The Executive Steering Committee is comprised of high profile band, choir, and orchestra directors. These educators are charged by the Board of Trustees to assist in the development, recruitment, and implementation of events on behalf of the programs and educators that are served by Choice Music Events.

These music educators will meet several times a year to evaluate current events for possible improvements and further development. In addition, new events will be crafted to meet new and perceived needs identified by music educators everywhere.

This 'think tank' will seek input from other music educators and create various blueprints to be considered for implementation by the Board of Trustees. As the board ratifies each event, steering committee members will be encouraged to continue involvement throughout the process of making the event active and available for participation.

	Brian Coatney Brian Coatney, born in Arlington, Texas, began studying the cello privately at a young age of five. He continued his music studies through out high school participating in Orchestra as well as playing percussion in numerous ensembles. After graduating from high school, Coatney pursued his music career at Northwestern State University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelors Degree in Music Education. During his tenure at Northwestern State, Coatney performed as a soloist on the cello, participated in several orchestral ensembles, and began studying the art of orchestral conducting with Dr. George Adams, Mr. Scott York, and Mr. Harold Farberman. In 2003, Coatney earned a Masters in Orchestral Conducting at James Madison University where he had the opportunity to study with Dr. Robert McCashin and Chistoph Sandman. In 2003, Mr. Coatney joined the Klein High School fine arts program as the assistant Orchestra Director. Klein High School has a long tradition of success earning several sweepstake awards at UIL, Best in Class awards at the South Coast Music Festival, and winning the TMEA Honor Orchestra competition four times in the past nine years. Mr. Coatney was also the conductor of the Houston Youth Symphony Sinfonietta Orchestra. Mr. Coatney recently joined the Plano Senior High School fine arts team in 2007 as the Head Orchestra Director. He is a member of the American String Teachers Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Director’s Association, and the professional music fraternity, Phi Mu Alpha.
	Michael Madrid Michael Madrid is currently beginning his eighth year of teaching. Mr. Madrid is originally from Carlsbad, New Mexico and completed his Bachelor's of Music Education degree at Texas Tech University in 1997. Upon completion of his first degree, Michael began working on his Master's of Music Performance in Choral Conducting at Texas Tech and graduated in 1999. He studied private voice with John Gillas and Karl Dent and he studied conducting with Dr. Kenneth Davis. The choir program at Mayde Creek has a rich tradition of music excellence since the school opened in 1983. Mr. Madrid and his choirs have continuously earned Sweepstakes at UIL and have earned Best in Class and Grand Champion trophies at various festivals across the country each year. In addition, Mr. Madrid travels with his choirs each year throughout the country and Europe. Mr. Madrid continues to perform himself as a soloist for major orchestras and choral ensembles throughout the country. He performs a variety of literature from Broadway to opera and has performed numerous roles in various productions. In addition, he is sought after as a clinician, choreographer and adjudicator. He is listed numerous times in Who's Who Among American High School Teachers and recently has been inducted into the 60th Edition of Who's Who Among Americans. He was awarded the 2006 INSPIRE Award from Katy Magazine. In addition to his choral duties, he is also the Department Chair for the Fine Arts at Mayde Creek High School. His professional affiliations are TMEA, TMAA, TCDA, ACDA, TSTA, and NATS.
	Keith Markuson Keith Markuson graduated cum laude from the University of Houston in 1976 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. There he studied percussion with David Wuliger of the Houston Symphony and conducting with A. Clyde Roller. Post graduate studies have included workshops with Jacquelyn Dillon and Casimer Kriechbaum at the National Music Camp in Interlochen, string pedagogy with Sally O'Reilly at Louisiana State University, a conducting workshop with Elizabeth Green at Sam Houston State University, the International String Workshop in Eisenstadt, Austria, as well as graduate studies in conducting with Carol Smith at Sam Houston State. Markuson began teaching orchestra while an assistant band director to Ann Price in Houston. He began teaching orchestra in Klein as an assistant to Marilyn Llewellyn at Hildebrandt Intermediate in 1979, assuming direction of the Hildebrandt Symphony in 1984. Under his baton, the Hildebrandt Symphony earned numerous awards at UIL and regional festivals. In 1986 and again in 1988, the Hildebrandt Symphony appeared as the TMEA Junior High Honor Orchestra. Mr. Markuson transferred to Klein High in the fall of 1989. Since that time, the Klein High School Orchestra has grown from twenty-eight to its present size of 160, and has earned first divisions at UIL and Best in Class awards at the Buccaneer Music Festival, and the South Coast Music Festival. The KHS Symphony has performed as the TMEA Honor Full Orchestra in 1998, 2001, and 2003. Keith holds memberships in TMEA, TODA, Mu Omicron, TMAA, and ASTA. He resides in Klein with his wife, Dodie.
	Dinah Menger Dinah Menger is the director of choirs at Arlington High School. She begins her 12th year, building a program from 60 singers to over 370. Her choirs are consecutive Sweepstakes winners at UIL Concert and Sight-reading contests and have also received Best in class and Grand Champion titles in contests nationally. Under her leadership, Arlington High School choirs have sung in major venues in Italy, Scotland and Ireland. The choir is featured each year with the Fort Worth Symphony Chorus and Orchestra in their "Home for the Holidays" concert series. Selected members of the choral department have been featured in a Grammy nominated CD of Grechoninoff's "Kvalita Bolga" and Sir Jonathan Willcock's "Lux Aetema" with the Fort Worth Oratorio Chorus. The varsity mixed chorus at Arlington High School was a performing choir at the 2005 TMEA Convention in San Antonio, Texas and will be performing at the 2007 national American Choral Director's Association convention in Miami, Florida. Mrs. Menger is instrumental in reviving the musical theater tradition at Arlington High School, having directed Music Man, Anything Goes, Annie Get Your Gun, Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and Li'l Abner. Arlington High's production of "Oklahoma" won 6 of the 2001 Betty Buckley awards, including best musical and best direction. Mrs. Menger belongs to TMEA, TMAA, TCDA, ACDA, SAI, DKG and PTA. She is an Aware Foundation Secondary Teacher of the Year and is listed in Who's Who Among American Teachers. She has been a TMEA section leader and All State Treble Choir Coordinator in 2006 and 2007. She has served Region V as UIL Liaison and is a member of the UIL Judge Selection Committee. She has been a Region V Vocal Chair and is presently Chair-Elect for another term. She is a member of the UIL Perscribed Music List Committee for the 2007 PML. She is active as a UIL judge and a UIL and TMEA clinician. Mrs. Menger is married and has three children.
	Kerry Taylor Kerry Taylor currently serves as Director of Bands for Westlake High School and Eanes ISD. He is also Department Chair of Performing Arts at Westlake High School. Mr. Taylor has taught for 25 years in the Texas public schools, five years in Katy ISD and 20 in Eanes ISD. Mr. Taylor holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree and a Master of Music Degree in Applied Conducting both from the University of Texas at Austin. Under Mr. Taylor's direction, the Westlake High School Band has been named 'Best in Class' or 'Runner-up' at the Buccaneer Music Festival, South Coast Music Festival, MusicFest (Orlando, Fl.) and DC Festival in San Antonio. The Westlake Band has been a top five finalist in each of the last three years at Bands of America Regionals and has represented Area D at the State Marching Contest in 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004. The Westlake Band has made concert tours to the Pacific Northwest, Canada, and the British Isles. In 1999, the John Philip Sousa Foundation presented the Westlake Band with the Sudler Flag of Honor. On January 1, 2003 the Westlake Band marched in the Tournament of Roses Parade in California and in December 2002 the band performed at the Mid West Clinic in Chicago. Mr. Taylor is active as a clinician and adjudicator in Texas and states throughout the South. He has served TMEA in many different positions, including 5A All State Band Audition Chairman, Area D Audition Chairman and Region 18 Band Division Chairman. Mr. Taylor has served as the TMEA President from Feb. 2005-Feb. 2006. His other professional affiliations include Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, Phi Beta Mu, National Band Association, and Phi Mu Alpha. In 2002, Mr. Taylor was elected to the membership of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. Kerry Taylor and his wife, Valerie, live in Austin where she is an English teacher at Westlake High School. They are the proud parents of two boys, Brian and Sean.
	Ken Van Winkle Dr. Ken Van Winkle is Professor of Music and the Director of Bands at New Mexico State University. He is a graduate of West Texas A&M University, the University of North Texas, and received his Doctorate of Musical Arts in trumpet from the University of Oregon. Dr. Van Winkle conducts the New Mexico State University "Symphonic Winds", co-directs the NMSU "Pride" marching band and teaches conducting. He also continues to play trumpet in the NMSU faculty brass quintet. Under the leadership of Dr. Van Winkle, New Mexico State University "Symphonic Winds" has become one of the premier wind ensembles in the Southwest performing at the 2004 Southwestern Divisional Biennial Convention of the College Band Directors National Association. He is in demand as a clinician and has conducted region bands, honor bands, and all-state bands throughout the United States. Dr. Van Winkle has served two terms as the college vice president of the New Mexico Music Educators Association and is also past president. His professional memberships include the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, National Band Association, and the College Band Directors National Association. In 2003, the New Mexico Music Educators Association selected Dr. Van Winkle as New Mexico Music Educator of the Year and h e was inducted into the American Bandmasters Association in March of 2006.
	Amy Williams Amy Williams is the director of orchestras at Frank Tejeda Middle School in North East ISD, a position she has held since the opening of the school in 2001. Previously, she was the orchestra director at Bowie Middle School in Amarillo, Texas. Mrs. Williams graduated from Texas Tech University in the spring of 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. She began teaching in the fall of 1999 at Bowie Middle School in Amarillo, Texas. Under her direction, the orchestra received a first division in UIL concert for the first time in 20 years. The following year, the Bowie Orchestra received the first sweepstakes trophy in the history of the school. After two years at Bowie Middle School in Amarillo, she moved to San Antonio to direct the orchestras at Tejeda Middle School. The Tejeda Orchestra has earned consistent Sweepstakes Awards at UIL competitions as well as Best in Class and Overall Outstanding Orchestra at DC Festivals since the opening of the school. Under her direction, the Tejeda Middle School was named TMEA Middle School Honor Orchestra for 2007. In March of 2001, Mrs. Williams was awarded Amarillo Educator of the Month by KGNC. In the Spring of 2003, she was named was named San Antonio teacher of the month by KSAT and Sylvan Learning Center. Mrs. Williams received the Marjorie Keller Outstanding Young Orchestra Director in Texas in the Spring of 2004. Her professional affiliations include TMEA, TODA, and TexASTA. Mrs. Williams currently lives in San Antonio with her husband Gene.
	Rick Yancey Rick Yancey is head band director and orchestra director of Elkins High School in the Fort Bend Independent School District. A native of Texas City, Texas, he played in the Texas City Bands under Mr. Robert Renfroe. While at the University of Houston he was principal clarinetist of the University Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble under A. Clyde Roller and James Mathews. Mr. Yancey attended the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado and was principal clarinetist of the Aspen Chamber Symphony. As a clarinetist, he has performed with the Rapides and Lake Charles Orchestras in Louisiana; Houston with Theater Under the Stars,(TUTS), the Houston Ballet, and the Houston Pops Orchestra. Now in his 29th year as a band director, Mr. Yancey has won Band Festival awards in New York; Washington, D.C.; Durango, Colorado; London, England; and Nassau, as well as numerous Texas contests. Mr. Yancey is the Region 17 Band Chairman and has served as Area F Band Chairman of the Texas Music Educators Association. He also belongs to the Texas Bandmasters Association, Texas Music Adjudicators Association, and Phi Beta Mu. Since opening Elkins High School in 1992, the Elkins Band has won 13 consecutive UIL sweepstakes awards. CD recordings of the Elkins Band performances are available through Mark Custom Recordings. Mr. Yancey is married to Jill Yancey, who is head band director at Sugar Land Middle School.