Officers
State Advisor
CMENC Georgia Advisor, Dr. David Gregory 
David Gregory, Director of Bands at Reinhardt University and Director Emeritus of Tara Winds, has conducted elementary, junior high, high school, community college, university, and professional bands. A former director of bands at Hardaway High School in Columbus (GA), Forest Park High School in Forest Park (GA), and he University of Florida in Gainesville, (FL), and former Clayton County (GA) Coordinator of Instrumental Music, Dr. Gregory served as Assistant to the Superintendent in that school system for twelve years until his retirement from public school work in January 2003. Dr. Gregory is a Past President of the National Band Association and currently serves as Advisor to the Executive Committee of that organization. At Reinhardt University Dr. Gregory teaches Music Education classes, music technology, conducting, and orchestration and arranging courses; conducts the Wind Ensemble; supervises student teacher interns; and is coordinator of the Music Education program. He was the state CMENC advisor for GMEA for the 2007-09 biennium and was reappointed for the 2009-11 term. Bands under Dr. Gregory’s direction have received invitations to perform at virtually every music conference of regional and national significance, including the National MENC Convention, the American School Band Directors Association National Convention, the Mid- East Instrumental Music Conference, the University of South Carolina Band Clinic and Conductors’ Symposium, the Western International Band Clinic, the Florida State University Tri-State Music Festival, the SEUS Concert Band Festival, the University of Southern Mississippi Conductors’ Conference (3x), the University of Georgia High School Music Festival (6x), the CBDNA/NBA Southern Division Conference (4x), the Atlanta International Band and Orchestra Conference, the Southern Division MENC Convention, the American Bandmasters Association National Convention (2x), GMEA state conferences (12x), and the Midwest Band Clinic (3x). Gregory continues to make numerous appearances as conductor, clinician and presenter at regional and national music conferences as well as all-state and honor band events throughout the United States. He has presented clinics/workshops at the Midwest Clinic on three occasions and at the GMEA Conference nine times. Tara Winds was the 1996 recipient of the Sudler “Scroll of Honor,” and his Hardaway High School Band was honored by the John Philip Sousa Foundation as one of the nation’s most outstanding high school programs for the decades 1960-1980.
A highlight of Dr. Gregory’s career is the distinct and singular honor of having his ensembles invited to perform at 39 conventions and conferences of state, regional and national significance. Many personal and professional awards, recognitions, and appointments have been awarded Dr. Gregory during his career. He has received the MAC Outstanding Bandleader award for the state of Georgia, the Southeastern United States Concert Band Clinic Citation of Excellence, the National Band Association Citation of Excellence in 1978, 1984, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 (2x), 2008, and 2010, the Phi Delta Kappa Excellence in Leadership Education Award, and the Sudler Foundation “Order of Merit.” In 1998 he was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu “Georgia Bandmasters Hall of Fame” and in 2003 received the Phi Beta Mu “Outstanding Bandmaster Award” for the state of Georgia. Dr. Gregory was featured on the cover of The Instrumentalist magazine with the lead article for the April 2003 edition of that publication.
Maintaining a regular schedule of appearances, Dr. Gregory has received invitations to serve in thirty-one states, and has conducted all-state bands in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Alaska. He has served as clinician and lecturer throughout the country, and his band activities have taken him across the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and the European continent where twice he has appeared as guest conductor of La Banda dell’Esercito of Rome, Italy, once with the Associazione Musicale “G. Verdi” Band of Aci S. Antonio, Sicily, once with the Lucania Orchestra di Fiati of Matera, Italy, and four times with La Banda di Sacrofano in Rome. Additionally, in 2007 and 2008 he was chosen to serve as an adjudicator for the La Bacchetta d’Oro national band contest of Italy. Currently he is a member of the John Philip Sousa Foundation “Legion of Honor” and “Sudler Scroll” Selection Committees, and he served eight years as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Band Association, six years as Advisor to the Executive Committee of the NBA, and six years on the staff of Conn-Selmer Institute. His past and present professional affiliations include Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, Phi Mu Alpha, Phi Beta Mu, the National Band Association, Music Educators National Conference, College Band Directors National Association, Georgia Music Educators Association, American School Band Directors Association, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Phi Delta Kappa, the Florida Bandmasters Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, and the American Bandmasters Association.
2010-2011 Officers
President, Jeremy Ragan
Jeremy Ragan is a senior Music Education and Bass Trombone Performance Major at Reinhardt University. At Reinhardt, he performs in the University Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Brass Quintet, Low Brass Choir, Concert Choir, and Chamber Chorale. Other performance credits include the Etowah Jazz Society, Tara Winds, the Jamey Aebersold Jazz workshops, and the 1st Annual Southeast Trombone Symposium at Columbus State University. In addition to being in CMENC, he has collegiate memberships in the following organizations: National Band Association, Music Teacher’s National Association, International Trombone Association, and Reinhardt’s Music Honour Society: Pi Kappa Lambda. Mr. Ragan recently received Reinhardt’s Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Music Education Student of the Year Award for the 2009-2010 school year. Whilst at Reinhardt, he has taken time to work in area K-12 schools, as a marching band staff member and low brass sectional leader for high schools and middle schools and as a brass instrument demonstrator for the elementary aged students. He has also helped staff various band clinics and festivals in the area. In addition to his musical endeavors, he has found time on campus to run a swing dancing club, work as a Resident Assistant and a Production Assistant in the Falany Performing Arts Center, and Coordinate and run the New Student Orientation Program at Reinhardt University.
Vice President, Chris Clanton
Chris Clanton is a senior Music Education Major at Reinhardt University. At Reinhardt, he plays trombone in the University Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Brass Quintet, and Low Brass Choir. He has also sung with the Reinhardt Concert Choir. and Chamber Chorale. Other performance credits include the Etowah Jazz Society and Tara Winds. He also has performed in various churches across north Georgia both as a trombone player, and as a member of praise bands using his skills on drum-set and vocals. Mr. Clanton has served on the local CMENC executive board as the events coordinator for two years. He also is a collegiate National Band Association Member, and participated in the Tri-M Music Honors Society. He is also a free-lance low-brass instructor having worked in many area schools, and staffing various band clinics and festivals in the area. On campus, he serves as a Resident Assistant in the upperclassmen apartments.
Secretary, Kristen Miller
Kristen Miller is currently a senior Music Education major at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia. Kristen plays clarinet in the Reinhardt University Wind Ensemble, Reinhardt University Symphony Orchestra, and the Reinhardt Woodwind Quintet. Kristen is an active member of the Reinhardt chapter of CMENC where she served as the treasurer for the 2009-2010 school year and will serve as the chapter president for the 2010-2011 school year. Kristen is also a member of the Reinhardt chapter of Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society. Kristen volunteers her time by performing in churches around North Georgia, teaching clarinet lessons, and working with elementary and high school music programs around Reinhardt.
Member-At-Large, Lanae Smith
Lanae Smith is a sophomore at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. She plays French horn in Georgia State’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Robert Ambrose, and the Wind Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Chester Phillips. She also plays in the Horn Choir, conducted by Jay Hanselman, which recently attended and performed at the 2010 Southeast Horn Workshop in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Lanae plays Mellophone in the GSU Basketball Band and is Uniform Captain of the first Georgia State Marching Band directed by Dr. Chester Phillips. She has served as Freshman Representative for Georgia State’s CMENC board. In the past she has also participated in the United Community Bank’s Junior Board of Directors, Who’s Who among High School Students, and National Honors Society.
Webmaster, John Womack
John Womack is a recent graduate of Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music with a BM in instrumental music education. He completed his student teaching at Johns Creek High School in Johns Creek, Georgia under the direction of Mr. Al Estep. He studied under Saxophone professor Amy Griffiths and has recently finished his second year as a member of the Columbus State University Wind Ensemble under the baton of Dr. Robert Rumbelow with a final performance at the 2010 GMEA In-service Conference. He regularly plays in various Saxophone chamber groups including the CSU Saxophone Quartet. John is a recipient of the GMEA Music Educators scholarship and is an active member of both the local and state board of the Collegiate Music Educator’s National Conference. He has recently served as Secretary on the local board (2007-2009) and has been elected as Webmaster of the State board (2007-2011). John is an active volunteer, assisting in the state CMENC conference, presiding over GMEA workshops, assisting with the 2008 Southeast Horn Workshop, and being a part of the Student Development Team, a team of student representatives that try to make life for music majors a little better, as both the freshmen representative and the CMENC representative. John’s other professional organizations include the Modern Music Masters Honors Society, National Honors Society, and the National Scholars Honor Society.
