Directors
Andrea McAlister, NCTM
East Central Division, Lakewood, Ohio
Andrea McAlister, DMA, NCTM, is professor of piano pedagogy at
the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and senior editor for The Piano
Magazine: Clavier Companion. McAlister has presented at numerous state,
national and international conferences, serves on the Group Piano/Piano
Pedagogy Executive Committee and was president of the Ohio Music
Teachers Association from 2014–2016.
Jacqueline Herbein, NCTM
Eastern Division, Export, Pennsylvania
Jacqueline Herbein, NCTM, is an independent teacher, workshop presenter
and musician-wellness advocate. In the past 10 years, she has served as
MTNA National Junior Competitions coordinator, Pennsylvania MTA state
president and treasurer and held leadership positions at the local
level. She was named an MTNA Foundation Fellow in 2017 and has received
PMTA’s Distinguished Service and Teacher of the Year awards.
Mary Kaye Owen, NCTM
Northwest Division, Renton, Washington
Mary Kaye Owen, NCTM, teaches piano in Renton, Washington. Currently the
MTNA Northwest Division Performance Competitions chair and senior
coordinator for the state MTNA Performance Competitions, Owen is also an
active local association member. A past president of Washington State
Music Teachers Association, she was named an MTNA Foundation Fellow in
2018.
Lauren Schack Clark, NCTM
South Central Division, Jonesboro, Arkansas
Lauren Schack Clark, DMA, NCTM, teaches piano at Arkansas State
University. She is an MTNA Foundation Fellow, was South Central Division
Competitions chair from 2014 to 2017 and is chair of the Arkansas MTNA
Competitions. Clark has been a State and Local Association president and
ASMTA Teacher of the Year. She has performed throughout the U.S.,
Europe and in China.
Thomas Swenson, NCTM
Southern Division, Greensboro, North Carolina
Thomas Swenson, PhD, NCTM, teaches at the University of North Carolina School
of the Arts and The Music Academy of North Carolina. A specialist in
teaching adults (andragogy), Swenson has given presentations, workshops
and lecture-recitals throughout the U.S.
Noreen Wenjen, NCTM
Southwest Division, Torrance California
Noreen Wenjen, NCTM, is past-president of the California Association of
Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT), a leader in business and
technology, she is author of Two-Year Waitlist: An Entrepreneurial Guide
for Music Teachers.
Mary Beth Shaffer, NCTM
West Central Division, Mesa, Artizona
Mary Beth Shaffer, NCTM, is a former president of the Colorado
State Music Teachers Association. She received BM and MFA degrees from
the University of Iowa. A member of MTNA for more than 35 years, Shaffer
has resided in three of the West Central Division states during that
time. She has also served in various leadership roles in state and local
associations.