As the former Director of Arts Education and Curriculum Integration for Bethel School District, a position held from the fall of 2002 to the spring of 2019, Michael J. Sandner worked closely with classroom teachers and arts specialists to ensure the integration of the arts into all aspects of learning. Prior to this appointment Michael was an elementary principal for seven years and a music specialist for twenty years. He has been a member of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Partner’s In Education Program since 1992, and has served as an Advisory Committee Member for this national partnership.

In the spring of 2017 Michael was honored with a Golden Apple Moments Award for his work in arts education. Governor Christine Gregoire honored him with the Governor’s Arts and Heritage Award in 2007. The Mountain Region from the Washington Music Educators Association recognized him with the Friends of Music Award in 2006 and 2010. Michael received his Bachelors in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1975, and his Masters in Educational Administration from Central Washington University in 1992.

Nathan (“Nate”) is excited to be making a positive impact on the world through learning. As a musician and musical educator, Nate is Education Director for “Songwriting Through Youth Literature Education” (STYLE), an innovative program that works to ignite a passion for reading and literature with K-12 students through collaborative songwriting education. STYLE works in schools to connect reading, writing and music, while inspiring communication and collaboration.

An accomplished musician, Nate has performed, taught and studied a huge array of musical styles including opera, pop, rock and rap. He also has a strong technology bent, especially in the arena of technology aimed at creativity, music education and music production.

Courtney Clark is the School Programs Manager for Seattle Opera, planning, arranging and developing Pre-K – 12 in-school musical programs and initiatives.

A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. Clark received her BA in music education from Morris Brown College and received her MA in music with a specialization in vocal performance from Middle Tennessee State University. She obtained her teacher licensure from Belmont University for the states of Tennessee and Georgia for K-12 vocal/general music education.

Prior career highlights include earning The Orff-Schulwerk Level I & II Certification to teach children music; serving as a tenured chorus member of the Nashville Opera; performing in several operas including Aida, Turandot, Tosca, La Boheme, and Die Fledermaus; a scholarship to study abroad at the University of Siena, Italy’s Sessione Sense per la Musica; and concerts and solo performances held in: Siena, Rome, Lucerne, Calcio, Firenze, Venezia, Assisi, Pisa, and Svizzera.

Ms. Clark recently made her solo debut in the film PORTRAITS-The First Black American Divas of Song and Opera, as Elizabeth Taylor-Greenfield.

Originally from Illinois, Katie has been teaching, directing, performing, and choreographing in the Puget Sound region since 2005. In addition to producing and directing, Katie serves as the Director of Education at Tacoma Arts Live, managing year-round performing arts and social-emotional programs for youth and a canon of statewide Civil Rights Legacy Touring productions. Katie has also worked as a public school dance specialist, directed her own dance school located on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, serves as a volunteer co-director of Tacoma’s Barefoot Collective, a community–based modern dance company, and serves on the Advisory Committee of the Kennedy Center Partners in Education. Katie has performed with BQ Danza, MG & MH Arts, and Callous Physical Theatre, as well as producing her own work in Illinois, Missouri, and Washington.

A digital generalist by day and a social entrepreneur at all times, Tess’ love of tech and storytelling lead her to a career in digital marketing and advertising, where she spent a good part of 10 years helping brands build an audience and tell their stories before realizing she was part of the problem.

A digital professional with a passion for gender equality in tech, she has been able to impact change by founding GCON, a gaming community and annual convention for women players and developers in Saudi Arabia, born out of the need for representation on both the consumer side and the industry level. Her experiences have taught her to navigate cultural and logistical challenges – from fundraising and changing misconceptions about gaming to fighting off sandstorms, she never has a dull moment.

Today she finds herself even more motivated to turn her skills to social impact. Because the stories we tell ourselves matter, she wants to tell better stories about the future to come. Her goal is to promote consumption choices that are driven by more than convenience and self-interest and solve real-world problems at scale.

Dave Weatherred retired as the Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the Spokane School District in 2016. This was a position he had held for 19 years. In retirement, Dave supervises student teachers for Whitworth University and handles operations for New Community Church of Spokane. Now in his 41st year in education, he began his career as the instrumental music teacher for the Parma School District in Parma, ID, followed by similar positions in the West Valley School District and at Ferris High School in Spokane. He is active as a clinician, adjudicator, and honor group conductor throughout the northwest states. Dave was honored by the Washington Music Educators with inclusion in their “Hall of Fame” in 2001 and received the 2013 National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Northwest Division Distinguished Service Award. He has been married to his wife Lea for 40 years, has two adult children, and is enjoying his role as a grandfather!