
CIPA Personnel

Education Coordinator/Chief Judge
Michael Henderson
Mr. Henderson is currently the Director of Bands and Vocal Music at Chase Middle School in Forest City, North Carolina. Prior to this appointment, he was the band and choir director at Chase High School. Mr. Henderson received his B.S.Ed. in Music Education from Western Carolina University in 2006 and his Masters degree in Music Education from East Carolina University in 2012. He has had the honor of being named Chase High School Teacher of the Year for 2011-2012 and 2014-2015. He was also named Rutherford County Teacher of the Year for 2014-2015. He was named as a semifinalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award in 2017. Mr. Henderson currently lives in Forest City with his wife, Jenn, and their children Cara, Gavin, Ellie, and Andy.

Treasurer
Angela Flemmer
Dr. Flemmer is currently an Assistant Professor of Nursing at East Tennessee State University and a provider at the Johnson City Downtown Day Center. She is the director of Happy Valley Independent and currently serves CIPA as the circuit treasurer.
Contact Dr. Flemmer at alykat9399@comcast.net

Secretary, Social Media, State Representative - Tennessee
Hannah Kestner
Hannah is the guard director at Virginia High and Tennessee High schools. She has served as the Social Media Coordinator and Executive Assistant for Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps. Hannah has marched with Northwood High School, Chilhowie Winter Guard, Stateline independent, Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps, Legacy Independent, and Etude A Winter Guard. She currently serves the CIPA Circuit as a Social Media Coordinator and was elected in 2020 to serve a two year term as the Tennessee State Representative. She is a recent graduate from Emory & Henry College and majored in Civic Innovation. She is currently a student at Virginia Commonwealth University studying for her Masters in Social Work.

Class Representative - Winds, Past President
Keith Trout
Mr. Trout serves as a band director with his wife, Linda Trout, at Sequoyah High School in Madisonville, TN. He is the director of Sequoyah Winter Winds. Mr. Trout has served as the CIPA circuit president. He is currently serving a one-year term as the Past President and the Winds Class Representative.
%20(1)_JPG.jpg)
Class Representative - Scholastic Regional AA/A
Raegan DeHart
Raegan is currently a 3rd grade teacher in Grayson County. She has been teaching in Grayson for 3 years, and is also the GCHS color guard instructor. She loves spending time with the color guard members and seeing them work to reach their full potential. She is extremely excited to represent Scholastic Regional A/AA classes in CIPA.

State Representative - North Carolina
Susan Wilson
Bio not updated

Circuit President
Brandon Guffey
Mr. Guffey is currently the Director of Bands at Virginia High School in Bristol, Virginia, where he directs The Pride of the Stateline Marching Band, Virginia High School Symphonic Band, The Virginia High School Percussion Ensemble, and The Virginia High School Winter Guard. He currently serves the CIPA Circuit as the Circuit President. Previously, he has been a class representative, has taken care of the circuit's social media, and Circuit Secretary.
Contact Mr. Guffey at buffey@bvps.org

Secretary, State Representative - Virginia
Theo Ganaway
The Ganaway began his career as a Guard Instructor in 2010 in his home town of Chilhowie, Virginia. He currently works as a designer & choreographer for color guard in Washington county in Virginia. He completed his fourth and final year of performing as an active member in the "Carolina Gold" Color Guard, helping the team take first place at DCA Championships in the years 2018 and 2019. Mr Ganaway currently serves as the CIPA - Virginia Representative where he hopes to begin networking and helping spread knowledge of the circuit to guards throughout Southwest Virginia, North Carolina & the Eastern Tennessee region. His charismatic charm and dedication to the activity has made him a great addition to the team.

Class Representative - Independent Regional A/ Independent A
Amanda Ferguson
"Fergie" is the Color Guard Director for Emory & Henry College. She has previously worked with many of the local high schools over the past ten years as well as marched in Sullivan Central's Colorguard through high school and Southeast Independent. She currently resides in Bristol with her husband, Sean, two kids, Xander and Zoe, and her zoo of furbabies: 4 dogs - Rosie, Sophie, honey, and Hershey; and 2 cats - Eevee and Errol.

Class Representative - Festival/Prep/Novice
Thomas & Emmilee Graham
Emilee Graham teaches special education and serves as the head color guard instructor and choreographer at several Roanoke area high schools, including Salem High School in Salem, VA. Thomas Graham is the Band Director at Andrew Lewis Middle School and the Assistant Band Director at Salem High School. They have been working with Salem since 2016 and are excited to represent the Festival, Prep, and Novice classes in CIPA.

Class Representative - Percussion
John Wright
Mr. Wright is currently the Director of Bands at Salem High School in Salem, VA. The Salem Band Program consists of The Pride of Salem Marching Band, Jazz Band & Percussion Ensemble. The Indoor Program consists of Indoor Percussion, Winterguard and Salem Winds. He lives in Salem with his wife Jessa and 3 children, Brynn, Elle & Jett.
If you have any questions or concerns with the percussion classes in CIPA please contact Mr. Wright at jwright@salem.k12.va.us.

Class Representative - Scholastic AA/A
Candace Mitchel
Bio not updated