Elections 2024

GARTH MOLINE

Position Statement: My vision, if elected as President of the WMEA, is centered around three primary goals. My first goal would be to execute the duties and responsibilities of the office in a manner that is timely, efficient, effective, and transparent. This means taking an active stance regarding communication and the planning of WMEA events and working with all other WMEA board members and staff to make sure the needs of the association members are being met. My second goal is to advocate with lawmakers and political influencers at the state and national level, in conjunction with the past and current presidents, to advance the support systems for music education together in a united and purposeful mission towards promoting equity, excellence, and continued growth that meet the needs of Wyoming students and teachers. Third, I would like to facilitate the continued development and growth of the WMEA as a professional community. To me, this means helping offer continually evolving educational opportunities for music educators as well as growing means for building a stronger sense of community and belonging amongst every music teacher, regardless of content area and program size. I wholeheartedly believe in this association, its members, and the people we serve and would be honored to serve as President Elect.

Bio: As a fourth generation Wyomingite, Garth Moline is currently in his 14th year of teaching. Garth holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Wyoming and a Master’s in Music from the University of Northern Colorado. He has experience teaching Band, Choir, Jazz, General Music, Advanced Theory, Guitar, and even Yearbook to students from 5th grade through college level. His previous gigs include Tongue River (6-12 Band, HS Choir), Buffalo (5-8 Choir, 6-12 Band), University Charter School in Greeley, CO (HS Band), Windsor Charter School in Windsor, CO (MS General, HS Band), and Northwest College in Powell and Lovell, WY (6-12 Band, Saxophone, Advanced Guitar Ensemble, and Beginning Guitar) until he found his home in Lander, WY where he currently teaches instrumental music for grades 6-12. He has focused on continuing to expand the program in both size and quality since he began teaching there in 2020 and is looking forward to the continued growth in music in both Lander and Fremont County over the next couple decades. He is an active member of WMEA, NAfME, and WEA and has served in numerous leadership positions across the state at both the local and state level. 

Outside of work, Garth is happily married to his wife, Wyoming native, and overall better half Laura Hastings Moline. They are expecting their first child at the end of the academic year in hopes that the little guy will soon be able to tire out their energetic rescue dog Leia by having both chase away the pesky mule deer in their backyard. Garth is a proponent of a healthy work/life balance and in his spare time enjoys music-ing, camping, hiking, fishing, all things Minnesota Vikings, reading, craft beer, video games, DnD, movies/shows, and listening to podcasts and books on tape.

KATRINA ROONEY

Bio: Katrina Rooney is in her twenty-fifth year as a music educator and has been the Kelly Walsh High School Director of Choirs and Music Theory (Casper, Wyoming) for sixteen years.  Prior to teaching in Wyoming she taught elementary music, choir at Hanford High School (Richland, Washington), choir and orchestra at Enterprise Middle School (West Richland, Washington), directed choirs and vocal jazz as a Graduate Teaching Assistant, and taught Music Education and Class Voice courses as an Associate Professor at Central Washington University (Ellensburg, Washington).  She holds a Bachelor of Music Education, Master of Music degree in Conducting, and a Cognate in Music History, all from Central Washington University. She studied conducting with Gary Weidenaar, Nikolas Kaoile, and jazz studies with Dave Cazier, Vijay Singh, and Chris Bruya. Katrina studied voice with Dr Linda Marra and Dr. Diane Thueson-Reich.

She is a member of the National Association for Music Educators, Wyoming Music Educators Association, Wyoming Jazz Educators Association, and the American Choral Directors Association. While in college she served as Collegiate President on the Washington Music Educators Association Executive Board. She served as the 2014-2016 Wyoming American Choral Directors Association President, and as the 2020-2022 Wyoming Music Educators Association Secondary Vice-President. She currently is the tour director of the Wyoming Ambassadors of Music and has been a staff member on this European trip for six tours.

ANDREW SALZMAN

Bio: Andrew Salzman is in his eleventh year of teaching music for Carbon County School District #1, currently the Director of Bands and Fine Arts Coordinator at Rawlins High School, he previously held positions as Director of Bands at Rawlins Middle School, and music specialist at Rawlins Elementary School. Andrew was Wyoming Music Educators Association, Music Educator of the Year in 2021, and he is a 2019, 2021 and 2022 recipient of the Williams Crystal Apple Award given by top seniors of Carbon County School District #1 to teachers of influence. He is a 2013 graduate of the University of Wyoming with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education, and currently a Master of Music, Music Education student at the University of Wyoming. In addition to being a member of NAfME and WMEA, currently serving as WMEA Board Secretary, he is also a member of the National Band Association, Sigma Chi Chapter of Phi Beta Mu – International Bandmasters Fraternity, National Education Association, Wyoming Education Association and the Carbon One Educators Association. Andrew is active in his community through his involvement with the Rawlins Elks Lodge #609 and their many community service activities as a Lodge Trustee, as well as other activities he helps with within the school district.

KATHRYN HARDING

Position Statement: I became the music educator I am today because of my experiences in the Wyoming music classroom. I believe that music education in Wyoming should be equitable for all students regardless of school size. The WMEA State Conference is a valuable experience that enables music educators to network/socialize with colleagues and to return to their schools with new ideas they can use to enhance their students’ experience. I will work diligently to bring in headliners who cater to the needs of all secondary music educators in Wyoming; I will welcome input regarding sessions that are relevant to our population of students. I am excited for the opportunity to serve WMEA and its members as Secondary Vice President.

Bio: Kathryn Harding is currently the choir director at Laramie Middle School in Laramie, WY. She is also the Director of Music Ministries at the United Presbyterian Church of Laramie and coaches tennis at Laramie High School. A Laramie native, she was awarded Bachelor’s degrees in vocal performance and music education from Morningside University where she was on the tennis team, and Master’s degrees in vocal performance and music education from the University of Wyoming. As a graduate student, she was selected as a finalist for the prestigious Dorothy Jacoby Concerto competition. She previously taught high school choir in Rawlins, Wyoming, and was a Lecturer in Voice at the University of Wyoming. Kathryn’s recent performance credits include Margaret in Carrie, Ma in The Tenderland, Mabel in The Pirates of Penzance, and Cinderella in Into the Woods. In her (limited) free time, Kathryn enjoys playing tennis, watching New Girl or whatever sports are on, and spending time with her husband, Rylan, and their children, Oswald (Rottweiler/German Malinois), Koa (Yellow Lab), Buff (Long-Haired Tabby), and Alfie (Short-Haired Tabby).

ANDREW MILLER

Position Statement: I’m honored to be nominated for Secondary VP, even if it was a surprise for me (thanks Brian Redmond). As the Secondary VP I hope to foster all secondary music education and be inclusive to everyone. I’m grateful for the opportunity to run for this position as a younger teacher in the Wyoming Music world and very excited to step out of my comfort zone into something new with this board position!

Bio: Andrew Miller is Cheyenne, Wyoming native and University of Wyoming graduate. He received his Bachelor in Music Education and a minor in psychology in 2019.  Andrew is currently in his fifth year of teaching and fifth year as the choir director at Rawlins Middle School teaching  6th, 7th and 8th-grade choir as well as 7th and 8th general music classes.  Andrew was Wyoming Music Educators Association, South Big Horn District Outstanding Young Music Educator  in 2024, and he is a 2023 recipient of the Williams Crystal Apple Award given by top seniors of Carbon County School District #1 to teachers of influence.  In his choir program, he has students participate in ACDA state, regional and national honor choirs.  Andrew has also been involved in the Rawlins Stampede Marching Band, Pep Band, Jubilante community band and is the sponsor for the Rawlins Middle School Student Council. 

WADE FRENCH  

Position Statement: I’m excited to be nominated as band vice president for Wyoming Music Educators. Band has always been a very important part of my life and I feel that having an experienced and knowledgeable vice president can make all the difference in the experience we all have at all state, for both our students and us as directors. I love teaching band in Wyoming, I know most of the band directors in our state very well. I am currently the site recording chairman in our area and have actively worked with past vice presidents as a screener as well as doing part checks. I know the processes we use now and have used in the past for selecting and organizing our all state event. I’m willing to continue looking at this, keeping the dialogue going, and making it exactly what we want to benefit our students the most. I want to ensure it is rigorous, fair, and yet accessible to the majority of our students and encourages more of them to try out, in turn helping us select a quality all state band that we can all be proud of.

Bio: When I was student teaching in Star Valley in 2004 I had no idea the impact Wyoming would have on my teaching career. After teaching in Nevada for three years I was able to come back to Wyoming. I’m now in the middle of my 20th year as a teacher, 17 of those years in Wyoming. I’m honored to be a part of such a tight knit, helpful, and professional organization as WMEA. We have so much to be proud of! In my career I’ve taught band fifth grade through twelfth grade, as well as high school choir, guitar, and digital music. I’ve taught in both small and large districts. I have a very good idea what most of us are going through and I’d love to serve Wyoming bands in the coming years!  I currently teach at Cody High School. I arrived here in the fall of 2009. From 2007-2009 I was the fifth through twelfth grade band and choir director in Kemmerer, Wyoming. I began my teaching career in Ely, Nevada where I taught sixth through twelfth grade band at White Pine Middle and High Schools from 2004-2007. I graduated from Brigham Young University – Idaho in 2004 with my Bachelor’s degree in Music Education with an emphasis in brass, specifically tuba. In 2011 I completed my Masters degree in Education Administration from Grand Canyon University.

Like most of you, I have been fortunate to have hard working and amazing students. Over the years I’ve been able to work with a wide variety of performing groups from middle school through collegiate and professional levels as either a director or clinician. I have worked with concert bands, marching bands, pit orchestras, jazz bands, and pep bands. Many of these ensembles have also toured and performed at venues across the Western United States and Hawaii. In addition to conducting, I have enjoyed performing with the Billings Symphony Orchestra, the Northwest College Orchestra, the Northwest College Faculty Brass Quintet, the Wyoming Jazz Educators Big Band, the Big Horn Trombone ensemble, and I’m currently the director of the Buffalo Bill Band. I have been on the WMEA board a couple of times now. I am currently serving as the treasurer of the North Big Horn music district. I am a past president for the Wyoming Jazz Educators Association and a past president of the North Big Horn Basin Music District. I was on staff with the Wyoming All State Marching Band as a brass instructor for the 2016 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena California. Most recently I was privileged to be the director of the 2023 Wyoming All State Jazz Band.  I am married to a music colleague from Wyoming, Carisa French who teaches in Lovell.  Together we have two crazy dogs and six remarkable daughters who range from ages seventeen to twenty eight. My family is my greatest joy!

SARAH HANSON

Position Statement: I am passionate about music education and the power it has to change students’ lives, especially in the area of band. I’m seeking to serve as the Band Vice President because I want to serve the outstanding band directors in this state who have encouraged and inspired me to become the teacher I am today. I believe that my strengths of organization, communication, and implementing successful strategies will help me be successful in building upon the great band tradition we have in Wyoming while helping it continue to grow. Even though I now teach at a large school, I grew up in a very rural area in Montana, and seeing music education succeed in every size of school is very important to me. I look forward to the opportunity of working with the band directors in our state to continue to improve on the systems we have to make our organization stronger.

Bio: Sarah Hanson is in her fifteenth year as a public school music teacher.  She is currently the Assistant Band Director and Collaborative Pianist at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming, where she assists with the “Trojan Marching Band,” and Percussion Ensemble.  She is the director for Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble II, AP Music Theory, and the advisor for the Kelly Walsh Tri-M Chapter.  Mrs. Hanson is also the accompanist for the Kelly Walsh choir program. From 2021-2022, she led the pit orchestra at Kelly Walsh. Prior to teaching at Kelly Walsh, Mrs. Hanson was the director of bands at Centennial Junior High in Casper, Wyoming for ten years.  From 2009 to 2013, she was also the orchestra instructor at Centennial.

Sarah received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Northwestern College (Now the University of Northwestern) in St. Paul Minnesota in 2009. Mrs. Hanson received her Masters of Music Education from the University of Wyoming in 2019, where her final project included researching the factors affecting retention in middle school band. In 2016, Mrs. Hanson was named the North Platte District and Wyoming Music Educators Association Outstanding Young Music Educator Award. She has also participated in numerous conducting symposiums at the University of Minnesota where she has studied conducting with Craig Kirchoff, Jack Stamp, Frank Ticheli, Dr. Amy Rosium-Foley, Jerry Luckhardt, and Elizabeth Jackson. In 2012, Mrs. Hanson was given the Natrona County School District Medallion of Excellence for Preparing Graduates and Students for a higher level of learning.  In 2016, she attended the Ron Clark Academy Educator Training in Atlanta, Georgia, where she learned about alternative instructional methods and how to incorporate them into the classroom.  Mrs. Hanson holds professional memberships with The National Association for Music Educators (NafME), Wyoming Music Educators Association, Wyoming Jazz Educators, and Minnesota Music Educators Association. Sarah currently resides in Casper, Wyoming with her husband, Dan, their four kids: Nina, Malachi, Melody, and Adam; and a rescue dog named Cannoli. When not teaching music, she enjoys completing triathlons, running, playing volleyball, gardening, and drinking coffee.

JENNIFER KESSLER

Position Statement: IN-Ovations is a home for ideas in all areas of music education.  Every student deserves the opportunity to participate in quality music education, and I am passionate to help make that happen.  I love teaching traditional music education in general music as much as I enjoy having students participate in modern music through movement and creativity.  This year has brought an opportunity to include music technology as a part of our lessons, as well as an opportunity to work closely with a deaf student and our IDEAL (high needs) students, as well as behavior students.  As an IN-Ovations VP, I will focus on modern band, music technology, and special education. I have also been inspired to create space for music educators to find and use grants and funding for their programs.

Bio: Jennifer Kessler received her Bachelor of Music from Metropolitan State University of Denver and started teaching in the Fall of 2006. She later earned a Master of Music with full Kodály certification from Colorado State University. She has taught K-12 music in Colorado and Wyoming, teaching band, orchestra, choir, general music, and modern band.  Currently, Jennifer teaches elementary music in Riverton, including before-school recorder club and after-school choir.  This year, she has begun a modern music club using midi inputs and recording loops. The recorder and choir groups have performed through the Riverton community, supporting Arts in Action, the Boys and Girls Club, our local Seniors and nursing homes, and the Riverton Museum.  Jennifer has brought in the Piatagorsky Foundation through the Wyoming Arts Council. She brings in performances from the Riverton HS performers to share live music with studentsAs a musician, Jennifer is an oboist in the CWC/community band, alto sax in the CWC/community jazz band, and trombone for the annual Festival of Carols.  Jennifer was awarded a Wyoming Arts Council grant in 2021 and continues to seek ways to grow and share the love of music with her students and community.