Josh Geddis is the music teacher and band director at St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School in Clinton, Ontario. He has also worked at the system level as a Pedagogical Support Teacher for the implementation of de-streaming. Along with his teaching credentials, Josh also holds a MA in Community Music from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Certificate in Piano Technology from the University of Western Ontario. Josh is an independent recording artist and and has shared the stage with the likes of Joel Plaskett, Serena Ryder, Jeremy Fisher, Elliott Brood and more. Josh lives in Bayfield Ontario with his wife Jessica and their three children: Nolan (9), Kyle (7), and Jordyn (5). 
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Lynn Gracey is an elementary music teacher with the Thames Valley District School Board.  After graduating from The University of Western Ontario, Mrs. Gracey spent five years teaching music in secondary schools in Huron County and for the last 18 years has taught instrumental, vocal, and recorder music to grades 4-8 students in TVDSB schools. She is currently co-conductor of the TVDSB Junior Honour Band for students in grades 7-9.  When there is a pause in her busy life, Lynn loves to garden and travel.

Carolyn Lewis has been an elementary music teacher and administrator with the Halton District School Board. She has had the privilege of learning and leading with educators in regions across the province in her work as a curriculum writer and workshop presenter.  Carolyn was the lead writer for the “Think Literacy” document and a writer for The Ontario Ministry of Education’s Music Curriculum. She has served on the OMEA Board for 11 years as Administrative Advisory Council Director and Vice President. Carolyn recently retired and is currently an occasional Principal with the Halton DSB.

Lesley Pontarini is a music specialist and teaches K-8 music in the Peel District School Board. She also has a private music studio where she teaches RCM piano and theory. She has served on the OMEA board since 2017, and also serves on the Kodály Society of Ontario’s Board of Directors. In 2021, she co-chaired the OMEA conference, Con Fuoco, in Niagara Falls. Outside of music education and advocacy, she is an avid vegetarian cook, enjoys reading and sharing her love of music with her daughter.

Laura Lee has been teaching instrumental, guitar and now vocal music in Simcoe County since 1995. In the last 5 years she has experienced a school closing, school amalgamation and the opening of a new school. She is Arts Chair at Orillia Secondary School, and was named “Musicounts Teacher of the Year” and received a Juno award for it in 2018. Laura Lee is currently treasurer for the board and was President from 2008-2010.

Dr. Tremblay has been an elementary music teacher with the Durham District School Board for 10 years. She currently teaches in the School of Education for Trent University in the BEd and Indigenous BEd programs. Katie completed her PhD at the University of Toronto, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. Her research areas include curriculum and pedagogy in middle school instrumental music and Indigenous music education.

Dr. Tony Leong is a former president of the OMEA and currently manages the Awards, Scholarships & Merchandise portfolio. He is a secondary music teacher in the Toronto District School Board. Tony is a violist and teaches every summer at National Music Camp.

Carolyn has served on the OMEA board of directors in a variety of roles since 1999. She retired in 2016 following a 31-year career teaching secondary school instrumental, vocal music and guitar. She is a saxophonist and drummer who regularly performs in the Sudbury area. Depending on the season, Carolyn is often  outdoors, enjoying some travel, hiking, camping, paddling or shooting photos.

Lyndsay Promane (she/her) holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance and a Diploma in Operatic Performance from the University of Toronto. She is the Primary Music Teacher and Private Music Lessons Coordinator at the Holy Trinity School where she teaches Kindergarten and Grade 1 music as well as administrates and teaches private piano lessons. She is a member of the OMEA EDI committee. Outside of the classroom, Lyndsay maintains an active profile as an opera singer and has been a member of the Canadian Opera Company Chorus since the 2018/2019 season.
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Michelle Naarden is a music specialist with Thames Valley District School Board teaching grade 4-8 music, as well as Learning Support for the last 6 years. She has taught Voice, Recorder, Ukulele and Winds while exploring the world through music in her program. Michelle believes in doing the impossible as inspired by Walt Disney and continues to push the limits of ethno-music practices. When there is some down time, Michelle enjoys to travel, visit a Disney Park and kick a soccer ball around-sometimes all at the same time!

Alycia Pindar has taught music in the Durham District School Board for nearly 20 years. She currently is a “cruise director” teaching music and phys ed to primary students at Fallingbrook PS. Outside of school, she is a co-director of the DDSB’s elementary honour ensembles and loves connecting with students from across the board via DIAC, Durham Integrated Arts Camp. Her focus with the OMEA will be furthering the organization’s work on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI).

Mark is the Ontario Regional Manager, Educational Services for Long and McQuade and serves as the Canadian Music Industry Education Committee President and representative on the OMEA board. He also sits as the Industry Rep on the CMEA Board of Directors. Mark has been involved with OMEA Conference site selection and contracts since 2006 and received the OMEA Award of Commendation in 2019.

Kevin has served on the Board of Directors OMEA as President, Regional Workshops, and Membership Director. Kevin now serves the OMEA board as Membership Director, is Past President of the Arts Education Consultants of Ontario (ARTSECO) and is a former Chair of the ETFO Arts Committee. He is currently the proud Principal of Stonebridge PS in York region.
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Dr. Jane Saunders is retired from teaching in the Lakehead Public Schools of Thunder Bay. She enjoyed a (nearly) 30-year career of teaching band and strings, as well as jazz, vocal, guitar and everything else that goes with “being the music teacher”. She completed her music education studies at The University of Western Ontario (H.B. Mus.Ed.1988), The University of Windsor (B.Ed.1989), The University of Minnesota (M.A.1994) and Lakehead University (Ph.D. 2004). Jane is a sessional instructor at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, where she works with future teachers (music and otherwise) and is a member of the Canadian Music Festival Adjudicators’ Association. Away from the world of music teaching, Jane plays outside with her rescue dog and watches hockey on t.v.

Katie Nicholl is a 7-12 music teacher at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener. She teaches 7-9 vocal programs and 7-12 winds programs. In 2020, she graduated from the Masters of Community Music program at Laurier. Katie enjoys teaching people of all ages the joys of music. She is a qualified kindermusik teacher, and conducts a senior adult handbell choir. In her spare time she enjoys playing clarinet in local bands, reading and spending time with her husband and 2 children.
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Jane Wamsley teaches in the pre-service teacher education program at Brock University after retiring from a long music teaching careeer that included positions as Music Consultant and Arts Coordinator with the Halton District School Board. She continues to be a clinician for music and arts workshop series around the province, and was the music writer for the Junior and Primary Arts resources for ETFO. Jane is an adjudicator, writer and editor of curriculum resources and teacher guides. She was the lead writer for the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Music Curriculum. Jane’s role on the Board of OMEA is Membership Development and Promotion.

Lisa Snow (BMus Hon., BEd., MEd) has been a music specialist and classroom educator for over 3 decades in the London, Ontario, area. She has taught in the public system, as well as a private studio teacher and for organizations such as Forest City Talent Education, Aeolian El Sistema, and Amabile Choirs. She is currently the Arts Learning Coordinator K-12 for TVDSB.
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Dr. Darren Hamilton recently completed his PhD in music education at the University of Toronto where he now serves as an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Music. He previously taught secondary music with the Peel District School Board. His research interests lie in gospel music, hip hop music and popular music education, in addition to equity, diversity and social justice in music curriculum.
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Delicia is a choral conductor at Sistema Toronto and is currently pursuing her education at the University of Toronto where she is double majoring in Music and Mental Health Studies. Her passions include the intersections of music education, equity, mental health, and advocacy. She looks forward to working towards holistic and sustainable equity, diversity, and inclusion within the music education landscape.
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Lauren Simmons is Assistant Curriculum Leader for Anti-Oppression and Student Voice at Leaside High School in the TDSB, where she has taught Music and English for over fifteen years. A frequent presenter at OMEA conferences and contributor to The Recorder, Lauren previously chaired Vibrations 2012, attended the 2019 OMEA Leadership Retreat, and worked on several curriculum writing projects. She is a workshop presenter for provincial OSSTF equity workshops, a TDSB Digital Lead Learner, and a member of the GTA anti-racist music teacher collective. She has completed five marathons, and enjoys reading and listening to podcasts.
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