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Meet Our Directors

Dr. LaSaundra Booth
Executive Director

Certified Music Teacher, Wake County Public Schools
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Tonya N. Suggs
Artistic Director

Certified Music Teacher, Wake County Public Schools
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Meet Our Team

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Ava Lockaway
Instructor

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Caroline Jones
Instructor

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Arden Shafer
Instructor

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Theresa Fox
Instructor

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Dr. Ronnal Ford
Instructor

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Charles Parker
Instructor

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Ashley Kovacs
Instructor

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Ashley

TBA
Instructor

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Meet Our Board

Jesse L. Suggs, Jr.
Board President
Retired, Guilford County Public Schools
 [Bio]

Sheila Brown
Treasurer
 [Bio]

Andrew Markoch
Board Member
Director of Fine Arts and Innovation, Vance County Schools
 [Bio]

Grey Shelton
Board Member
 [Bio]

Sherepha Johnson#220

Sherepha Johnson
Board Member

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Miranda J. Bailey
Board Member

Jesse L Suggs, Jr.

Board President

Retired, Guilford County Public Schools

Jessie L. Suggs, Jr.
Jessie L. Suggs, Jr.
Jesse L. Suggs, Jr. is a graduate of North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. He retired in June 2000 and taught part-time in Guilford County Schools until the fall of 2003 when he returned to teaching until June of 2014. Mr. Suggs, currently teaches private lessons. As the former director of the Ben L. Smith High School Orchestra, the Jamestown Middle School and Northwest Middle Orchestras, which he founded and the Northern Guilford Middle School Orchestra, Mr. Suggs extended their musical ambassadorship over 65,892 miles including Dallas, Atlanta, New Orleans , San Antonio Texas, Bahamas, Jamaica, Hawaii, Australia and Singapore. The Smith Orchestra has the state record for the longest non-stop performance by a string orchestra (12 hours, 14 minutes and 29 seconds). Mr. Suggs took the Northern Guilford Middle School String Orchestra consisting of 6th, 7th and 8th graders to The National Adjudicators Invitational in Richmond, Virginia in April 2014. There they performed three selections of Grade III music, over 14 minutes of music from memory. They received superior ratings from all judges. Performing from memory was a first for the festival. Mr. Suggs has served as Assistant Conductor for the Greensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra, founder and Music Director of the Jamestown Orchestra, and Co-founder of North Carolina’s 1st Western Region Junior All-State Orchestra in 1992. He has served as Chairman and Secretary-Treasurer of the Orchestra Section and Member-at-Large of the North Carolina Music Educators Association. Formerly Principal bassist for the Greensboro Philharmonia and the Greensboro Civic Chamber Orchestra, Mr. Suggs also played soprano, alto and tenor saxophones for the Greensboro Jazz Orchestra. Mr. Suggs is active as a clinician, adjudicator and guest conductor. Jesse Suggs was the winner of the Maxine Swalin Award for an Outstanding Music Educator for 2008. This award, sponsored by the North Carolina Symphony, is given annually to a North Carolina music teacher who: Makes a lasting difference in the lives of students of all abilities and backgrounds Serves the community in an exemplary manner as a role model in music education Instills a love for music in children Inspires students to reach appropriately high musical standards With this $1,000 recognition award, the North Carolina Symphony honors Maxine Swalin who, along with her husband Dr. Benjamin Swalin and Conductor from 1939-1972, gathered funds from the General Assembly to establish the children’s concert divisions in 1945. This division of the North Carolina Symphony brings live concerts throughout the year to children statewide. Jesse L. Suggs, Jr. retired for the 2nd time in June 2014 with 45 years of teaching.

Sheila Brown

Treasurer Sheila Brown is the Parent Liaison for WFCYO. She has been involved with WFCYO since 2014, when her daughter began in the orchestra. Because of her love of music and desire to support the efforts of WFCYO, Ms Brown asked how she could be of help. She was able to put her administrative talents and abilities to work and began assisting Ms Booth with sending emails to parents, organizing snacks and coordinating the concert receptions. She also assists her husband with the WFCYO website. Ms. Brown believes music is an integral part of a person’s development and feels playing an instrument as a child has tremendous benefits and can open many doors for the student. Ms. Brown’s biggest regret is that she does not currently play an instrument. As a child Ms Brown has played the piano, violin, clarinet and guitar but did not stick with any of these instruments. She is determined to start playing again as a testimony to others who desire to learn to play an instrument later in life. Ms Brown works in the Learning & Development industry as a Training Manager and has recently obtained her Master’s degree from North Carolina Central University, her alma mater.

Andrew Markoch

Board Member

Board Member
Andrew Markoch
Director of Fine Arts and Innovation, Vance County Schools Andrew Markoch brings a wealth of experience in educational leadership and youth development to the Wake Forest Community Youth Orchestra Board of Directors.  Andrew Markoch is the Director of Fine Arts and Innovation for Vance County Schools.  He previously served as the principal at Northern Vance High School. Markoch joined Vance County Schools after serving as an assistant principal at Wake Forest High School in Wake Forest. He was the principal of the school’s Ninth Grade Center and served as an administrator at Wake Forest High School since July of 2003. Mr. Markoch is a graduate of the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. He received a bachelor’s degree in music education from the university in 1988. He also earned a Master of Arts degree in educational administration from Akron in 2001. In May of 2003, Markoch completed course work for principal licensure, with a focus on curriculum, at the University of Akron.During his time with the Wake County Public School System in Wake Forest, Mr. Markoch had extensive experience in management and school leadership. He facilitated the academic growth of a comprehensive high school in Wake Forest focusing on the instructional and social development of students as they adjust from middle school to high school. From 2007 to 2011, he worked with educators in the Ninth Grade Center as its on-site principal and was responsible for implementing the vision and operation of the center from its origins as an academy to a full-fledged school operating as part of a comprehensive high school. Mr. Markoch then worked with faculty leaders to plan and facilitate the center’s move from an off-site location to become an on-site program serving ninth graders at the high school. The Ninth Grade Center continues today as an on-site facility. In his capacity as principal of the Ninth Grade Center, Markoch encouraged a school culture that was achievement based, student centered and data driven, while parents and stakeholders were welcomed as an integral part of the school environment.

Gray Shelton

Board Member

Gray Shelton has been involved with the Wake Forest Community Youth Orchestra for many years as a parent.  She joined the board in 2019.  Gray is passionate about making sure music education is available to all children. “I was fortunate that someone generously paid for my piano lessons when I was five.  This started a lifetime love of music and art that has continued into my adult years. I feel strongly that music education teaches more than just notes on a staff.  Perseverence, community, and critical thinking are just a few things that kids learn from participating in group and individual music education.” Gray is a graduate of East Carolina University with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Interior Design and a minor in Business.  Music has been a big part of her life.  She currently works as a construction project manager and interior design for a local construction company.