An Orange County student performs a choreographed piece during the OC Music and Arts Administrator Awards on Feb. 27 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. 
Huntington Beach Union High School District administrators Stacy Robison and Amy Sabol earn arts administrator awards at the Orange County Music and Arts Administrator Awards on Feb. 27 at the Segerstrom Center of the Arts. 
OCDE Arts Coordinator Scott Fitzpatrick and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes present at the OCMAA Awards on Feb. 27. 
Orange County students perform during the OC Music and Arts Administrator Awards on Feb. 27 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. 
Saddleback Valley Unified School District student Linsay Keith presents her artwork, “Space Bubbles,” which was selected as this year’s OCMAA Ceremony Program Cover Artwork.
Local visual and performing arts leaders gathered on Feb. 27 at the Segerstrom Center of the Arts’ Samueli Theater to recognize the outstanding arts instruction and leadership implemented this year by Orange County’s arts educators and advocates.
The 2024 Orange County Music and Arts Administrators Awards honored 12 elementary and secondary educators across five arts disciplines who have made extraordinary efforts to provide students with unique learning and performance opportunities.
“This year at the OCMAA Awards, we saw the future of arts education in Orange County, and it is bright,” said Scott Fitzpatrick, arts coordinator at the Orange County Department of Education. “The shared values of the award recipients shone through in their stories that we shared as each took the stage.”
Among its 72 award nominees, the ceremony highlighted four administrators and three advocates who have positively impacted staff and students. Additionally, the Irene Schoepfle Lifetime Achievement Award for Music was given to music teacher Donald Funk for many years serving students in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.
Throughout the ceremony, student artwork from the 2023 OCArts4All Student Showcase was virtually displayed on stage with award presentations and introductions led by OCDE’s Fitzpatrick, with support from Humanities Administrator Trish Walsh and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes.
Students representing the Fullerton Joint Union High School District and the Irvine and Santa Ana unified school districts performed musical theater and dance numbers to spotlight the exceptional programs led by some of last year’s award-winning teachers.
For more than 30 years, OCMAA has partnered with the Segerstrom Center for the Arts to honor the region’s top music and arts teachers and administrators. The coalition — founded by the Orange County Department of Education — promotes collaboration between school districts, community arts organizations, parents and business leaders to ensure a high-quality, inclusive, accessible and equitable arts education for every child.
“Their examples inspire us to reimagine arts education to support today’s students,” Fitzpatrick said. “We are grateful to these dedicated teachers, administrators and arts advocates who continue to build our shared arts community.”
For a complete list of this year’s nominees, click here. Without further ado, here are the 2024 Orange County Music and Arts Administrator Award recipients:
Arts Teachers
Nathan Boice, Media Arts – Tustin Unified School District
Kristine Calder, Secondary Dance – Capistrano Unified School District
Suzanne Fauria, Juliana McGrath Elementary Classroom – Garden Grove Unified School District
Jennifer Garcia, Secondary Instrumental Music – Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
Christy Hernandez, Arts in Special Education – Huntington Beach Union High School District
David Joseph, Secondary Vocal Music – Garden Grove Unified School District
Kimberly Johnson, Secondary Visual Art – La Habra City School District
Susan Lord, Secondary Theater – Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Cassie Olah, Elementary Vocal Music – Santa Ana Unified School District
Alicia Parker, Elementary Visual Art – Irvine Unified School District
Breanne Pagano, Elementary Theater – Lowell Joint School District
Athena Reyes, Elementary Instrumental Music – Saddleback Valley Unified School District
Arts Administrators
Sam Perla, Elementary Administrator – Santa Ana Unified School District
Amy Sabol, Secondary Administrator – Huntington Beach Union High School District
Stacy Robison, District Administrator – Huntington Beach Union High School District
Phil Mortensen, OCMAA Administrator – Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District
Arts Advocates
Save the Music, Arts Advocate – Anaheim Elementary School District
Talena Mara, Orange County Arts Advocate – Segerstrom Center for the Arts
The Philharmonic Society of Orange County – Orange County Arts Advocate
Distinguished Career Service Award
Donald Funk, Irene Schoepfle Lifetime Achievement Award for Music – Newport-Mesa Unified School District