Jr. High/Middle School Repertoire & Standards Leadership

National Chair: Gretchen Harrison (gharrison.jhms@gmail.com)

Gretchen Harrison has been teaching Middle School or Junior High Choral music since 1987. She is currently responsible for the vibrant choral program at Frontier Trail Middle School in the Olathe, KS, which serves students in grades 6-8. In addition to her work in the public schools, she also is an Assistant Director in the Allegro Community Children’s Choir program based in Overland Park, KS. Harrison considers her commitment to students of primary importance followed closely by her commitment to serving colleagues and developing leaders in the choral music profession. Harrison has served as ML Choral Chairperson for Kansas Music Educators, KCDA Chairperson for Repertoire and Standards for JH/MS and is currently the National Chairperson for American Choral Directors Association Repertoire and Standards for JH/MS level. In addition, she co-facilitates the Middle Level Choral Staff for her school district. She has been recognized multiple times by Who’s Who Among American Teachers and has twice received the Outstanding Middle Level Music Educator Award presented by her KMEA district. Her choirs consistently earn top ratings at festivals and have appeared at KMEA. Harrison earned her BME from Wichita State University and her Masters in Music Education from University of Missouri—Kansas City. Gretchen is an active clinician, presenter and adjudicator. Gretchen, a child of excellent choral and keyboard musicians, and her high school band director husband are the parents of two very musical high school students.

Central Division Chair: Mona Jethmalani (mjethmalani@aol.com

Mona Jethmalani is in her 8th year of teaching and 5th year as choral director and general music teacher at Dundee Middle School in West Dundee, Illinois. Ms. Jethmalani received her undergraduate degree at Benedictine University and her graduate degree at VanderCook College of Music. Ms. Jethmalani teaches two general music classes and five choirs at Dundee Middle including two select ensembles, Men’s Ensemble and Bella Voce which have both earned top ratings at district and state festivals and contests. She also directs the annual musical and talent show. In addition, she is a private voice instructor, active clinician and vocal performer in the Chicagoland area. Ms. Jethmalani directed the Anima Young Singers of Greater Chicago Kid Singers (formerly Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus Musical Experience for Children) for seven years. She currently sings with the New Classic Singers of Glen Ellyn under the direction of Lee Kesselman and is a frequent featured vocalist with the Moraine Valley Community College Jazz Ensemble directed by Doug Bratt. As a musician, she has performed all over Chicago including Taste of Chicago, WGN-TV, FOX-TV, Chicago World Music Fest, Steppenwolf Theatre, Park West and the Hothouse Center for International Performance. Her professional affiliations include National Association for Music Education, American Choral Directors Association and National Association of Teachers of Singing.

Eastern Division Chair: Lon Beery (lbeery@hotmail.com)

Dr. Lon Beery teaches vocal music at Spry Middle School in Webster where he directs the 7th and 8th grade choruses and "Spry Select,"a select mixed chorus.  Prior to returning to public school teaching, he was an Assistant Professor of Music Education at Syracuse University where he directed the SU Men's Glee Club and served as Chair of the Music Education Department.  Dr. Beery has also taught Choral Arranging at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.  He is a frequent guest choral conductor, working especially with adolescent choruses.  He has directed honors choirs in Connecticut, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Dr. Beery has composed or arranged over 75 published choral pieces which appear in the catalogues of Hal Leonard, Alfred, Alliance, BriLee, and others.  His composition, “I Believe,” was performed bythe U.S Army Chorus at President Reagan’s interment service in California.  For his compositions, he has received several ASCAP Standard Awards.  He has also written several articles whichhave appeared in the Choral Journal and the Music Educators Journal and has presented sessions at state, regional, and national conferences of ACDA and MENC.  He currently serves as the Eastern Division ACDA Middle School Repertoire and Standards Chair.

North Central Division Chair: Nancy Ewing ( nancy.ewing@lemarscsd.org)

Nancy Ewing received her Bachelor of Music degree from Iowa State University and her Master’s degree in Choral Music
Education from the University of South Dakota. She began teaching in 1989, and has been employed as the middle school vocal music instructor with Le Mars Community Schools since 1998. At Le Mars’s middle school, she directs three mixed choral ensembles, as well as a select 7th-8th choir, several additional choral ensembles, and directs the MS Musical. She also teaches the 6th grade Music Exploratory classes, gives private and group voice lessons to the middle school choir students, and accompanies for several high school music activities.

An active guest clinician and conductor, she has directed several honor choirs and was the guest conductor for the 2003 Iowa Opus Honor Choir Festival’s 7th-8th grade Girl’s Choir. She was a member of the choral/voice faculty at the University of South Dakota’s Summer Music Camp in 2004. Mrs. Ewing is also an active member of the Iowa Choral Director’s Association, serving on the ICDA Opus Executive Committee for 4 years and on the ICDA Executive Board as the Northwest District Representative from 2001-2003. Nancy and her husband, Randy, served as the co-chairs for the 6-12 honor choirs at the 2002 ACDA North Central Regional Convention in Des Moines, and were the co-chairs for the 2006 Iowa Choral Director’s State Convention.

Northwestern Division Chair: Julia Kole (julia.kole@boiseschools.org)

Southern Division Chair: Rhonda Miller (miller@hs.spotsylvania.k12.va.us)

After receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from Texas Tech University, and a Master's Degree in Music Performance from The University of North Texas, Rhonda Miller was a flutist and flute soloist with the U.S. Army Field Band and Soldier's Chorus, the official touring Band and Chorus of the U.S. Army.  Her teaching experience includes 13 years of teaching  middle school choirs, and 3 years teaching high school choirs.  She has previously served as the Virginia Junior High/Middle School Repertoire and Standards Chairman, which included chairing the VA ACDA Middle School All State Choir.  She is currently teaching at Chancellor High School in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Southwestern Division Chair: Cara Sedberry (csedberry@sdale.org)

Western Division Chair: Peg Hutson (phutson4@comcast.net)

Peg Hutson has been the choral music director at Valley Oak Middle School in Visalia for 19 years, where she has also served as Fine Arts Department chair.  She is a well-respected festival adjudicator, and is recognized for her work as a middle school clinician and Honor Choir director throughout CA.  Peg is a founder and past president of the Tulare/Kings County based Middle School Choral Forum. Alongside Dr. Anna Hamre, Peg is the co-founder of “Real Men Sing!” for the CA Central Valley.  Peg and her husband George have 3 sons, 2 grandchildren, and they recently celebrated their 28th anniversary.