2023 – 2024 NASMD Board of Directors

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 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 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 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.