Quick look: The 2026 OCMAA Awards will honor arts educators, administrators and advocates from across Orange County on March 4 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Hosted by OCDE, the event will include new award categories and recognize excellence in multiple arts disciplines.
Teachers, administrators and advocates who lead, inspire and elevate arts education in their communities will be recognized at the 2026 Orange County Music and Arts Administrators Awards, hosted by the Orange County Department of Education in partnership with the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
Founded by the Orange County Department of Education, the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators — or OCMAA — is a coalition of school district representatives and community arts leaders who work together to ensure all students have access to high-quality arts education.
Now in its 30-plus-year tradition, the annual awards ceremony honors outstanding leadership and instructional excellence across the five core arts disciplines — dance, music, theater, visual arts and media arts — along with recognition for supportive administrators, arts advocates, classroom teachers, classified employees and contributors to arts in special education.
This year, the OCMAA coalition has named dozens of educators and supporters as nominees, with several individuals selected to receive awards during the upcoming celebration.
Among this year’s honorees is Megan Arthurton of the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, recipient of the Irene Schoepfle Award for Music. This special distinction, presented only at the discretion of the selection committee, honors a lasting contribution to music education in Orange County. The award’s namesake, Irene Schoepfle, served as OCDE’s first music consultant for four decades, from the 1920s through the 1960s.
This year also marks the introduction of two new award categories. The inaugural OCMAA Award for Classified Employee will be presented to Autumn Garcia from the Huntington Beach Union High School District. The first OCMAA Award for Post-Secondary Arts Education Leader will go to Scott Farthing of Saddleback College.
“The Orange County Music and Arts Awards is the premier recognition for Orange County’s outstanding arts educators and is highly regarded within the community for its recognition of quality instructional service,” said Scott Fitzpatrick, arts coordinator for the Orange County Department of Education. “Thanks to the additional sponsorship of multiple arts organizations, we’re proud to announce that this special event will once again be free of charge for all attendees. Please join me in celebrating these leaders in arts education here in Orange County.”
The 2026 OCMAA Awards ceremony will take place on March 4 at the Samueli Theater in Costa Mesa, with a pre-ceremony reception followed by the official presentation of awards. Educators, students and those who support the arts can register online to attend the event. Although attendance is free, seating is limited.
The event is supported by a growing list of community sponsors, including the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, The Wooden Floor, The Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Pacific Crest Youth Arts Organization, The Yamaha Corporation of America, OC Music & Dance, The Arts & Learning Conservatory, South Coast Repertory, The Laguna Art Museum, Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach, The Frida Cinema, Orange County Arts and Disability, Bowers Museum, Vanguard University, Save The Music Foundation, Arts Orange County and the Pacific Symphony.
Here are the 2026 Orange County Music and Arts Administrators Award recipients:
- Lorena Tavares, Garden Grove Unified School District – Elementary Dance
- Leiana Volen, Fullerton Joint Union High School District – Secondary Dance
- Suzanne Fowler, Orange Unified School District – Digital and Media Arts Elementary
- Audra Ross, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District – Digital and Media Arts Secondary
- Christina Flynn, Anaheim Elementary School District – Instrumental Music Elementary
- Dr. Richard Perez, Capistrano Unified School District – Instrumental Music Secondary
- Esther Han, Magnolia School District – Vocal Music Elementary
- Aaron Duncan-Schwartz, Fullerton Joint Union High School District – Vocal Music Secondary
- Becca Voight, Irvine Unified School District – Theatre Elementary
- Christian Penuelas, Fullerton Joint Union High School District – Theatre Secondary
- Kimberly Fleming, Saddleback Valley Unified School District – Visual Art Elementary
- Melinda Moen, Anaheim Union High School District – Visual Art Secondary
- Kara Johnson, Saddleback Valley Unified School District – Arts in Special Education Award
- Amanda Mailman, Irvine Unified School District – Juliana McGrath Elementary Classroom Teacher Award
- Cama Stevens, Laguna Beach Unified School District – Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) Award
- Debora Wondercheck, Arts & Learning – Arts Advocate
- Katie Brown, Magnolia School District – Elementary Site Administrator
- Jerry Vlasic, Irvine Unified School District – Secondary Site Administrator
- Kelvin Okino, Irvine Unified School District – District Office Administrator
- Scott Farthing, Saddleback College – Post-Secondary Arts Education Leader
- Sabrina Skeels, Saddleback Valley Unified School District – OCMAA Administrator
- Autumn Garcia, Huntington Beach Union High School District – Classified Employee
- Megan Arthurton, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District – Irene Schoepfle Lifetime Achievement Award for Music
For those unable to attend the ceremony, here’s the full list of the 2025–26 Orange County Music and Arts Award nominees and recipients. For more information or questions about OCMAA, visit OCDE’s website or contact coordinator Scott Fitzpatrick at stfitzpatrick@ocde.us.