MUSIC EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR ROBIN L. CHRISTIAN RINGGOLD HIGH SCHOOL
Robin L. Christian
is the Director of Bands at Ringgold High School, leading the RHS Concert, Marching, and Jazz Bands to numerous top honors and superior ratings during his 27 years as director. A comprehensive music program, Ringgold offers two Symphonic Bands, a 175-piece marching band, two
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jazz ensembles, and a percussion ensemble. During Mr. Christian’s time as director, the Band program’s membership at Ringgold has grown from 85 students to more than 200. Mr. Christian has conducted the RHS Band at the Southeastern United States Band Conference at Troy State University, at the Georgia Music Educators/ Southern Division MENC Conference and in the Grand Bahama Islands. The Band has also marched in prestigious national parades, including the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago (2011), and in the Veterans’ Day Parade in New York City (2006 & 2012). A 1981 Ringgold High School alumnus, Mr. Christian attended Jacksonville State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education. While attending JSU, Mr. Christian studied saxophone with Dr. Ronald C. Attinger and was a member of the Marching Southerners, the JSU Jazz Ensemble, the Wind Ensemble, the Saxophone Choir, and the A Cappella Choir. In 2003, Mr. Christian was presented a Citation of Excellence by the National Band Association for outstanding contribution to bands and band music. In 2006, he was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu International School Bandmaster Fraternity. He served as the GMEA Instrumental Band Chair for District VII from 2006 – 2008. In 2010, Mr. Christian was named the Catoosa County Schools STAR teacher. Recently, Mr. Christian served as the GMEA State Band Division Chair for the 2011-2014 term. He also serves as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the southeastern United States. As a performer, Mr. Christian is a member of the Chattanooga Concert Band, the Clock Tower Jazz Ensemble, and The Georgians Big Band. He is also a member of several professional music organizations, including the Georgia Music Educators Association, the Music Educators National Conference, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, the Percussive Arts Society and the Jazz Education Network.
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
DR. BERNADETTE SCRUGGS PEACHTREE RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL Dr. Bernadette Scruggs
received her Bachelor of Music in Education and her Master of Music in Education from Columbus State University. Her Ed.S. and Ph.D. were earned at Georgia State University. Prior to teaching in the Gwinnett County School System, she taught for both the Floyd County and the Clayton County School Systems. While teaching in Clayton County, Dr. Scruggs was a director of the Clayton County Honor Orchestra. Under her direction, this middle school group performed at the Southern Division Music Educator’s National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Scruggs has also been a director for the Clayton County Youth Symphony, which was invited to perform for the Georgia Music Association Educators Conference. At Pointe South Middle School, where Dr. Scruggs taught for eleven years, the orchestra performed at several festivals, receiving First Place Awards. Five of Dr. Scruggs’s groups have been invited to perform at the Georgia Music Educators Association annual In-Service Conference. Dr. Scruggs was voted the 1995 Pointe South Teacher of the Year and the 1999 Hull Middle School Teacher of the Year. Currently, she is on the Peachtree Ridge High School faculty. While a Gwinnett County orchestra teacher, Dr. Scruggs was a director of the Kendall Honor Orchestra. She is now one of the directors of the Gwinnett County Youth Symphony. Dr. Scruggs has served as state secretary for the Georgia chapter of the American String Teachers Association and as both the Vice President of Performance Evaluations and President for the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA). She currently holds the position of GMEA Past Presidents’ Representative on the Executive Board and is the Orchestra Division Chair-Elect for 2017-2018.