Alicia Parker, the 2024 OCMAA Award recipient for Elementary Visual Art from the Irvine Unified School District, was pictured with award presenter Victoria Gerard, deputy director of the Laguna Art Museum, during last year’s Orange County Music and Arts Administrators Awards Ceremony. This event holds great significance for the local arts community and those dedicated to nurturing creative talents.

Honoring Arts Educators and Administrators

Teachers and administrators who empower students to be creative and work towards unlocking their potential through arts education will be honored at the 2025 Orange County Music and Arts Administrators — or OCMAA — Awards Ceremony on Feb. 12. The reception and awards ceremony will take place at the Samueli Theater at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, with the reception starting at 4:30 p.m. and the awards presentation to follow at 5:45 p.m. Educators, students and those who support the arts can register online to attend the event. Although attendance is free, seating is limited.For more than 30 years, Orange County Music and Arts Administrators, in partnership with the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, have presented the Orange County Music and Arts Educators Awards. This annual event recognizes exceptional leadership and arts instruction within each of the five arts disciplines for individual elementary and secondary educators. Additionally, it honors supportive administrators and community arts advocates.Founded by the Orange County Department of Education, OCMAA stands as an active coalition of school districts, community arts organizations, parents and business leaders. Together, they collaborate to ensure a high-quality, inclusive, accessible and equitable arts education for every child.This year, the coalition selected 63 nominees to be recognized at the event.“The Orange County Music and Arts Awards is the premier recognition for Orange County’s outstanding arts educators and is highly regarded within the community for its recognition of quality instructional service,” Scott Fitzpatrick, OCDE’s arts coordinator, said. “Thanks to the additional sponsorship of multiple other arts organizations, we are grateful to announce that this special event will be free of charge to all attendees.”Fitzpatrick expressed pride in presenting the upcoming ceremony, which is made possible through the support of an expanding roster of sponsors, including The Segerstrom Center for the Arts, The Wooden Floor, The Philharmonic Society of Orange County and others.

Recipients of the 2025 Awards

Here is the full list of the 2025 Orange County Music and Arts Award recipients:Oscar Gonzales, Anaheim Union High School District – Secondary DanceJames Raneri, Santa Ana Unified School District – Elementary Instrumental MusicDan Robbins, Saddleback Valley Unified School District – Secondary Instrumental Music Lindsie Hardy, Santa Ana Unified School District – Elementary Vocal MusicAdrian Rangel-Sanchez, Irvine Unified School District – Secondary Vocal MusicSarah Winant, Santa Ana Unified School District – Elementary TheaterRich Marting, Santa Ana Unified School District – Secondary TheaterRenee Weitzel, Capistrano Unified School District – Elementary Visual ArtRick Blake, Orange Unified School District – Secondary Visual ArtGigi Manning, Tustin Unified School District – Secondary Media ArtsBrenda Fausto, Santa Ana Unified School District – Arts in Special Education Amy Emerzian, Garden Grove Unified School District – Juliana McGrath Elementary ClassroomNa-Young Shin, Garden Grove Unified School District – Teacher on Special Assignment Hek Valdez, Huntington Beach Union High School District – Arts AdvocateTustin Area Council of Fine Arts, Tustin Unified School District – Arts Community Partnership AwardKimberly Snowden, Irvine Unified School District – School Site AdministratorJoe Carmona, Anaheim Union High School District – District AdministratorFrank Donavan, Ed.D., Magnolia School District – District AdministratorJoslynne Blasdel, Irvine Unified School District – Irene Schoepfle Lifetime Achievement Award for MusicTim Nelson, Huntington Beach Union High School District – Jim Thomas Exemplary Achievement Award for TheatreFor questions about Orange County Music and Arts Administrators, contact OCDE Coordinator Scott Fitzpatrick at stfitzpatrick@ocde.us.