Executive Board

The Executive Board of IAAE is made up of volunteers from across the state. Those volunteers include specialists in arts education, community organization, and non-profit development.

David Law, President
maestrolaw@gmail.com
Marion
319-377-5203 (home and cell)
- David Law is a retired band director and music teacher, Marion, Iowa. He is a National Board Certified Teacher and a member of the Music Educator’s National Conference, Iowa Music Educator’s Conference serving as President, Iowa Bandmasters Association - Past President, Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Past President, Association for School Curriculum Development, National Education Association, Iowa State Education Association, and Marion Education Association – Treasurer, and the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education – Chair. In 2004 he was selected as the Educator of the Year from Linn County. He is the founder and conductor of the Marion Community Bands.
  
  David has had articles published in a national music education magazine, 14 state music education journals and was a presenter at the National Music Educators Conference in Washington D.C. He is an adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor throughout Iowa. Bands under David’s direction have played at the Iowa Bandmasters Conference, the Iowa Music Educators Conference and were twice selected to play for President Reagan. David has taught instrumental music grades 5-12 in all sizes of schools in Iowa. He received his BA in Music Education from William Penn College and his MA in Conducting from Truman State University. In 2003 David received his National Board Certification in Music.
  
  David is married to Jill and has a daughter, Stephanie a graduate physics major at the University of Illinois and a son, William, a genetics major at Iowa State University.
  
  Prior to becoming the Chair of the Alliance David served as the Advocacy Chair and in the past year has responded to 238 requests for assistance throughout Iowa. David drafted a letter to the editor (published in the Cedar Rapids Gazette but sent to 18 other newspapers) that pointed out the many benefits of arts education. David is committed to expanding the role of the Alliance in the legislative process of education and to furthering the educational opportunities for all students in Iowa in regards to the arts.

Pat Grubb, Secretary
patgrubb1190@msn.com
Ankeny
515-669-8856

Graduated from Ankeny High School, Iowa State University, and attaining a Masters Degree in Art Education from Iowa State, Pat was the K-12 Art Instructor, Sidney, Iowa, from 1980-1982. She taught Elementary Art at Ankeny Community School District 1986-2009. Pat has been an instructor and Professional Development Coordinator for VSA Arts for Children since 2002.

She is an Iowa Core Curriculum & 21st Century Skills Professional Development Presenter for IAAE. She served on the Art Educators of Iowa Board in numerous capacities: Past-President; Retired Representative; YAM Committee (Youth Art Month); Mentorship Program; Fall Conference Coordinator in 1994, 1995, 1997, 2006, 2007; Cultural Advocacy Day Committee. Pat was awarded AEI Outstanding Elementary Art Teacher, 1995; Iowa Art Educator of the Year, 2007; and Recipient of the 1st Annual Belin-Blank $1000 Award, 2007.

Currently teaching private art lessons and producing her own art: drawing, colored pencil, pastel, oil pastel, acrylic, watercolor, cut paper collage, origami, hand-built clay, fibers

"My visual art strategies often emphasize a historical & multi-cultural focus, one that employs creative and critical thinking skills development." --An Ankeny Evening with the Art” gallery exhibit, April 2010

"I believe the arts can accommodate all learners, at all levels of ability. Every person is capable of personal, artistic expression, and by exploring art mediums through hands-on experiences, intellectual thought processes are stimulated, and this can result in a better quality of life."
Robin Walenta, Treasurer
rwalenta@westmusic.com
Coralville

515-669-8858

Robin Walenta is president/CEO of West Music Co., Inc., a six-store, full-line retailer, based in Coralville, Iowa. Walenta is a member of the National Association of School Music Dealers, Inc., the Retail Print Music Dealers Association, the Alliance of Independent Music merchants, Omega, the Keyboard Excellence Group and the NAMM Ad-Hoc Technology Committee. She attended Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Northern Iowa.

Nancy Sojka, Communications
nsojka@gmail.com
Decorah
563-419-1828

Nancy is a University of Northern Iowa graduate with a BA in art education,after graduating from Anita High School. She taught visual art and technology from preschool through high school from 1976 to 2008 at North Winneshiek School, Decorah. She was awarded the Art Educator of Iowa Middle School Educator of the Year Award in 2003 and the AEI Distinguished Service Award in 2009.

During her teaching career, Nancy was a presenter at AEI Fall Conferences, a member of the North Winn. At-Risk Team, and assistant technology coordinator. She has been a grant writer for North Winneshiek School and the Decorah Tree Board. An active community member, Nancy has served on the boards of the Decorah Regional Arts Council, the Decorah Tree Board, the Spillville Historical Action Group, and Northeast Iowa Quilter's Guild.

After retiring from teaching in 2008, Nancy began a consulting business and is the webmaster for North Winneshiek School, Iowa Alliance for Arts Education and Art Educators of Iowa. She is a curriculum director for the school and is active in the North Winneshiek Boosters.

She and her husband Ted, also a retired art teacher, find time to cross-country ski in winter and sail in summer. Her art work includes many media, but is primarily art quilts and calligraphy. Her work has been shown at several venues: the Decorah Public Library, Decorah Chamber of Commerce, Northeast Iowa Quilters' Guild, and Nordic Fest.

"As a little girl, I wanted to be an artist when I when I grew up. Now I am an artist, so I must be grown up."

Laurie Olk, At-Large
olkart@yahoo.com
Ames
515-291-0634

Laurie Olk is in her 31st year of teaching art. She has taught k-12 art, high school art and is currently teaching elementary art in Ames. She has held numerous positions on the board of Art Educators of Iowa, including area rep, secretary, conference coordinator, state conference chair and IAAE rep. She is currently the past-chair of IAAE, also having served as chair and secretary of that organization. She has been recognized for her work in arts education with Art Educators of Iowa Awards for Arts Educator of the Year, Secondary Arts Educator of the Year and Distinguished Service within the Organization. She also received the National Art Education Western Region Secondary Art Educator of the Year Award.

Laurie was a writer for the Iowa Frameworks in Visual Arts document and more recently was selected to write an Iowa Core Visual Arts Unit. She has served on several teams of fine arts educators leading training across the state in Standards and Benchmarks Development, and Assessment in the Fine Arts Development as well as presenting workshops at several state conferences. She served on the leadership team for Western Hills AEA Fine Arts Curriculum Writing Project, Scholastic Awards Committee, Morningside Student Critique Day and various other arts education committees and as an art show judge. For several years, Laurie has served as Superintendent of 4H Visual Arts at the Iowa State Fair.

Ken Esveld, At-Large
kenneth.esveld@dmps.k12.ia.us
Pella, 641-780-9394

Elementary Visual Art Teacher, Des Moines

Ken Esveld is a visual artist and award-winning educator. Recent works include digital photography and sculpture shown in 2003 at the Mills Gallery at Central College. He has more than thirty-five years experience teaching art at all levels (K-12) in both urban and rural public schools including two years teaching in Australia. He is currently teaching in the Des Moines Public School District.

He has earned the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award, Art Educators of Iowa Award for Distinguished Service within the Profession, Scholastic National Art & Writing Awards Outstanding Educator Recognition, National Art Education Association Western Region Elementary Art Educator of the Year, and Art Educators of Iowa Elementary Art Educator of the Year. He was named to U.S. Department of Education Exemplary Teacher Data Base and was the 1993 Iowa Teacher of the Year, 1st Alternate.

Esveld serves on the Boards for the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education and the Art Educators of Iowa. He is a member of the Des Moines Public Schools Arts Advocacy Committee and a mentor teacher for new arts educators. Esveld regularly serves as a supervising teacher of pre-service art educators from Grandview and Simpson Colleges and from the University of Northern Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Iowa.
Leon Kuehner, At-Large
llkuehner@fastermac.net
Hampton
641-425-0959

After teaching for 34 years, Leon Kuehner retired as the band director at Hampton-Dumont High School in Hampton, Iowa.

He received both his bachelors and masters degree in music education from the University of Northern Iowa. He has been president of the Iowa Bandmasters Association, state chair of the American School Band Directors Association, and state chair of the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education.

Leon has served on the boards of the Iowa Music Educators Association and is currently the vice-president of the Executive Board of the Iowa High School Music Association. Bands under his direction have been selected to perform at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference six times. He was the Midwest region winner of the ASBDA-Standbury winner for high school band directors and was named an Outstanding Music Educator for the state of Iowa in 2001.

The music program at Hampton-Dumont Community School was also named the “Exemplary Music Program” for the state of Iowa for 2001. He was the 2003 recipient of the Karl King Distinguished Service Award for active IBA members. He is co-chair of the Iowa "Model of Excellence" mentor program for IAAE and the Fine Arts Co-Chair of the Iowa Core Curriculum Committee.

Leon has been a clincian for the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education on the topics of arts assessment, cross-curricular teaching, and mentorship. These clinics have been presented at fifteen Area Education Agencies in the state of Iowa, Midwest Presidents' meeting of MENC, Iowa Talented and Gifted State Conference, State of Iowa Curriculum Directors Confernece, North Dakota Music Educators Association, Iowa Music Educators State Conference, Iowa Bandmasters Association, National Federation of Music Supervisors, and the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic.
Pam Proper, At-Large
pam.proper@us.army.mil
Davenport
563-209-0764

An Iowa girl and product of the Iowa educational system from first grade through college, Pam has lived in Des Moines, Ames , Newton and now Davenport. She is a graduate of Grinnell College, holding a baccalaureate degree in European history. She also studied at Palacky University in the Czech Republic.

She joined the Iowa Air National Guard where she was trained in photography and worked in public affairs before moving on to a broadcasting career in the United States Army. She won an Associated Press radio-television award in her first year of broadcasting for the Army and has received fifteen radio and TV awards throughout her military broadcasting career.

Pam was a radio and television anchor for the American Forces Network (AFN) in Frankfurt, Germany for six years and served as the chief of broadcast operations for an affiliate station in Belgium for eleven years. She was the senior NATO correspondent for the American Forces Network while serving in Belgium and also served on the board of the American Red Cross at SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe), which is the military arm of NATO.

Pam retired from the United States Army Reserve program after 30 years of continuous service. She achieved the rank of Sergeant Major during her last tour of duty in Tokyo, Japan where she worked in public affairs for the US Army Japan.

She is now employed by the US Army at Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois, where she is a marketing specialist and video producer. Her television products are featured on the Pentagon channel and overseas on the Freedom channel in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo. She has also designed and provides oversight for the Joint Munitions Command (JMC) web site.

Prior to leaving Iowa she was a painter and photographer. Her career journey took her into writing and video production. Her love and appreciation of art has always been a key part of her life and career.

She is married to Michael Portland, a long time civil servant and she has a daughter Margret.

Greg Orwoll At-Large
gorwoll@colts.org
Dubuque, 563-583-4639

Orwoll is the Executive Director of The Colts Youth Organization, and holds an elected seat on the Drum Corps International (DCI) Board of Directors and the DCI Finance Committee.

Orwoll is a graduate of Luther College, Decorah, IA 1980 with a BA in Business Management and Psychology, with extensive music involvement and study.

As Executive Director of the Colts, he oversees the internationally ranked Colts Drum and Bugle Corps, plus the Colt Cadets, the Colts Summer Band, PanRhythmiX, a steel drum ensemble and Vocal Fusion. Over 340 young people, grade 3 through age 21, participate in Colts programs

He was inducted into the Drum Corps International Hall of Fame in 2008, and has been voted director of the year for Drum Corps Midwest twice, and DCI Central Division once.

Orwoll has been involved in marching music and pageantry since the age of 8, first as a member of the Decorah (IA) Kilties (1967-1973), then the Osage (IA) Precision Aires (1974-1976) and finally The Cavaliers (1979), where he aged out.

Orwoll is active in the community, serving as chair of the Festivals Committee for the Dubuque Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, as a member and past board member of the Rotary Club of Dubuque

He is a past president and current member of the Dubuque Evening Optimists, a member of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, and is an active member of the Iowa Bandmasters Association and the NE Iowa Bandmasters Association.

Beth Wessel Kroeschell, At-Large
beth@wesselkroeschell.com
Iowa Legislator, Ames, 515-451-4307

Pat Kearney, Advocacy Chair
pkearney@johnston.k12.ia.us
515-278-0449

Patrick J. Kearney is currently the Director of Bands at Johnston High School. At Johnston he directs the Wind Symphony, the Varsity Marching Band, two jazz bands, and teaches music theory. During his tenure at Johnston the high school band program has doubled in size and has been recognized for outstanding performances at numerous state and national events.

In 2010 the Johnston High School Jazz Syndicate was invited to perform at the Jazz Education Network national conference in St. Louis in addition to winning the Iowa Jazz Championships. Mr. Kearney is a graduate of Drake University where he also served as director of Drake Jazz II. He is co-chairman of the Iowa Jazz Championships and serves as Executive Director of the Adventureland Festival of Bands. His wife Cathy teaches in the Des Moines Public Schools and his son Brogan is his constant companion at Johnston band events.