2025-26 School Year
Effective July 1, 2025
President:
Will Janssen
Retired – Mount Horeb High School
President-Elect (Advocacy Chair):
Randal Swiggum
Madison Metropolitan School District
Past-President:
Brad Schneider
Retired – Middleton Cross-Plains High School
Secretary/Treasurer:
Laurie Fellenz
Executive Director – Wisconsin Music Educators Association
Need to contact a board or council member? >Click Here
Executive Board
| Position | Name, Term, District | Additional Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Northwest Vice President (Region #1) | Kari Moskal School District of Amery | WMEA Executive Committee |
| North Central Vice President (Region #2) | Sara Sternberg School District of Marathon | |
| Northeast Vice President (Region #3) | Robert Knox Florence County School District | |
| Southwest Vice President (Region #4) | Ashley Miller Lancaster Community Schools | |
| South Central Vice President (Region #5) | Terri Felton Madison Metropolitan School District | |
| Southeast Vice President (Region #6) | VACANT - Pending Appointment | |
| Equity Chair (At Large) | VACANT - Pending Appointment | |
| Equity Chair (At Large) | Lee Stovall Milwaukee Public Schools | |
| Membership Chair | Erika Meyer Stoughton Area School District | WMEA Executive Committee |
| Executive Director | Laurie Fellenz Wisconsin Music Educators Association | WMEA Executive Committee WSMA Executive Director WFSM Executive Director |
Council of State Chairs
| Position | Name, Term, District | Office | Position Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Administration | Pat Barnett (6/30/27) Northwest (#1) | Drummond Area School District | Serves as a voice and provides the expertise of an active school administrator in connection with WMEA strategic plan goals. Consults on issues in the field of education and initiatives of the association. |
| Band | Brianne Knox (6/30/26) Northeast (#3) | Florence County School District | Encourages the musical growth of wind and percussion students of all ages and abilities, provides leadership to Wisconsin music educators who teach in a band classroom, and recommends written, human and networking resources that support teachers and/or students. |
| Choral | Joy Paffenroth (6/30/26) Northeast (#3) | Kaukauna Area School District | Encourages the musical growth of vocal students of all ages and abilities, provides leadership to Wisconsin music educators who teach in a choral classroom, and recommends written, human and networking resources that support teachers and/or students. |
| CMP | Chris Gleason (6/30/27) Northeast(#3) | WI Department of Public Instruction Arts & Creativity Consultant | The Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) Project was initiated in Wisconsin in 1977 as a means of assisting teachers with the development of performance with understanding in school music programs. New Steering Committee members are invited by the existing committee members. The council chair is selected internally by members. |
| College and University, WSMTE President | Laura Dunbar (6/30/27) Northwest (#1) | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | Monitors and promotes innovative higher education initiatives in the state and facilitates communication within the college and university music education community. Keeps membership informed on licensure developments in Wisconsin music educator preparation programs (EPPs). |
| Composition and Improvisation | Zachary Bartsch (6/30/27) Northwest (#1) | St. Croix Falls School District | Provides the leading voice to members regarding the development of the creative elements of composition and improvisation in all areas of music education through: recommendations of resources, examples of success, networking opportunities and other ways to make composition and improvisation part of every student's experiences. |
| Disability and Accessibility | Julie Palkowski (6/30/27) South Central (#5) | Arts for All Wisconsin | Advocates for and supports review of all aspects of music education to ensure programs and services are accessible and support students and educators with disabilities. |
| Early Childhood Music | Renee' Frey (6/30/27) South Central (#5) | Musical Pathways Foundation - Kindermusik | Provides the leading voice to members regarding music education for the youngest learners and the adults who work with them regarding: curriculum, instruction, recommendations of resources, examples of success, networking materials and other ways to benefit students in these first years. |
| Elementary General Music | Marissa Woletz (6/30/27) Northwest(#1) | Hudson Schools | Monitors and promotes innovative elementary general music activities in the state by serving as the leading voice and conduit to the elementary general music teacher community. |
| Government Relations | Molly Petroff (6/30/27) South Central (#5) | Waunakee Community School District | Provides the leading voice to members regarding areas where music education is impacted by state and federal government policy and budget decisions. This will include helping keep members aware of upcoming areas of concern, impact of decisions and ways to get involved to benefit students in music classrooms. |
| Jazz Education | Bill Dennee (6/30/27) South Central (#5) | Denmark School District | Encourages the growth of jazz education for students of all ages and abilities, provides leadership to Wisconsin jazz educators who teach jazz in both formal classroom or ensemble setting, and recommends written, human and networking resources that support teachers and/or jazz students. |
| Mentoring | John Bragle (6/30/26) Southeast (#6) | Wisconsin Conservatory of Music | Helps coordinate and publicize the Early Career Music Teacher Collaboration (ECMTC) Project. ECMTC is the mentoring program for the state of Wisconsin. See https://wmeamusic.org/pro-development/mentoring/ for more information. |
| Membership | Erika Meyer (6/30/26) South Central (#5) | Stoughton Area School District | Maintains records and documents related to membership data and supports WMEA leadership with strategies that will positively impact membership goals. Serves as a council chair and an ex-officio member of the WMEA Executive Committee and Board. |
| Music In Our Schools Month | Raymond Calderon (6/30/26) Southwest (#4) | Potosi School District | Communicates and amplifies Music In Our Schools Month (MIOSM) resources each March and encourages membership to celebrate MIOSM in their home communities. In addition, this Council Chair serves on the Capitol Concerts committee to organize and host music performances in the State Capitol during the month of March. |
| NAfME Collegiate Advisor | Jenny Hutton (6/30/26) Southeast (#6) | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee | Oversees and coordinates the NAfME Collegiate chapters in Wisconsin, streamlines communication with collegiate advisors and students, encourages collaboration between chapters, supports membership and mentorship chairs in transitioning collegiate graduates to active membership, and organizes a collegiate panel as part of the Aspiring Music Majors event at the annual conference. |
| Orchestra | Kristen Flak-Solom (6/30/26) South Central(#5) | Middleton Cross Plains Area School District | Encourages the growth of string students of all ages and abilities, provides leadership to Wisconsin music educators who teach in an orchestral classroom, and recommends written, human and networking resources that support teachers and/or students. |
| Research | Jesse Rathgeber (6/30/26) South Central (#5) | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Provides a leading voice to members regarding the evolving intersection of music education, research and active practice in the classroom. Coordinates the Wisconsin State Music Conference call for and selection of research posters for presentation at the annual event. |
| Retired Educators | Karen Zuidema (6/30/26) North Central (#2) | Retired - Wausau | Maintain communication with retired WMEA Members, informing them of service opportunities and encouraging their continued involvement in the profession. |
| Secondary General Music | Greg Koeller (6/30/27) South Central (#5) | Fall River School District | Monitors and promotes innovative secondary general music activities in Grade 7-12 music classrooms outside of the band, orchestra, and/or choir areas by serving as the leading voice and conduit to the Secondary General Music teacher community. |
| Social Media | Matthew Lamb (6/30/27) Northwest(#1) | Glenwood City School District | Work with staff and brand ambassadors to encourage curation and creation of content for all WMEA approved social media platforms that include professional pages, posts, and groups. |
| Standards | Laura Burns (6/30/26) South Central (#5) | Edgewood University | This is a “Special Large Committee.” The chair of this committee is selected internally by WMEA Standards Committee members and leads the committee in the creation of workshops and other professional development events to assist teachers in using the WMEA Music Standards for the benefit of their students. |
| Technology | Ryan Gutsch (6/30/26) North Central (#2) | Owen-Withee School District | Provides a leading voice to members regarding the evolving intersection of music education, creativity, and technology including: recommendations of resources, examples of success, networking opportunities and other ways to use technology to improve student learning. |
| Tri-M Music Honor Society | Sarah Lemon (6/30/26) Southeast (#6) | New Berlin School District | Provides a leading voice to members regarding the opportunities for student growth through involvement in Tri-M Music Honor Society chapters including: sharing materials that encourage the creation of local chapters, assisting existing chapters to connect, and showcasing chapter excellence. |
| State Arts and Creativity Education Consultant | Chris Gleason Northeast (#3) | Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction | This position is held by the employee in the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Arts and Creativity Education Consultant role. |
