ROBERTSDALE HIGH SCHOOL
GOLDEN BEAR BAND
MEET THE STAFF
LEE HUGHES
Director of Bands
lthughes@bcbe.org
Lee T. Hughes has been the Director of Bands at Robertsdale High School since 2017. He teaches Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, AP Music Theory, Jazz Band, and oversees all other ensembles. Mr. Hughes earned a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of South Alabama. While there, he served as a trumpet section leader, as well as, teaching assistant in the acclaimed Jaguar Marching Band and was principal trumpet player with the Wind Ensemble, USA Symphony/Opera Orchestra and Jazz Band. After graduation he has since taught at many award-winning band programs, such as Baker High School in Mobile, Alabama, Daphne High School in Daphne, AL, and now Robertsdale High School in Robertsdale, AL. He is also an avid clinician and performer along the Gulf Coast. In Spring of 2016, he was chosen to be an honor band clinician with the Mobile County Middle School Honor Band. Mr. Hughes is a member of the Alabama Bandmasters Association (ABA), Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA), National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), and the International Trumpet Guild (ITG). He also has served on the Alabama Bandmasters Association Election and Music Committees from 2020-2023. Mr. Hughes lives in Loxley, AL with his son Weston, his daughter Audrey, and his beautiful wife Kristen.
JEFFREY LEPA
Jeffrey Lepa has been at Robertsdale High School as Associate Director of Bands and Director of Choirs since 2021. He formerly served as Associate Director of Bands at Baldwin County High School for 4 years and Director of Bands for 12 years. Mr. Lepa graduated from Graceland University in Southern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Music Education. While there, he served as student assistant to the band, choir, and orchestra programs and served on the student senate. Locally, he can often be found performing with the City Rhythm Jazz Band out of Loxley. Mr. Lepa is a member of the Alabama Bandmasters Association (ABA), Alabama Music Educator’s Association (AMEA), and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). He lives in Loxley with his wife and 2 children.
JESSICA FOSTER
Associate Director of Bands
jffoster@bcbe.org
Jessica Foster has been at Robertsdale High School as an Associate Director of Bands since 2023. She is a band director from Fairhope, AL. that received her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of South Alabama. She began her career in 2010 teaching percussion at various high schools in the Baldwin County area, including Baker HS, Fairhope HS, and Spanish Fort HS. Jessica worked next as a percussion and music instructor for Marcus Whitman HS and Director of Marcus Whitman Indoor Percussion and Guard in Rushville, NY for three years. She then moved to Eugene, OR in 2017, and had the privilege of being on the percussion staff for the University of Oregon Marching Band for two years, as well as an instructor at Sheldon HS. She became a founding instructor for the Willamette Indoor Percussion group in Eugene, OR before moving back home to Fairhope, AL where she was middle school band director and high school percussion instructor from 2020-2023.
MARSHA FOSTER
Director of Color Guard/Choreographer
Marsha Foster has been the director of color guard at Robertsdale High School since 2018. She is the former director of color guard
at the University of South Alabama and was there from 2010-2023. She was the color guard coordinator/instructor/choreographer for the JMB fall and winter guards. She also works with Gulf Shores HS guard as instructor/choreographer. Mrs. Foster earned her Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy from Memphis State University, now the University of Memphis. While at MSU she served as the color guard captain and choreographer. She also performed in the wind ensemble, symphonic band and the MSU Camerata Singers. She marched on the weapon line with the Memphis Blues Brass Band Drum and Bugle Corps in 1982. Her 30+ year career of color guard choreography and instruction began at Collierville High School in Collierville, TN and extends throughout the Southeastern United States to numerous award winning High Schools as well as several Universities. For 18 years she was at Daphne H.S. in Daphne, AL serving as the color guard coordinator/instructor/choreographer for the fall and winter guard programs. Under her direction the DHS guard consistently earned Best in Class and Best in Show awards at marching band contests. The DHS winter guard has medaled in the Scholastic A Class the last 15 years in the GCGPC Circuit. Seven times as A class Champions, once as AA Champion and once as Regional A Champion. They were the WGI Pensacola Regional Scholastic A Champion for 2010 and have been semi-finalists at the WGI World Championships 6 times. Mrs. Foster also served as the color guard caption head for the Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps from 2017-2019. Mrs. Foster has been married to Mark Foster for over 34 years and they have two daughters.
ASHLEE LUNA
Color Guard Instructor
Ashlee Luna has been a color guard instructor at Robertsdale High School since 2023. She is a graduate of Daphne High School, where she marched in the color guard program from 2014-2019. She also marched with Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps in 2018 and 2019. Ashlee is the former director of color guard at Pensacola High School. She attended Blue Cliff Career College in Mobile, Alabama for massage therapy, graduated, and is now a licensed massage therapist.
MARK FOSTER
Director of Percussion, Drill and Show Design
Mark Foster has been the Director of Percussion at Robertsdale High School since 2018. He was a music educator for over 30 years and retired from Daphne High School as the Associate Director and Percussion Instructor. He received his Bachelors of Music Education degree from Memphis State University and his Master of Arts Degree in Music Education from Louisiana Tech University. He was a charter member of the Memphis Blues Brass Band in 1980 and 1981 as a tenor player.His organizational activities included the ABA District 7 Chairman from 2001 - 2003, Executive Director of the Gulf Coast Color Guard and Percussion Circuit from 2010 to 2012, and a member of the WGI Percussion Advisory Committee in 2006 and 2007. Mr. Foster is a member of the Alabama Bandmasters Association, NAFME, and the Percussive Arts Society. Individual accomplishments include: Daphne High School Teacher of the Year, Daphne High School Hall of Fame, the Gulf Coast Color Guard and Percussion Circuit Hall of Fame, and was awarded the National Band Association Citation of Excellence Award.
DAVID COLLINS
Mr. David Collins has been the Director of Bands at Central Baldwin Middle School since 2022. His duties consist of teaching the 7th and 8th grade bands at Central Baldwin Middle School, and assisting with the Robertsdale High School Band. Mr. Collins graduated from Oak Mountain High School in Birmingham, AL in 2013 and was under the direction of Mr. Jim Duren and Mr. Kevin Ownby. Mr. Collins attended the University of South Alabama, where he was a member of the Jaguar Marching Band and graduated with his Bachelors in Instrumental Music Education. He served as section leader for three years, was the principal saxophonist for the Wind Ensemble for five years, and was an undergraduate teaching assistant in his last year for the Jaguar Marching Band. Mr. Collins arranged music and wrote drill during his time as teaching assistant for the Jaguar Marching Band at USA.
Prior to CBMS, Mr. Collins taught private lessons throughout both Baldwin and Mobile County Public Schools, and also served as the Band Director at Summerdale School, and as Assistant Band Director at Elberta High School. Mr. Collins is a member of the National Educators Association (NEA), Alabama Education Association (AEA), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA), the Alabama Bandmasters Association (ABA), and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America. Mr. Collins resides in Daphne, AL with his wife, Mrs. Callie Collins.
BRETT FABACHER
Mr. Fabacher attended The University of South Alabama where he was a member of the Wind Ensemble and served as section leader in the Jaguar Marching Band for two years. Before attending college, Mr. Fabacher attended Gulfport High School in Gulfport, Mississippi and was under the direction of Mr. Wes Morehead, and Dr. Deedee Pitts. Mr. Fabacher is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, a collegiate organization that promotes the advancement of music in America. He graduated from The University of South Alabama in 2023 with a Bachelor's degree in Music Education. Mr. Fabacher has taught private lessons at CBMS and has been active with the RHS and CBMS band programs over the last year.
CRYSTAL TOMECEK
6th Grade Band Director- Robertsdale Elementary, Silverhill Elementary
Ms. Tomecek earned a Bachelor's of Music Education and Master of Science in School Counseling from Mississippi State University. Her primary instrument is the flute. Although she is from Mississippi, an Alabamian stole her heart. Her husband is from the Fairhope area but initially started school at Silverhill his first year. After they graduated Mississippi State University , they both found work locally and she happened to land a job teaching at her husband's original home school! With each year she hopes to improve as a teacher, educator, band director, musician, wife, and person. She believes this is exactly where she needs to be and appreciates this community's support and dedication to the arts.
DEANNA LEPA
Mrs. Lepa graduated from University of West Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Music Performance. She then did her graduate work at the University of Florida. While there, she performed in the Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Clarinet Ensemble, and New Music Ensemble. She has performed with various orchestras and in many pit orchestras for musicals. She is currently the band director at Loxley Elementary School, Rosinton Elementary School, and Stapleton Elementary School. She lives in Loxley with her husband and 2 sons.
KRISTEN HUGHES
Media/Website Manager
Mrs. Hughes earned a Bachelor of Music with outside studies in Psychology and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of South Alabama. She has been a speech-language pathologist since 2016 and has worked in Baldwin County Public Schools since 2022. Ms. Hughes is also a graduate of Daphne High School and was in band under the director of Rick Faison and Mark Foster. While in college, Mrs. Hughes received flute lessons from internationally known players such as Goran Marcusson, Bradley Garner, and Patti Adams. In addition, she attended the Wildacres Flute Retreat, where she gained different perspectives regarding practicing, teaching, and performance. She has attended masterclasses by Ian Clarke, James Galway, and Goran Marcusson (participated in two of Goran's). In addition, she was the piccoloist for the USA Wind Ensemble, was the first piccolo section leader of the Jaguar Marching Band (JMB), was an undergraduate teaching assistant for the JMB and a recipient of the John W. Laidlaw Scholarship. She also was selected for many local gigs, performed with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra on several concerts, and the Mobile Opera. She has been teaching lessons for over 10 years and also gained teaching experience while assisting at Phillips Preparatory School in Mobile, AL. with Heather Moore and at local band camps (Daphne HS, Baker HS, Robertsdale HS). Besides playing the flute, Kristen has a great passion for music education and enjoys helping with Robertsdale's camps in her spare time, as well as managing the website and social media platforms. While she isn't teaching, she enjoys spending time with her son Weston, her daughter Audrey, and her husband, who is the Director of Bands at Robertsdale High.