2023 – 2024 NASMD Board of Directors

2022 NASMD Board of DIrectors

CJ Averwater

CJ Averwater is President of Amro Music Stores in Memphis, Tennessee. He represents the fourth generation at Amro, a company founded in 1921 by his great-grandfather, Mil. CJ began working at Amro during school breaks in 1992 and has since worked in every facet of the business, including credit and collections, accounting, repair, sales and management. He received a bachelor of arts in business and economics from Hendrix College and his master’s degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi. He has served as president of the NAMM Young Professionals group, and on the NAMM Presidents Council. CJ is a guitar and trumpet player. He and his wife, Heather, have two children.

Stefani Healey

Stefani Healey is an owner of Elefante Music in New Providence, NJ, founded in 1999 by her father, Al Elefante. Together with her sister Michele, she oversees all aspects of running the company, a successful music retailer offering rentals, sales, repairs, and a lesson and performing arts program. Previously Stefani had a five-year career as a business development manager for a multi-million dollar chemical company. Stefani earned a BA from Rutgers University. She has served on the board of her children’s school’s educational foundation and is currently co-president of the Brooke Healey Foundation, which raises funds for pediatric cancer research and family assistance. Stefani and her husband have three children.

Laura Penrose

Laura Penrose is president and owner of Nick Rail Music, Santa Barbara, CA, which she purchased from Nick six months before the pandemic, great timing! She began her musical journey with piano lessons as a child. After graduating from BYU with a degree in Media Music, she got her first job in the music products industry as a seasonal temp at Summerhays Music. She rose through the ranks at Summerhays to run the orchestral strings department before moving to manufacturing as the West Coast sales manager for Maple Leaf Strings. Laura has served on the NAMMYP Board and is involved with the Women of NAMM. She and her husband, Tom, who is Vice President of Nick Rail Music, have four children.

John Tarpley

John Tarpley is Secretary of Tarpley Music Company, a full line retailer with six locations in Texas and New Mexico. Tarpley Music was established in 1927 by his great-grandmother Clara Tarpley. John is a fourth-generation owner and has worked in the music business since he could walk. He has an accounting degree from Texas Tech University. John has previously served on the NAMM and NASMD boards. John and his wife Shelli have raised three boys, the oldest now represents the fifth generation to work in the family’s business. After coaching more youth basketball games than he can count, John and Shelli now enjoy traveling, concerts, hiking and swinging the occasional golf club.

Cris Behrens

Cris Behrens is the GM for Summerhays Music Center. Cris began working with Summerhays Music Center 27 years ago at the age of 19. He earned a degree in band instrument repair from Red Wing and spent his first five years at Summerhays repairing instruments. After catching the sales bug, Cris attended Utah Valley University for business and accounting. Cris served on the Utah Wind Symphony board, three years with NAMMYP and three years with NASMD. Cris has three kids and two grand kids. He enjoys playing in the ocean and snowboarding, and he came in fifth place at the Utah hot dog eating finals.

Jeremy McQuery

Jeremy McQueary is the President of Paige’s Music in Indianapolis, IN.  Jeremy began working at Paige’s in 1998 as a part-time sale associate and has held multiple positions before being named president in 2018.  He received a B.S. in Marketing in Management from the IU Kelly School of Business and an M.B.A. from Indiana Institute of Technology.  Jeremy has served as president of the NAMM Young Professionals as well as serving on the AIMM advisory board.  He plays bass, sax, and is an avid motorcyclist.  He and his wife, Erin have two sons.

Tristann Rieck

Tristann Rieck is the second generation owner of Brass Bell Music Store in Milwaukee, WI for over 30 years and recently celebrated the store’s 50th anniversary in 2021.

Outside of Brass Bell, Tristann shares her love of music by playing french horn in seven area community orchestras and bands throughout the year. Bird watching and indoor gardening has become a source of calm for her while navigating the challenges of the pandemic. Currently, her sunroom/home office now has over 50 different species of plants and it’s still growing! Tristann and her husband, Dr. Zack the veterinarian, have 3 cat babies – Pippin (their super shy, safari cat) and two adorable black kitty brothers, D’artangan and Braveheart.

Julie Wagnitz

Julie Wagnitz has nearly 20 years of experience with Heid Music, Appleton, WI, and drives the focus to support school music programming and student rentals. She has taken on various leadership roles in retail store management and is now Director of School Services, joining the forces of the Heid Music team, the school music education channel, and families to create opportunities with and through music. She also serves on the advisory board of the Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center and on the Woman of NAMM Council. Julie has been an active performing musician for over 30 years and plays bass guitar. She enjoys spending time with her husband Tim and her son Grady at their off-grid retreat in the Upper Peninsula.