The Mid East Performance Association
2025 Board
Executive Board
Jodi Fairbanks
President
Jodi has been the Director of Color Guard at Centerville High School since 1991, with notable accomplishments including two WGI Scholastic Open Championships, multiple WGI World Class Finalist appearances, and hundreds of amazing students. In addition to being a long-time educator, she also owns and operates The Guard Room, offering gently used color guard uniforms, drumline uniforms and equipment for sale!
Email Jodi at [email protected]
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Matt Hahn
Vice President, Percussion & Winds
Matt is an active designer and percussion educator in Dayton. He is currently the Front Ensemble Designer for the Madison Scouts Drum And Bugle Corps. In 2012, Matt founded Resonant Music Design, a company specializing in marching arts design and education of all kinds.
Email Matt at [email protected]
Heather Graham
Vice President, Color Guard
Heather is the former director at Miamisburg High School and the University of Cincinnati. She has been involved in the marching arts since age three, beginning with successful careers in baton twirling, gymnastics and color guard. Heather performed with Phantom Regiment, Carolina Crown, and Pride of Cincinnati to name a few. She is currently the Guard Caption Manager for the Boston Crusaders.
Email Heather at [email protected]
Gina Roberts
Secretary
A graduate of Northmont High School, Gina is now the longtime director of the Color Guard program. She graduated from Sinclair Community College with an Associate of Arts in Exercise Science, as well as completing the massage program at Dayton School of Medical Massage.
Email Gina at [email protected]
John Espy
Treasurer
John has been the Treasurer of the Loveland City Schools since January 2024. He previously also served as an educator and director in the Milford School District and Mt. Healthy City Schools, leading award-winning band programs. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in K-12 Education from Marshall University, as well as Masters Degrees from Xavier and Indiana Wesleyan University. John is pursuing his doctorate in Educational Administration through Miami University.
Email John at [email protected]
Alex Holland
Dir of Education, Color Guard
Alex partners with Jodi Fairbanks to direct the Centerville Guard Program where he has been involved for nearly a decade. He is an alumnus of the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps, as well as Juxtaposition, Zydeco, and Mayflower. Outside of Color Guard, Alex is a passionate Hair Stylist in the Dayton area!
Email Alex at [email protected]
Mike Maegly
Dir of Education, Percussion & Winds
Mike is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University and has worked in the Kings School District for 25 years. He is currently the Assistant Band Director and Director of Percussion at Kings and works with student musicians in all bands, grades 6 through 12. Mike was inducted into the MEPA Hall of Fame in 2024.
Email Mike at [email protected]
Ensemble Representatives
Cathy Barnes-Miller
Color Guard
Cathy is the founder and co-director of the Miami Valley Adaptive Color Guard. She taught for Miamisburg Schools for nearly 40 years, and was the director of the High School World Guard for 26 years where the program won numerous WGI and MEPA medals. Kathy then went on to start the junior high and elementary programs. She was a United States Twirling Association Judge for 15 years and has been judging colorguards in band and winterguard competitions for the past 30 years. Kathy was inducted into the MEPA Hall of Fame in 2023.
Email Cathy at [email protected]
John Wheeler
Color Guard
John is a Certified empowerment coach, business consultant, and Access Consciousness® Certified Facilitator! A lifelong resident of Franklin, he is a graduate of and now a color guard instructor at the high school. He's also an alumnus of Phoenix Independent.
Email John at [email protected]
Amanda Miller
Color Guard
A Dayton area native, Amanda is a long-time public school teacher upon graduating from Wright State. She has worked with guard programs all over the area, including Archbishop Alter, Carlisle, and Zydeco. She enjoys performing with the Dayton Pride Guard!
Email Amanda at [email protected]
Seth Rivetti-Sharpe
Color Guard
Seth has worked with multiple scholastic guards across Ohio and Indiana and is currently the co-director at Miamisburg High School. Outside of colorguard, He is pursuing his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology at Wright State University. Seth is excited to give back to the colorguard community in his new role with MEPA as a guard representative.
Email Seth at [email protected]
Erica Sleppy
Color Guard
Erica is an accomplished educator, choreographer, and designer with a passion for working with scholastic color guard programs across the country. A dedicated member of the color guard staff at Mason City Schools since 2015, Erica contributed in a variety of capacities before stepping into the Director position in 2021. Since then, she has continued the legacy of the fall program’s success and the winter guard program has progressed to make WGI A Class and Open Class Finals for the first time in school history. Erica embraces her position as a representative of MEPA, where she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with the local winter guard community.
Email Erica at [email protected]
Natalie Brady
Percussion
Natalie is the Director and Visual Designer for the Oak Hills Indoor Percussion Ensemble. Additionally, she works with the program's Marching Band, as well as serves on the visual teams for the Lakota East and Miamisburg Marching Bands, and Miamisburg Winds. She also instructs and writes choreography for Valhalla Winds, is the Movement Coordinator at 7th Regiment, and is on the visual teams for Pacific Crest and Cap City.
Email Natalie at [email protected]
Nick Riley
Percussion
Nick Riley is an accomplished and in-demand educator, composer/arranger, judge, and ensemble administrator. He currently serves as the co-director, program coordinator, and ensemble specialist for ConneXus, in addition to designing for an international clientele of over 30 ensembles annually. Nick is pursuing a PhD in music education at The Ohio State University and holds degrees in music education from Ohio State (MA - 2023) and Capital University (BM - 2011).
Email Nick at [email protected]
Ted Smith
Percussion
Ted is an original member of RhythmX. He's taught percussion in the Columbus area, notably with Worthington Kilborne High School. Ted is an alumnus of Capital Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps.
Email Ted at [email protected]
John Oliver
Winds
John has been the band director for Carlisle Schools for nearly a decade. Before Carlisle, Mr. Oliver was the band director for Preble Shawnee Local Schools where he guided them to their first OMEA Superior Rating in school history. He is a graduate of the University of Dayton where he was principal chair of the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Concert Band.
Email John at [email protected]
