The board of directors of the Joy of Music School is comprised of individuals who support and sustain the mission of the organization. They give of their time and resources in order to preserve a healthy future for the School, and utilize their networks to create and maintain beneficial relationships for this institution. Oversight and advancement are central to their volunteer work.
Fay Adams retired as Associate Professor Emeritus at the UT School of Music where she was coordinator of the keyboard area teaching piano, pedagogy, and Suzuki pedagogy. She has won the Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, and MTNA National Teacher of the Year. Fay teaches privately and still works with MTNA, the Suzuki Association, and the Suzuki Piano School of Knoxville. Fay chairs the teaching & lesson resource committee.
Cindi Alpert is a native of New Jersey and graduate of The Ohio State University in journalism. She first joined the JoMS board 2014 and was president in 2018-2019. Cindi started her broadcasting career as a TV reporter, later owning two area radio stations. Now semi-retired from broadcasting she focuses on her live music events as a vocalist. Cindi is also a television spokesperson, professional DJ, freelance model, and voice-over artist. She enjoys golf, wake surfing, scuba diving, hiking and spending time with her teenage daughter. Cindi chairs the JoMS development committee.
Harold A. Black is the James F. Smith Jr. Professor of Finance (emeritus) at the University of Tennessee. He served on the initial board of the National Credit Union Administration. He has held faculty positions at the University of Florida, UNC Chapel Hill, Howard University and American University. He is past chairman of the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank – Nashville Branch.
Susan Brackney, a UT Knoxville grad, has been volunteering since 1961 when she joined the Junior League. She was Dogwood Arts Chair, organizing their first House and Garden Show. Susan has served UTK on their Alumnae Committee, Women’s Council, Pan-Hellenic, and Chi Omega boards. She serves on the Old Gray Cemetery board, and was State Pres. for the Nat’l Society of Colonial Dames of America. Susan chaired our Holiday Sparkles & Spirits from 2010 to 2018.
Trey Coleman is the regional president for HomeTrust Bank in Knoxville, Tenn. He is a past Joy of Music School board president. Prior to joining the board Trey served as a volunteer guitar instructor at the School. He enjoys chess, golf, mountain biking and fly fishing.
F. Michael Combs is Professor Emeritus of Music (retired) at the University of Tennessee and associate principal timpanist with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. He was founding board president of the Joy of Music School, helping establish the organization with its founder, James Dick. Mike currently chairs the board governance committee.
Jack Fellers, Board President, is an emeritus professor of engineering at the University of Tennessee. He has been a volunteer piano teacher at the Joy of Music School since 2013, plays trumpet in the Tellico Village Top Notes, and hits a lot of golf balls. He has served on the board marketing/PR committee in the past, and focuses his work on potential expansion plans for the School.
Rachel Ford is Executive Director of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. She serves on the boards of the Arts & Culture Alliance, Knoxville Rotary Club, and is a member of the Executive Women’s Association. Rachel has a piano performance degree from the University of Michigan and is a graduate of the League of American Orchestras’ Management Fellowship Program. She is a Leadership Knoxville graduate, and was a 2013 YWCA Tribute to Women honoree.
Lynnez Gray-Thompson, a Louisiana native, is a former producer at WVLT-TV News. Currently, Lynnez is focusing on her food business, Get Cha PoBoy. She serves on the Joy of Music School special events committee. She is also secretary for Knoxville’s Youth Outreach STEM board, and is a member of the Alliance House Community Coalition planning committee. In her spare time Lynnez enjoys singing lead vocals in her band and featuring in different bands around the city.
Julia Hamilton, a Rome, Georgia native, operates an executive search firm specializing in the furniture industry. She has been actively involved with the Knoxville Garden Club, Junior League of Knoxville, University of the South (Sewanee), Webb School of Knoxville and HABIT. Her son, Parker, has been a guitar teacher at the Joy of Music School for several years.
Marsha Hollingsworth has extensive community involvement including Fantasy of Trees, and the Red Cross. A former Clinton Jaycees Woman of the Year she has served on the Knoxville Opera, Baptist Health Foundation, Pellissippi State CC Foundation, and the Bijou Theatre boards. She now serves on the boards of the Museum of Appalachia and the Sertoma Home. She also sponsors programs for Junior Achievement of East Tennessee, including BizTown.
Cathy Leach, Board Secretary, is Professor of Trumpet at the UT School of Music, where she has also served as Associate Director of both Graduate Studies and Undergraduate Studies. She played Principal Trumpet with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra for 31 years and is currently President of the International Trumpet Guild. She happily offers her musical and administrative experience to JoMS.
Rob Masengill, is a Senior VP at Pinnacle Bank in Knoxville. In addition to the Joy of Music board role, Rob leads the Latin American Missions Ministry at Two Rivers Church. A long time drummer, Rob has served on other community focused boards and committees including the Boy & Girls Club of East Tennessee Advisory Board, Morristown Chamber Board, the MATS Homeless shelter and United Way of Hamblen County.
Robin Moon is a former HR Total Rewards Specialist at Pilot Company. Robin worked for twenty years with nonprofit, grant-funded early education agencies in management and as a consultant. She served on the early education advisory boards of two Tennessee community colleges as well, is a current board member of her homeowners association, a longtime member of her church choir and is a classically trained pianist.
Andrew Parrott has experience in strategic and tactical planning, contract negotiation, new business development, and acquisition, with digital & legacy media marketing expertise. Receiving multiple honors and awards throughout his career; Andrew has evolved into a sought-after professional, community leader, and overall badass. He brings positive energy into every moment as he’s focused on achieving the highest degree of success in every situation.
Mick Reed is executive director of Random Acts of Flowers and has been a teacher, banker, and sales manager. Mick has been involved with other local non-profits, having served as past President of Friends of Literacy. Mick has been playing music since elementary school. His current musical efforts involve playing guitar and trying to “get the band back together!”
John Rosson – Biography coming soon. John chairs the advocacy committee.
Darren Seay, Board Treasurer, is the Director of Business Intelligence at Pilot Company. In addition to working in accounting and data analytics, he has been a professional jazz musician and music instructor. He has served as a United Way Loaned Executive and is currently the treasurer for both Atomic Rowing and Oak Ridge Sister City Support Organization. Darren serves on the JoMS finance committee.
Ben Smith is a music enthusiast. He has worked in production and event engagement for AC Entertainment. He also hosts the Indie Aisle – the experimental and independent music radio show on WUTK. He founded and currently runs Gezellig Records – a small record label with artists from across the globe. Ben serves on the special events committee for the Joy of Music School
Judy Smith is a retired carrier and customer service supervisor after 28 years at the US Postal Service. She chaired its Diversity Council, raising diversity awareness for employees. She was director of Norwood FISH Pantry, and has volunteered for Friends of Literacy, Red Cross, Knoxville Symphony League, New Hope Presbyterian, Blessings Box at Powell Presbyterian, the Ethics Bowl at UT and others. She now runs W. R. Smith Clocks, founded by her late husband, a clock builder/designer of Skeleton clocks.
Blake Stevens is a reporter for WATE 6 On Your Side. He’s a graduate of UT Martin and a native of West Tennessee but now proudly calls Knoxville home. Previously Blake reported at WPSD-TV in Paducah, KY. While not a musician himself, he serves the School because he believes in the mission of providing opportunities to young people. Blake is the marketing/public relations committee chair and hopes to spread the mission of the Joy of Music School to everyone in the area.
Elizabeth Swilley is a Clinical OnBoarding Liaison with TeamHealth. She has been an active volunteer with several other nonprofit organizations such as Race for the Cure, Sequoyah Elementary Foundation, Webb School of Knoxville, and Junior League of Knoxville. She serves on the Joy of Music School on both the Finance Committee and the Special Events Committee.
Joyce Thames is the mother of one current and three former JoMS students. She has been a homeschool mom for over 20 years and is now educating the last of her six children. She organizes a variety of social and educational events for her church, and has organized and produced homeschool events. Joyce also served as a volunteer for Children’s Hospital events and as a 4-H leader.
Erica White, Board President-Elect, is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and has had a career in the meeting planning industry for over 20 years. Currently, she is the Sourcing and Procurement Manager for MCI USA, sourcing and contracting hotels for meetings and events. She is applying her experience as chair of the board’s Special Events Committee. She and her two teenage children all play piano.
Past Members of the Board of Directors
These are community members who have served on the board in years past, and worked to bring The Joy of Music School to its current level of success.
Joan Allen
Michael Allen
Joan Ashe
Elvin Banks
Carolyn Barnett
Eleanor Barron
Angela Batey
Richard Baumgartner
Jim Begalla
Judy Benson
Barbara Bernstein
Ric Best
Sandie Bishop
George Bitzas
Harold Black
Susan Bolt
Steve Boyce
Chyna Brackeen
Tutt Bradford
Martha Breazeale
Donald Brown
Jackie Brown
Mannie Burnett
Betsey Bush
Juanita Cannon
Ashley Capps
Rick Carl
Archie Carpenter
Catherine Casey
Willene Chalmers
Dwight Christian
Cathleen Christie
Cindy Cook
Oslo Cole
Lillian Coleman
Trey Coleman
Joe Congelton
Lee Congleton
James L. Clayton
Cynthia D’Andrea
Bill Davis, Jr.
Sarah Davis
William Davis, Sr.
Janie Dempster
Elise Denneny
James Dick
Louis Diez
Harold Diftler
Ken Dobbins
Marcia Donaldson
Mark Douglass
Norris Dryer
Harold Duckett
Barbara Eldridge
Robert Eldridge
Sandra Powell Emond
Ray Equi
Phillip Ewell
Breyon Ewing
Tony Farmer
Elizabeth Farr
Ross Faires
Jerry Field
Mary Ann Fennell
John F. Fisher
Sam Furrow
Sarah Gass
Margaret Gaiter
Carole Galyon
Rosemary Gilliam
Joseph Goodstein
Francis Graffeo
Donald Groham
Zane Hagy
Becky Hancock
Lucy Hand
Marc Hanson
Chandra Harris-McCray
Oana Harrison
Kathy Hart
Bruce Hartmann
Robert Harvey
Dee Haslam
Natalie Haslam
Eugene Hattaway
David Henderlight
Jeannine Henney
Brandon Herrenbruck
Peg Hightower
Hallerin Hill
Jenny Hines
Ann Hitch
Amelia Hodges
Sarah Holloway
Julia Howard
Peggie Howard
Sheila Hudson
James Hundley
T.J. Hurst
Ken Jarnagin
Larsen Jay
Missy Jenkins
W.W. Jones
Dale Keasling
Beverly Kerr
John Kesterson
Terri King
Doug Klein
Kin Kredich
Karen Ladd
Arthur Lavidge
John Lee
Rick Lester
Charles Lindsey
David Lovett
Margie Loyd
Caleb Lukkarila
Mary-Hannah MacCurdy
Sande Macmorran
Don MacTavish
Margaret Maddox
Mickey Mallonee
James R. Martin
Larry Martin
Lee Martin
Evelyn Matthews
Bob Maxon
Fiona McAnally
Michael McClamroch
Keith McClelland
Hugh McWilliams
Jeanie Melton
Walter Mencer
Sharon Miller
L.L. Montgomery, III
Marvelene Moore
Joanne Mounger
Rudolph Nemeth
Richard Neubert
Eleanor Nichols
R.L. “Bunny” Oakes
Susan Overton
Maureen Patteson
Barbara Pelot
James Pippin
Becky Prior
Harwell Profitt
Sammie Lynn Puett
Mike Ragsdale
Tom Ramsey
Alicia Randisi-Hooker
Richard Ray
Mick Reed
Lucas Richman
Jorge Richter
Margaret Ritchie
Mark Rigsby
Greg Roach
Janet Roach
Patrick Roddy
Virginia Rowlett
David Royce
Steve Queisser
Suzanne Schriver
Greg Scribner
Phyllis Secrist
Arthur Seymour
Linnette Seymour
Sarah Sharpe
Sherry Shepherd
John Skladan
Amy Skalet
Mattie Smith
William Snyder
Eddie Southerland
Susan Southerland
Betty Sue Sparks
Mike Stallings
Aaron Staple
Judi Starliper
Marilyn Stelling
Karen Stone
Theresa Stone
Murphy Strong, Sr.
Joe Sullivan
Gregory Tardy
Steve Tatum
Kristen Thames
Susan Tisdale
David Traver
John Trotter
Frank Venable, III
Jane Venable
Kurt Weiss
Karen White
Shawn White
David Wigler
Bill Williams
Chris Woodhull
Louise Wyman