About SWFL Music Education Center

Our Board, Advisory Committee and Staff

Our team consists of dedicated, passionate individuals working together to fulfill the mission of the Southwest Florida Music Education Center.

Our Board

Advisory Committee

Staff

Interested in joining our team? Visit our Careers page to view current job opportunities.

Because everyone deserves the opportunity to pursue their passion.

Bringing a world-class arts education partner to Southwest Florida

The Southwest Florida Music Education Center brings community access to cutting edge music education programs developed in partnership with the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education (BIAAE), including continuing education opportunities for music teachers with a focus on teaching students with disabilities. To learn more about BIAAE, visit college.berklee.edu/biaae.

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Rhoda Bernard, Ed.D.

Advisory Committee Member

As Managing Director of the The Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education, Rhoda’s work at the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs has been honored with the Commonwealth Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She has also received the Berklee Urban Service Award, the Boston Conservatory Community Service Award, the Outstanding Dissertation Award, and an Honorable Mention from the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. In addition to giving regular keynote presentations throughout the world, she serves as the immediate past chair of the Arts Education Advisory Council of Americans for the Arts.

Rhoda Bernard holds a Bachelor of Arts cum laude in government from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Music with academic honors in jazz voice from New England Conservatory. She earned both her Master of Education and Doctor of Education degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Bernard regularly presents keynote presentations and research at conferences throughout the United States and abroad, and she provides professional development workshops and courses for educators in local, national, and international forums, both in person and online. Her work has been published in several book chapters and in numerous journals. Bernard’s work at the The Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education has been honored with the Commonwealth Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She has also received the Berklee Urban Service Award, the Boston Conservatory Community Service Award, the Boston Conservatory Faculty/Staff Spirit Award, and the Outstanding Dissertation Award, Honorable Mention (Second Place) from the Arts and Learning Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association. An active arts education advocate, she is the immediate past chair of the Arts Education Advisory Council of Americans for the Arts, and she serves on their speakers’ bureau. A vocalist and pianist who specializes in jazz music and Jewish music in Yiddish and Hebrew, she performs regularly with a number of klezmer bands and has recorded two CDs with the band Klezamir.

Our Board, Advisory Committee and Staff

Our Board

Advisory Committee

Staff

Bringing a world-class arts education partner to Southwest Florida

Rob Moher

Founder & Board Chair

Sandra Severino

Vice Chair of the Board

Libby Anderson, M.S., SPHR

Board Member

Fred Kotynski

Board Member

Barbara Lounsbury

Board Member

Jerry Starkey

Board Member

Susan Stielow

Board Member

Rose-Marie van Otterloo

Board Member

Sharon Weston Patel

Board Member

Joanne Wyss

Board Member

Jeanie Bachrach, BCBA, SLP

Advisory Committee Member

Rhoda Bernard, Ed.D.

Advisory Committee Member

Richard Grant

Advisory Committee Member

James Levine, Ph.D., LICSW

Advisory Committee Member

Jeff Mudgett, AIA

Advisory Committee Member

Skip Pardee

Advisory Committee Member

Michelle Theroux

Advisory Committee Member

Jason Thomashefsky

Fine & Performing Arts Coordinator for the School District of Lee County

Jen Clark

Executive Director

Hannah Fan

Director of Music Education

Dr. Jeff Leigh

Musical Program Director for The Creative Group

Dr. Teresa Taylor

Director of Mental Health

Theo Bailey

Instructor

Elizabeth (Lisa) Braren

Instructor

Jeffrey Goldberg

Instructor