2010 Lifetime Achievement Award - Mr. Jack White, Director of Bands, Northeast Louisiana University(retired)

Jack W. White graduated from Hope High School, Hope, Arkansas, in 1953. He received
the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Northeast Louisiana State College in
1957, and the Master of Music degree from Louisiana State University in 1961, as well as
completing 32 hours beyond the Master's degree. He began his teaching career at
Ouachita Junior High School in Monroe, La., in 1958, after serving in the U.S. Army,
where he completed Airborne training. From 1964-1970, he was Director of Bands at
Ouachita Parish High School, and from June 1, 1970, served as Director of Bands and
Associate Professor of Music at Northeast Louisiana University, retiring on June 1, 1991.
Mr. White is a member of Phi Beta Mu, C.B.D.N.A., Phi Mu Alpha, Tau Beta
Sigma,Kappa Kappa Psi, Louisiana Music Educators Association, and the Louisiana
Bandmaster's Association, of which he is past President.
In 1963, he was named the Outstanding Young Teacher of the Year in Ouachita Parish;
in 1968 he was awarded the Pacesetter Award by the City of Monroe; in 1969, he was
named the Bandmaster of the Year by the Louisiana Bandmaster's Association; in 1970,
he was named as an Outstanding Young Man of America. In 1970, he also received the
Citation of Excellence award from the National Band Association. The Ouachita Parish
High School Band, as well as the NLU Band, were acclaimed as two of the most
outstanding bands in the United States under his leadership.
Jack received the Louisiana "Outstanding Bandmaster ofthe Year" award for 1971 and
1973, presented by the Epsilon Chapter, Phi Beta Mu. He received the Distinguished
Service Award from the Monroe Jaycees in 1980. He was elected International
President of Phi Beta Mu in 1982, and re-elected in 1985. He was named Teacher of the
Year by the N.L.U. College of Liberal Arts in 1988, and in 1990 was named Outstanding
Teacher of the Year by the University. That same year he was inducted into the
Louisiana Music Educator's Association Hall of Fame. In 1991, he received the Orpheus
Award from Eta Iota Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha. Also since his retirement, he has been
named Director Emeritus of the ULM Bands by the University.
In addition to his teaching duties, Mr. White has served as adjudicator, clinician,
consultant, guest conductor, and guest lecturer in Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, Tennessee,
Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Illinois, Phi, Kentucky, Missouri,
New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Florida, Nebraska, Indiana, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and
Canada. He has seven articles published in leading professional journals and magazines
in the U.S. and Canada, as well as materials published by the Jensen Publishing
Company.
In 1991 ,Mr White was elected to serve on the Ouachita Parish School Board, and still
continues to serve, currently and through most of those years, as President. He is the past
Conductor of The Twin City Concert Band, a volunteer group of musicians from all
walks of life. Under his leadership, this group received the coveted Sudler Silver Scroll
Award, naming it as one of the best community bands in the United States. Mr. White
has also been nominated as Artist of the Year by the Monroe Symphony League. He
was an active member of the University Chamber Arts Brass Quintet for over twenty
years, plays often at various area churches, including his home church, First United Methodist Church of Monroe, and plays trumpet in The Monroe Symphony. In
May,2006,Mr. White was co-receiver with his wife Coralie, of the Roger DiGiulian
Lifetime Music Award from The Monroe Symphony.
In 2007,Jack was named to the International Hall of Fame, by Phi Beta Mu, International
Bandmasters Fraternity, being only the fifth recipient of this honor since 1935.
In 2010 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Music
Education from the South Central Music Educators Society.
He is married to Coralie Heard White, is the father of four, and the grandfather of
eleven ..

2010 Administrator of the Year: Dr. Robert Webber - Superintendent, Ouachita Parish School Board

Dr. Webber became Superintendent of Schools for the Ouachita Parish School System in December 2001. Prior to this appointment he served as Principal of Ouachita Junior High School and as Assistant Principal of Ouachita Parish High School.
From 1983 to 1997, Dr. Webber served as teacher and coach of Ouachita Junior and High Schools. He is a graduate of Northeast Louisiana University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and Social Studies (1977), a master’s degree in Administration and Supervision (1983), and the Specialist Degree in Administration and Supervision (1992). He earned his Doctorate from Louisiana Tech in 1998.

2011 Band Director of the Year: Sheily Bell, Director of Bands,
Dutchtown High School

Sheily Bell is the Director of Bands at Dutchtown High School where she began a new program in 2002.  She has been teaching for 40 years.  She has a B.M.E. and Master + 30 from Louisiana State University. Ms. Bell’s Bands have consistently received superior ratings at both the District and the State levels, and her students are continually selected to perform in District, State, Tri-state, Regional, All South and National Honor Bands.  Over 90% of her college bound seniors receive band scholarships, many of which receive full tuition.   Ms. Bell was awarded Bandmaster of the Year, which was voted on by band directors around the State of Louisiana.   She has also received the Phi Beta Mu Bandmaster of the Year Award.  At her previous school, the Symphonic Winds was selected to perform at the Loyola Invitational Band Festival and the Ark-La-Tex Conference.   In 2000, her band represented Louisiana at a Washington D.C. Band Festival.  Since moving to Dutchtown High School, Ms. Bell’s bands have consistently received Superior, Ratings at the District and State levels in Concert, Marching and Jazz Festivals.  Her bands were the Grand Champion in Florida at the All Star Music Festival.    Her Symphonic Winds performed at the Loyola Invitational Concert Band Festival in 2007 and 2010 with renowned composer Philip Sparke and Frank Ticheli as clinician. Her marching band participated in the ABC Boscov’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Philadelphia in 2007. In 2008, her band won the Premier Level for Outstanding Performance at the Bluebonnet Classic in San Antonio. In 2009, her band attended the National Adjudication Festival in Chattanooga and placed 2nd in the nation. In 2010 her marching band placed in the top ten at Showcase in Lafayette, La.  In 2011 her bands travel to Florida where they won the Grand Champions at the Florida Fest.  In 2011, Sheily was chosen Outstanding Band director of the year from the South Central Regional Music Conference.

Ms. Bell is a member of M.E.N.C., L.M.E.A. (Past State Public Relations Chairman), National Bandmasters Association (Past State Chair), L.B.A., District IV Honor Band Association (Past President and Treasurer), Phi Beta Mu (Past President), SCRMC (Past Band Division Chair) and The Louisiana Educator’s Association.  She is the Conductor of the Baton Rouge Community Band that was chosen to perform at the National Association of Concert Bands Convention in Houston in 2009. She is a past recipient of the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Legion of Honor Award; which is only awarded to 20 band directors from around the world each year.  Ms. Bell teaches Music Appreciation at River Parish Community College in Sorrento.   Ms. Bell is constantly in demand to adjudicate band festivals, direct Honor Bands, and give clinics throughout the State of Louisiana as well as parts of Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas.

Ms. Bell is married to Patrick Bell Sr. Pat and Sheily have two sons Brady and Patrick Jr., a daughter-in-law Angie, and three granddaughters Hagan 11 years old and Brynnan 8 years and Camrynn 6 years old.  Her son Brady and Ashley have a son Brady 4 years old and Katherine 2 years old.