists. In 2013, his team received the IHSA State Sportsmanship Banner for Group Interpretation.

Carter has also strived to be an aide in every role he has been in. Whether that be as a volunteer coordinator or committee member for the IHSA State Tournament, or as Commissioner and Vice-Chair for the Special Commission on Tournaments, Individual Events (SCOTIE) for the Illinois Communication and Theatre Association (ICTA), Carter has a passion for speech and debate. Currently, Carter serves as Treasurer for the ICTA.

Section 5
Tim Ellis – Topeka, Kansas

Tim Ellis has more than a decade of experience in coaching, all with Washburn Rural High School. In 2013, Ellis became a certified speech and debate instructor and began his coaching career as co-coach of the speech and debate team. In 2015, he became the head coach of the speech program, and a few years later in 2018 became the head coach of the debate program, too.

Throughout his career of being involved with speech and debate, Ellis works frequently with the Kansas Speech Communication Association (KSCA), as he has been vice president, second vice president, and conference presenter. Serving as the president of the KSCA now, Ellis oversees an annual conference attended by over 100 coaches in Kansas. Ellis also volunteers his time at tournaments, conferences, and camps, like working as Debate Camp Instructor at the University of Kansas and University of Michigan.

His work has been fruitful throughout his career as a speech and debate coach, with national champions, state champions, and team awards that have made Washburn a speech and debate powerhouse. For Ellis, he has received the Ted Belch Award for NSDA National Champion Policy Debate Coach twice, the 2021-22 Kansas Speech Communication Association Educator of the Year, the 2022 Doug Duke Coach of the Year at the JW Patterson Invitational, among other awards.

Section 6
Victoria Beard – Houston, Texas

While having a background in speech and debate, theatre, and English, Victoria Beard has over 40 years of experience educating and empowering students. In addition to teaching Speech, Debate, and Communication Applications at Spring Woods High School currently, Beard serves as the Texas UIL Academic Coordinator, Speech/Debate Coach, Senior instructor for Congressional Debate at the Harvard Debate Council, Hispanic Caucus Chair for the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA), Congressional Debate Tabulation official for NSDA National Tournament, and is on the Tournament of Champions Congress Committee.

The NSDA Three-Diamond coach has been a part of some outstanding programs and teams, while winning nearly ten UIL 6A District Championships, having students qualify for sixteen consecutive years at the NSDA National tournament, ten NSDA National finalists, and one NSDA National champion.

Among Beard’s own merits are the 2022 Space City Swing Excellence Coaching Award, the 2021 Center for After School Education Summer and Enrichment Debate Coach of the Year, as well as earning the Space City National Speech and Debate Association District Coach of the Year that same year. Beard was inducted into the Texas Forensic Association’s Coaches Hall of Fame in 2022.

Section 7
Kimberly Bayan-Berlat – Tempe, Arizona

Through numerous roles in speech and debate throughout Arizona, Kimberly Bayan-Berlat has played a huge role in helping students find success at the local, regional, and national levels in speech and debate. While Bayan-Berlat has volunteered at high schools as an assistant coach for years, she brings new insights into speech and debate that allows her to coordinate local tournaments, as well as the Yale Congress and the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) National Congress.

As a former board member and extemporaneous lab director at the Southwest Speech and Debate Institute, she helped create the Arizona Speech & Debate Coaches Association’s (ASDCA) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and was a member of the NSDA’s Asian-American Coaches Caucus.

Her career has been filled with accomplishments both individually and collectively, such as being awarded the NSDA Arizona District Debate Communicator of the Year in 2015 and leading teams to national tournaments throughout her time as a coach. With nearly twenty-one students qualifying at state, regional, and national levels under her leadership, Bayan-Berlat continues to provide assistance with the teams she coaches.

In addition to the award she received in 2015, Bayan-Berlat also received the National Bank of Arizona Volunteer of the Year in 2017, the NSDA Distinguished Service Gold Key in 2018, and the NSDA Donus D. Roberts Coach Award in 2021.

Section 8
Caroline Campbell – Medford, Oregon

Ever since she participated in speech and debate in high school, Caroline Campbell knew that she wanted to coach and teach speech and debate. As Campbell has now coached at South Medford High School for more than a decade, she has built a program that has had a number of State Champions in the Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) Speech and Debate events, along with multiple students that have earned Academic All-American honors through NSDA and earning the Leader Chapter Award twice since Campbell has taken the reins.

Campbell played a key role over the last few years in making sure speech and debate would continue in their schools and communities. Under her leadership, the speech and debate team were able to work with the South Oregon NSDA committee to ensure that her students could participate in the NSDA National Tournament, even through obstacles that took place. Campbell also was a key player in helping host an entirely virtual OSAA State Championships in the spring of 2021.

Campbell continues to provide her speech and debate knowledge at the state level, as she has served as president, first vice president, and second vice president with the Oregon High School Speech League Coaches Association. She also served as a committee member with the OSAA Speech State Championships Committee and OSAA State Championships Committee.

In addition to her team success, Campbell has been individually awarded, receiving the 2023 Oregon High School Speech League Coaches Association Speech Educator of the Year, the 2022 NSDA South Oregon Speech and Debate Coach of the Year, the 2019 NSDA Don Crabtree Distinguished Service Award, and the 2017 NSDA Donus D. Roberts Excellence Coaching Award.

STATE RECIPIENTS

**Aaron Reid
**E.C. Glass High School
Lynchburg, Virginia

As an educator since 1998, Reid has worked as an educator and coach in speech and debate throughout the entirety of his career, while using his experiences as a student to guide the students he teaches today.

**Kim Nonnenmacher
**Concord High School
Elkhart, Indiana

Nonnenmacher has played a crucial role as the leader of her high school speech and debate program, while also providing her knowledge on the subject to organizations like the Indiana Schools Speech & Debate Association (ISSDA) and the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA).

**Pamela Belden
**Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech & Dramatic Arts Association
Green Bay, Wisconsin

Belden has been district chair and member of our Board of Control for over fifteen years, while playing a role in the active Green Bay, Door County, and Appleton region of the state in qualifying contests, serving as a trainer/instructor for speech adjudicators, and helping at various state events.

**Brenda Sandbulte
**George-Little Rock High School
George, Iowa

While being at George-Little Rock High School since 1992, Sandbulte has grown the speech and debate program there while serving on the Iowa High School Speech Association as coach, mentor, and president of northwestern Iowa.

**Ben Jewell
**Lee’s Summit North High School
Lee’s Summit, Missouri

Jewell serves as the Director of Debate at Lee’s Summit North High School, while also being a part of committees and events such as the Show Me National Speech & Debate Association District Committee, Speech Theater Association of Missouri, and Lee’s Summit North Speech & Debate Invitational.

**Mikayla Curry
**Melrose High School
Sauk Centre, Minnesota

Curry is currently an English teacher and the head speech coach at Melrose High School in Melrose, Minnesota and has played an integral part in the Minnesota State High School League and the speech and debate community in Minnesota.

**Jeffrey Horner
**Minden High School
Minden, Nebraska

Horner has served as president of the Central Nebraska Forensics League, as well as president and vice president for the Nebraska Speech Communications & Theatre Association. He continues to coach speech and debate in Nebraska where he has done so for 28 years.

**Helen Strickland
**West High School of Innovation
Little Rock, Arkansas

Strickland serves as both a teacher and a coach at West High School of Innovation, and has served as president and vice president at the Arkansas Communication Theater Arts Association.

**Billy Elles
**Westmoore High School
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

As an educator for over 20 years, Elles has established a successful speech and debate program at Westmoore High School, with 19 national finalists, two Top 10 school honors, and six state speech championships.

**John Garofalo
**Syracuse High School
Syracuse, Utah

As a speech and debate coach since 2016, Garofalo has seen achievements such as regional champions, Lincoln-Douglas state champions, and Public Forum/Congress state finalists.

**Christian Litten
**Sitka High School
Sitka, Alaska

Since becoming Sitka High School speech and debate coach in 2016, Litten’s teams have won the DDF State Sweepstake Award for Division 2 every year, often winning all three pillars: Drama, Forensics, & Debate. During that time, Litten has also been a part of the Ramshackle Cabaret and Alaska DDF Coaches Association.

**Brock Sondrup
**Rigby High School
Idaho Falls, Idaho

Sondrup has been actively involved in the Speech and Debate community since the mid 2000’s through coaching, educating, and serving with the Idaho High School Activities Association (IHSAA) and National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA).

Outstanding Theatre Educator Awards

SECTION RECIPIENTS

Section 2
Diana Driver – Crozet, Virginia

As a native of Virginia, Diana Driver has been in the theatre education profession for 26 years. While directing countless amounts of shows, Driver has been a part of some remarkable programs that have won state championships at the VHSL festival six times throughout her career. In 2015, Driver was awarded Teacher of the Year honors for both her school and division, and the following year won the Regional Coach of the Year award for the third time in her career.

Driver also serves as a VHSL state theatre judge on a regular basis due to her excellent critiques and her rapport with other directors and students. In the summers, she serves within her community by helping local youth programs in the performing arts.

In previous years, Driver served on the board of directors for the EndStation Theatre Company and Longwood Performing Arts Council. In 2020-2021, she was a part of the JMU Teacher Mentor Program, helping youths grow their passion for theatre, further solidifying her support of the arts in the central Virginia area.

Section 3
Dean Slusser – Saint Mary’s, Georgia

Dean Slusser has been an integral part of theatre education throughout the state of Georgia in his career. With nearly 40 years of educational experience in a number of various opportunities, Slusser continues to show leadership through his work. Now serving as Fine Arts Director/Assistant Principal/Theatre Teacher at Camden County High School, Slusser has played a key role in growing the fine arts program at Camden.

He has worked closely with the GHSA over his more than three decades of service to provide enriching experiences for students in the areas of Fine Arts offered through the GHSA. Slusser is highly involved with GHSA One Act Play and Literary, along with other roles with GHSA, including Director of Adjudicator Training, State One Act Play Coordinator, and serves as an adjudicator.

Slusser has worked extensively with the Southeastern Theatre Conference and the Georgia Theatre Conference. In the Southeastern Theatre Conference, Slusser has served as chairman on multiple committees, along with receiving the Suzanne M. Davis Memorial Award for Distinguished Service to Theatre in 2016. He served as president for the Georgia Theatre Conference from 2002 to 2005, then again in 2014-2017.

Slusser has received numerous honors in his decorated career, including induction into the Georgia Theatre Conference Hall of Fame and Georgia Thespian Hall of Fame, and was awarded the Georgia Theatre Conference Leighton Ballew Award for Distinguished Service to Theatre in Georgia in 2006.

Section 4
Janine Stroemer – Matteson, Illinois

While being a part of both Speech/Debate and Theatre, Janine Stroemer continuously helps students grow their creative abilities. Under her tutelage, Homewood-Flossmoor High School has had six individual champions, thirty state finalists, and hundreds of students who have competed at IHSA speech and drama competitions annually. She has had eleven top five finishes at the IHSA state drama festival, with two state champions within that time frame, while also directing numerous all-state cast members.

As a highly involved individual, Stroemer continues to work closely with the Illinois Communication and Theater Association, serving in a variety of roles including President, Vice President, and Conference Presenter. She has also worked tirelessly with the Southwest Suburban Conference (SWSC) Group Interpretation Competition, tallying sixteen awards in as many years. A total of seventy-two students have earned All-State cast honors under her instruction at the IHSA Group Interpretation State Finals.

With over thirty years of dependable instruction, Stroemer has received the Illinois High School Association John Hires Service Award, the Illinois Communication and Theater Association Link Mentor Award, and Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching Nominations in 2004 and 2016.

Section 5
Carole Carraher – Springfield, Nebraska

Since 1982, Carole Carraher has been serving Nebraska students in English, Speech/Debate, and Theatre classes. Since that first year, Carraher has had various roles within the state of Nebraska, including educator, director, coach, and volunteer.

Carraher’s list of accomplishments is remarkable. Of the 40 years under her supervision, thirty-eight of those teams have qualified for the Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) Play Production Championships, with thirty-seven of those teams being from Gretna High School. Of the 37 tournament appearances, 28 of those teams were state champions, five were state runner-up, and three placed third. Thirty of her students have were named best male or female performer in the state, with 2,137 students crowned as state champions under Carraher’s direction. All of these statistics are state records in Nebraska.

Her career is regarded as an inspiration to many educators throughout the state. As she has worked with the Nebraska Speech and Theatre Association (NSTA) since 1982, her roles have helped shape the theatre community in Nebraska. With the NSTA, Carraher has served as a member, executive board member, convention vice president, convention presenter, and volunteer.

As she is now retired, she adjudicates for the NSAA at district and state competitions, presents sessions at the state theatre convention, and still lends her skills in the theatre community.

Section 6
Tana Howard - Ackerly, Texas

Since being involved in theatre starting in the third grade, Howard’s passion for theatre has turned into a career of helping students, her school, community, colleagues, new directors, and everyone who needs to be a part of something and be loved on.

After a brief stint of teaching kindergarten and elementary theatre in Big Spring, Texas after graduating from college (Lubbock Christian University), Howard headed to Sands CISD in the town of Ackerly, Texas. With a total enrollment of 238 students Pre-K through 12th grade at the time, she built the program from the ground up.

Teaching at a 1A (smallest size) school, Howard wears many hats. In addition to teaching and directing theatre (Elementary, Middle, and High School levels), she has spent time as the Cheer Sponsor, Student Council Sponsor, UIL Academic Speech teacher, counselor, and has recently taken on some administrative duties as well.

Howard has been involved at the state level, working various positions with the Texas UIL State One Act Play Meet. This is where she saw the need for West Texas to have Professional Development opportunities for directors in West Texas. She decided to do something about it and now hosts directors from West Texas and New Mexico for free clinics and multiple schools coming in and out over a week-long period for development opportunities.

To go along with her teaching, Howard recognizes the importance of developing and caring for students at a deeper level. She has helped students take trips to New York and worked with the American Theatre Guild to provide tickets to students in underserved communities. She works at SKIT Camps for kids around the area in the Summer. This year she has been given the opportunity to involve and include a senior with Down Syndrome in the schools program.

Section 8
Sharon Hoge – Blackfoot, Idaho

Sharon Hoge has had an immeasurable impact on the students of Blackfoot (ID) High School and the surrounding community. She is currently in her 44th year as an educator in the Blackfoot, Idaho school district. Twenty-two of those years have been spent teaching theatre, with over 40 years of service to the community theatre in Blackfoot.

Serving on the Board of Directors at the historic Nuart Theatre, built in 1929 as the first talking movie theater in Idaho, for over forty years, Hoge was part of a group to save the theater from destruction. The Nuart Theatre has been converted into a live theater with Hoge’s help and she is now in charge of the Blackfoot Community players.

The awards and accomplishments that Hoge has obtained are impressive: BYU-Idaho Social Sciences Woman of the Year, 6 Outstanding Teacher of the Year awards (Blackfoot Masonic Lodge, Blackfoot Elks, Mountain View Middle School, Blackfoot School District, ISATA). She has also been a part of the revival of the drama program at Blackfoot, building it up from 8 students to an average of 120 students per year. Blackfoot routinely completes against larger schools in Utah and still places highly in competitions.

A colleague of Hoge’s recently stated, “This town would not be the same without her,” while a former colleague of Hoge’s added: “The neat thing about Sharon is really that instead of keeping theatre in the classroom she wants the entire community to feel the enrichment that theatre brings and she constantly works hard to ensure that community members can receive the gifts of live theatre.”

STATE RECIPIENTS

**Tim Mitchell
**Iowa High School Speech Association
Charles City, Iowa

Mitchell has served in a variety of roles for the Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) in his 34 years, including directing award-winning musical theatre productions, serving on committees, and adjudicating speech, music, and theatre.

**Kristi Ross-Clausen
**Madison College
Madison, Wisconsin

Ross-Clausen has been active in interscholastic and intercollegiate theatre contests, as she has worked EdTA’s Thespy contest, one-act play contests, judged countless amounts of contests, and volunteered her time to help educators, students, and actors.

**Todd Schnake
**Raymore-Peculiar High School
Peculiar, Missouri

For 31 years, Schnake worked with the Raymore-Peculiar School District while directing state champion productions, teaching speech/debate and theatre, and has earned countless awards for his dedicated service to the Missouri performing arts community.

**Helen Strickland
**Little Rock School District
Little Rock, Arkansas

Strickland has been a fixture of the Arkansas Theatre community for over 30 years. Serving on a variety of committees, her dedication to the students and the profession have been demonstrated in stops at: Arkansas State University, Central High School, Hall High School, and even now as she recently started a new Theatre program at Little Rock West High School of Innovation.

**Lyndal Westmoreland
**Okarche High School
Okarche, Oklahoma

Westmoreland taught at Felt (Oklahoma) High School for eight years before moving to Okarche High School, where he has been since 1989. During the last 33 years, he has directed five state championship in one-act play, two state championships at the state speech and debate contest and also served in state-wide committee roles involving theatre, speech and debate.

**J. Hannah Fry
**Skyline High School
Sammamish, Washington

Under her direction, Skyline’s program has thrived to include more than 90 students each year in Theatre, Technical Theatre, and IB Theatre curricular courses as well as cultivate theatrical passions in more than 120 additional students through extra-curricular theatre.