Katie Campbell
For more than two decades, Katie Campbell has been utilizing the power of the performing arts to help young people grow, express themselves, and connect to their communities. She currently serves as a Learning Engagement Manager bringing a passion for youth-centered storytelling and a track record of creative leadership at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in Washington, DC.
Her previous roles include Assistant Manager for Theater Education at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Director of Children’s Theatre & Performing Arts at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, where she led program development, community partnerships, and artistic productions. Katie has directed, written, and performed in dozens of productions nationwide and abroad, co-founded a teen improv company, and facilitated arts training for educators, students, and corporate teams.
Her work has been recognized with two Mid-America Emmy Awards, the Jim Henson Award for Innovation by Puppeteers of America, and a Jim Henson Foundation Family Grant. She holds an MFA in Theatre for Young People from UNC Greensboro and a BA in Theatre Arts from UNC Charlotte.
Katie champions inclusive, transformative arts experiences that encourage young people to own their authentic voice and create the world they wish to see.
Jeff Bell
Jeff Bell is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Arts Council. Previously, he was the Arts Innovation Coordinator for the City of Wilson, which included being the Executive Director of the Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park. He attended UNC Wilmington and received two Bachelor of Arts degrees, one in Art History and one in Studio Art, and received his MFA in Studio Arts from UNC Greensboro.
Founded in 1967 with the democratic vision of “arts for all citizens,” the North Carolina Arts Council sustains and grows the arts for the benefit of North Carolinians and their communities. The North Carolina Arts Council strives to deliver resources for arts development to all 100 counties of the state through programs that are fair, transparent, and accountable.
Previously, Bell was the Registrar at Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, The Exhibitions and Gallery Manager at Contemporary Art Museum Raleigh, and the Museum Manager at 21c Museum Hotel in Durham. He has curated exhibitions at CAM Raleigh, 21c Museum Hotel, and at the Ackland Art Museum at UNC Chapel Hill. His artwork has been exhibited in galleries and museums across the state and the region. Bell lives in Wilson, NC with his wife, Amanda, Duncan, and their children, Finnegan, Teague, Cullen, and Tegan.
D. Jerome
D. Jerome (born Devonté Jerome Wells) is a Broadway performer, choreographer, creative director, and educator from Winston-Salem. He began his artistic training at the North Carolina School of the Arts and the American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey, where he developed the musical foundation and confidence that launched his professional career.
Most recently, D. Jerome captivated audiences as the Tinman in the acclaimed first national tour of The Wiz. He also appeared on Broadway in MJ the Musical and toured nationally with the first national tour of Hamilton (Angelica Tour). Considered a formidable triple threat, he has collaborated with Tony Award-winning legends George Faison and Debbie Allen. His screen credits include Haunted Mansion (Disney), TURN (AMC), and My Big Fat Fabulous Life (TLC). Regional theatre highlights include Hairspray at The MUNY, The Color Purple, Gypsy, Once on This Island, and Dreamgirls, for which he received the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor.
D. Jerome has performed alongside acclaimed artists including Ann Nesby and Calvin Richardson and has worked with organizations such as the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, Greensboro Opera, the Atlanta Opera, Dominion Entertainment Group, and Charlotte Ballet, where he served as an assistant choreographer. An accomplished educator, he has created award-winning choreography for studios throughout the East Coast and is passionate about mentoring the next generation of artists.
In 2026, D. Jerome made his debut as Creative Director and Choreographer with Calling, an original work that premiered at the University of Arizona in Tucson. His work continues to inspire performers through a commitment to artistic excellence, authentic storytelling, and transformative education.
In recognition of his artistic achievements and lasting contributions to the performing arts, D. Jerome received an official Resolution from the City of Winston-Salem in 2025. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and Actors’ Equity Association.
Dr. Marques L. A. Garrett
A Virginia native, Dr. Marques L. A. Garrett is Associate Professor of Choral Studies at the University of North Texas. His previous appointments were at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Cheyney University. He holds a PhD in Music Education (Choral Conducting) from Florida State University, an MM from UNC Greensboro, and a BA from Hampton University.
An active conductor, Marques is the founding conductor of the Nebraska Festival Singers and previously served as artistic director of the Omaha Symphonic Chorus. He serves as a guest conductor or clinician with school, church, and community choirs throughout the country in addition to festival, honor, and all-state. His formal conducting studies were with Dr. André J. Thomas, Dr. Carole J. Ott, Dr. Carl G. Harris, Jr., and Mr. Royzell Dillard.
A versatile voice that performs both as a baritone and countertenor, Marques has sung with several community, church, and university groups as both a chorister and soloist. He was the baritone soloist for the Germantown Concert Chorus’s performance of Haydn’s Missa in Angustiis. His premiere as a countertenor in Dan Forrest’s Jubilate Deo served as the work’s European premiere in Limerick, Ireland. Additionally, he performed the role of Lil Lud in Bernstein’s White House Cantata with the Tallahassee Community Chorus.
He is an avid composer of choral and solo-vocal music whose compositions have been performed to acclaim by high school all-state, collegiate, and professional choirs. His music is available through more than ten publishers. Among his latest commissions is his largest work to date, Dreamland: Tulsa 1921. This collaborative work with librettist Sandra Seaton for tenor-bass chorus, soloists, and chamber orchestra was commissioned by the Turtle Creek Chorale.
As a researcher, his most advantageous topic is the non-idiomatic choral music of Black composers. His lectures at state and regional conferences of the American Choral Directors Association and at other venues afford him the opportunity to showcase this underrepresented area of music resulting in the 2023 anthology The Oxford Book of Choral Music by Black Composers. Chorus America recognized his contributions to the choral community with the 2023 Brazeal Wayne Dennard Award.