OkMEA Administrator of the Year Award

This award gives recognition to school administrators in the State of Oklahoma who show exceptional support for their school’s music program. This award provides our organization the opportunity to honor those who have supported music as an important part of the total curriculum, and have given administrative support to music teachers and directors. Nominees may be active or retired. They may be in any level of administration, such as superintendent, principal, department head, coordinator, supervisor, etc.  The music teacher submitting this application must have worked with the nominee for a period of at least four school terms, and must be a current member of OkMEA.

Minimum qualifications:

  1. This administrator demonstrates support of music as an important part of the total curriculum.
  2. This administrator attends public performances of school ensembles.
  3. This administrator supports the school or district music faculty.

The information beneath the laureates’ names indicates their positions and schools at the time they were given the award.

1991
Judith Ford
Principal: Eisenhower Elementary School, Norman

1992
Ralph Downs
Superintendent: Putnam City Schools

1993
Ron Jared
Principal: Bartlesville Mid-High School

1994
Frank Hughes
Principal: Western Heights High School
Oklahoma City

1995
Earl Sykes
Principal: Guthrie High School

1996
Betty Rector
Principal: Thomas A. Edison High School, Tulsa

1997
Marjorie Bingham
Principal: Tecumseh Elementary School

1998
John Clinton
Director of Fine Arts: Norman Public Schools

1999
Don Scales
Superintendent: Clinton Public Schools

2000
Not awarded

2001
Cheryl A. Steel
Superintendent: Mid-Del Schools, Del City

2002
Henry Bias
Principal: Coweta High School

2003
Jeff Edwards
Principal: Sequoyah Middle School, Edmond

Galeard Roper
Superintendent: Elk City Public Schools

2004
Lucy Smith
Superintendent: McAlester Public Schools

2005
Larry Burdick
Superintendent: Pryor Public Schools

Joseph Siano
Superintendent: Norman Public Schools

2006
Gary Scott
Superintendent: Lone Grove Public Schools

2007
Mary Jane Bias
Superintendent: Bixby Public Schools

2008
Jeanene Barnett
Superintendent: Bristow Public Schools

2009
David Goin
Superintendent: Edmond Public Schools

2010
Brad Benson
Director of Fine Arts: Norman Public Schools

2011
Barbara Gabel
Director of Fine Arts: Putnam City Schools

2012
Joe Kitchens
Superintendent: Western Heights Schools OKC

2013
Duane Merideth
Durant Public Schools

2014
Debbie Hoffman
Cache Public Schools

2015
Dr. Keith Ballard
Tulsa Public Schools

2016
Mike Garde
Superintendent: Muskogee Public Schools

2017
Sammy Jackson
Superintendent: Cashion Public Schools

2018
Sandy Coaly
Superintendent: Grove Public Schools

2019
Mark Hunt
Principal: Westmoore High School

2020
Jay McAdams
Superintendent: Atoka Public Schools

2021
Drew Eichelberger
Superintendent: Bethany Public Schools

2022
Uwe Gordon
Principal: Stillwater High School

2023
Brian Walker
Superintendent: Harmony Public School

2024
Charles Bradley
Superintendent: Mustang Public Schools

Honors Nomination Information

To submit a nominee, please complete the form by September 15The Awards and Recognition committee will meet to choose the recipients from the qualifying nominations. The committee will recommend their choices to the OkMEA executive board at their October meeting for final approval. After selection, the laureate must provide, before October 15, a picture and short professional biography to the Editor of Oklahoma Music.