KMEA History

PRESIDENTS

1940–41—John Vincent
1942–45—(Acting Officers: Helen Boswell, Chester Travelstead & Grace Deane)
1945–46—Chester Travelstead
1946–49—Weldon Hart
1949–53—James Van Peursem
1953–55—Zaner Zerkle
1955–57—George Hicks
1957–59—Eudora Smith
1959–63—Josiah Darnall
1963–65—Claude Rose
1965–69—Robert Griffith
1969–71—Richard Farrell
1971–73—Robert Surplus
1973–75—Mildred Berkey
1975–77—Jerome Redfearn
1977–79—Bill McCloud
1979–81—Harold Wortman
1981–83—Roger Reichmuth
1983–85—Robert Hartwell
1985–87—William Bigham
1987–89—Robert Doss
1989–91—Kent Campbell
1991–93—Melanie Wood
1993–95—Virginia Redfearn
1995–97—Loren Waa
1997–99—Phyllis Vincent
1999–2001—Robert Gaddis
2001–2003—Robyn Swanson
2003–2005—Richard Miles
2005–2007—Lynn Cooper
2007–2009—Tanya Bromley
2009–2011—Joe Stites
2011–2013—David Dunevant
2013–2015—Deborah Kidd
2015–2017—Brad Rogers
2017–Present—Terry Thompson

Back to top

SECRETARY-TREASURERS

1941–49—unknown
1949–50—Chester Travelstead
1951–53—Jean Marie McConnell
1953–55—Joe Beach
1955–71—Tom Siwicki

Back to top

EXECUTIVE SECRETARIES/EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS

1971–2003—Jim Fern
2003–2006—Robert Hartwell
2006–Present—John Stroube

Back to top

BLUEGRASS MUSIC NEWS EDITORS

1950–58—Claude Rose
1958–60—Helen Boswell
1960–67—John Graham
1967–70—Ken Neidig
1970–71—Doug Engelhardt
1971–73—Sara Holroyd
1973–75—James McCarthy
1975–77—Martin McKay
1977–2002—Hazel Carver
2003–2010—Ben Hawkins
2010–Present—George Boulden

Back to top

TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS

1985

Elementary—Jane Thomas
Middle—Melanie Wood
Secondary—Tom Brawner
College/University—Irma Collins

1986

Elementary—Jonell Turner
Middle—Brenda Thomas
Secondary—Robert Doss & Norma Homes
College/University—Christine Hobbs

1987

Elementary—Linda McKinley
Middle—Nancy Page
Secondary—Shirley Wilkinson
College/University—Frederick Mueller

1988

Elementary—Carol B. Walker
Middle—Sue Henry
Secondary—Danny Eberlein
College/University—Earl Louder

1989

Elementary—Virginia Redfearn
Middle—Ron Cowherd
Secondary—John Stegner
College/University—Wayne Johnson

1990

Elementary—Joyce Markle
Middle—Linda Ratti
Secondary—Dennis Robinson
College/University—Loren Waa

1991

Elementary—Janet Caldwell
Middle—Rick Moreno
Secondary—Shelia Miller
College/University—Kent Campbell

1992

Elementary—Joan Bowker
Middle—Ellen Burt
Secondary—Stuart Underwood
College/University—Ben Hawkins

1993

Elementary—Julie White
Middle—Shirley Jones
Secondary—Nanette Moore & Robert Ellis
College/University—David Sogin

1994

Elementary—Linda K. Robinson
Middle—David L. Meredith
Secondary—Sarah Lynn & David Caldwell
College/University—David Dunevant

1995

Elementary—Jimmie Dee Kelley
Middle—Gary Mullins
Secondary—June Williams
College/University—John Schlabach

1996

Elementary—Vicki Madison
Middle—Gayle McDermott
Secondary—Kathryn Tabor & Phyllis Vincent
College/University—David McCullough

1997

Elementary—Bonita Schwab
Middle—Mary Helen Vaughn
Secondary—David Brown
College/University—Cecilia Wang & Eugene Norden

1998

Elementary—Nancy Creekmur
Middle—Teresa Collins
Secondary—Arthur DeWeese
College/University—Frederick Speck

1999

Elementary—Ann Harris
Middle—Paul Metzger
Secondary—Donna Bonner
College/University—Gerald Tolson

2000

Elementary—Diane Gardner & Ruth Henson
Middle—Lois Wiggins
Secondary—Keith Vincent
College/University—Stephen Bolster

2001

Elementary—David Ham
Middle—Debra Lanham
Secondary—Mike Clark
College/University—W. Jonathan Gresham & Lisa McArthur

2002

Elementary—Linda Stalls
Middle—Nell Earwood
Secondary—Joe Allen
College/University—Greg Detweiler & Nevalyn Moore

2003

Elementary—Pat Keller
Middle—William Spiegelhalter
High School—Charles Campbell, Jr. & Darryl Dockery
College/University—John Carmichael

2004

Elementary—Macie Tucker
Middle—Teresa Elliott
High School—Lyndon Lawless
College/University—Susan Creasap & Kent Hatteberg

2005

Elementary—Mary Scaggs
Middle—Troy Stovall
High School—Justin Durham
College/University—Pamela Wurgler

2006

Elementary—Melinda Paul
Middle—Lindsay Brawner-King & Susie Lucas
High School—Jan Gibson
College/University—no award

2007

Elementary—Lisa Goode Hussung
Middle—Sheila Smalling
High School—David McFadden
College/University—John Cipolla

2008

Elementary—Penny Akers
Middle—Jeanie Orr
High School—Brian Froedge
College/University—Frank Oddis & Robyn Swanson

2009

Elementary—Debbie Stegner
Middle—Amy Huff
High School—Kevin Briley
College/University—John Fannin

2010

Elementary—Kimberly Wirthwein
Middle—Nancy Campbell
High School—Brent Merritt
College/University—Randy Pennington

2011

Elementary—Amy Bolar
Middle—Beth Stribling
High School—Brent Barton
College/University—George Boulden

2012

Elementary—Debby Duda
Middle—Alexis Paxton
High School—Charles Smith
College/University—Greg Byrne

2013

Elementary—Tracy Leslie
Middle—Paula Humphreys
High School—Noel Weaver & Bambi Wright
College/University—Brant Karrick

2014

Elementary—Andrea Marcum
Middle—Nancy Bailey
High School—Marilyn Schraeder
College/University—Ron Holz

2015

Elementary—Andrea Nance
Middle—Alan Emerson
High School—Ashley Tyree
College/University—Steven Pederson

2016

Elementary—Betty Webber
Middle—Beth Lyles
High School—Linda Pulley
College/University—Todd Hill

2017

Elementary—Lisse Lawson
Middle—Cory Zilisch
High School—Brad Rogers
College/University—Gary Schallert

Back to top

ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

2009—Anne C. Craft
2010—Susan E. Compton
2011—Larry Vick
2012—Harrie Lynne Buecker
2013—Lynda Jackson
2014—Sally Sugg & David Rust
2015—Elmer Thomas & Tom Stites
2016—Mike Hogg
2017—Bo Matthews

Back to top

FRIEND OF MUSIC AWARD WINNERS

1985—Mike Mannerino & Alice McDonald
1986—Richard Durlauf
1987—Norman Lewis & Lucille Baker
1988—Ella Mae Read & Lila Bellando
1989—W. Carlyle Maupin & Charlie Stone
1990—Robert Grover & Jody Richards
1991—Willis Bradley & James Burch
1992—Lee Suman
1993—Mel Owen
1994—Kentucky Educational Television & Sue Gilvin
1995—Linda Young
1996—Carolyn Fern
1997—Toyota Corporation
1998—Stuart Silberman
1999—Gene Wilhoit & Col. John Jameson, Jr.
2000—Keith Shoulders
2001—Billie Jean Osborn
2002—Kerry Davis & Spottsville Elementary School
2003—Carroll Hall
2004—Toni Sheffer
2005—Tony Lindsey
2006—no award
2007—Stephen Foster Music Club
2008—W. Paul and Lucille Caudill Little Foundation
2009—River Park Center, Hardin County Performing Arts Center, and Pi Kappa Omicron Fraternity
2010—Kevin Dennison
2011—Bill Samuels, Jr. and Fran Taylor
2013—Schmidt Opera Outreach Program
2014—Randy Lanham
2015—Central Kentucky Youth Orchestra, Lexington
2016—Brigadier General Merwyn L. Jackson
2017—Greg Lyons

Back to top

CITATION FOR SERVICE AWARD WINNERS

1986—June Williams & Thora Louise Cooksey
1987—Frances Beard & Lois Granger
1988—Mary Ruth Hendricks & Lucille Stutzenberger
1989—Don Trivette & Harry Rinehart
1990—Dan Eberlein
1991—Louis Bourgois & Virginia Redfearn
1992—John Davis
1993—Jean Craig Surplus
1994—Floyd Farmer
1995—Eugene Norden
1996—Stuart Underwood
1997—Robert Hartwell
1998—Robyn Swanson
1999—Sen. Lindy Casebier
2000—Calvin Whitt
2001—Jim Fern
2002—Vernie McGaha
2003—Jack Walker
2004—Robert Surplus
2005—Dennis Robinson
2006—Phil Ashby
2007—Vicki Madison
2008—Joe Stites
2009—Chuck Campbell
2010—Shelia Miller
2011—Ben Hawkins
2012—Deborah E. Kidd
2013—Terry Thompson & Ben Walker
2014—Tanya Bromley
2015—David Dunevant
2016—Nancy Leisl
2017—Robyn Swanson

Back to top

ARTIST TEACHER AWARD WINNER

1995—Robert Baar

Back to top

PRESIDENT’S AWARDS

1996—Helen Colley & Hazel Carver
1997—Mildred Berkey
1998—Hazel Carver
2001—Bill McCloud
2002—Carolyn Fern & Donna Cayton
2003—Sen. Lindy Casebier & Robert Hartwell
2005—Eugene Norden
2010—Phillip Shepherd
2012—Cecil Karrick
2013—Foster Music Camp
2015—Phil Shepherd

Back to top

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD WINNERS

1975—John Lewis & Mildred Lewis
1976—Dean Dowdy & Margaret Kammerer
1977—Richard Farrell & Eudora South
1978—Robert Griffith & Claude Rose
1979—Joe Beach & Thelma Johnson
1980 —Hazel Carver & Josiah Darnall
1981—Lucille Couch & Bill McCloud
1982—Mildred Berkey & Ken Neidig
1983—Marvin Ambs & Robert Surplus
1984—John Farris & Tom Siwicki
1985—Floyd Burt & Harold Wortman
1986—Jim Fern & Jerome Redfearn
1987—Jo Ann Ambs
1988—Virginia Murrell & Roger Reichmuth
1989—Robert Hartwell & Jane Thomas
1990—Frances Beard & William Bigham
1991—Robert Doss
1992—Don Trivette
1993—Kent Campbell
1994—Rhoda Higginbotham
1995—Janet Caldwell & Mary Ann Davenport
1996—Melanie Wood
1997—Ernest Lyon & James Van Peursem
1998—Jean Craig Surplus
1999—Loren Waa
2000—Joe Beach & Robert Ellis
2001—Virginia Redfearn & Phyllis Vincent
2002—Eugene Norden
2003—Robert Gaddis
2004—no award
2005—Robyn Swanson
2006—John Stegner & Jack Walker
2007—Richard Miles
2008—Doug Van Fleet
2009—Lynn Cooper
2011—Tanya Bromley
2012—Harry Clarke
2013—Joe Stites
2015—David Dunevant

Back to top

SPECIAL FESTIVAL COMMISSION AWARD WINNER

2002—Marvin Ambs

Back to top

STATE MUSIC SUPERVISOR/MUSIC CONSULTANTS

1923—Carolyn Bourgard
1929—Mildred Lewis
1957—William McQueen
1976—Robert Elkins
1991—Martha Dempsey
1992–95—None
1995–97—Arthur Patterson

Back to top

VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS CONSULTANT

1998–2000—Jimmie Dee Kelley

Back to top

ARTS & HUMANITIES CONSULTANT

2001–2009—Phillip Shepherd
2009–Present—Robert Duncan

Back to top