Thank You! Debbie Sfraga If you have ever been to our professional development conference, attended an NJMEA festival, sponsored a student for All-State, or just dealt with renewing membership, Debbie Sfraga played a part in the process somewhere along the way. Debbie’s commitment and experience with our organization is hard to match, with a career of region and state work that spans the past 41 years. Contributing volunteer hours in many roles through the beginning of her teaching career, Debbie has most recently served as our NJMEA Executive Secretary Treasurer since 2000 - and will retire at the end of this school year.
While holding these positions, sometimes simultaneously, Debbie also became involved in the Region I board. In 1980, she began her involvement with HS Band auditions and also became Recording Secretary. During this time, she conducted several region ensembles. In 1987, Debbie became the coordinator of the November Atlantic City conference sessions for NJMEA, which was a position she held for two years before being elected the NJMEA Recording Secretary in 1989. In July of 2000, the Executive Board added the treasury to her list of responsibilities and Debbie became the first Executive Secretary Treasurer, the position she holds today.
Debbie first began her teaching career in 1976 working for Music for America and teaching instrumental music in parochial schools. Her public school resume began a year later and would eventually include teaching high school choir, middle school band, high school band, and general music. Debbie was initially employed at North Arlington High School and then Tinton Falls Middle School before coming to Ocean Township Middle School where she was the band director from 2000 - 2016 when she retired from public school teaching. In the first decade of her career, Debbie began teaching instrumental lessons at Seton Hall while on maternity leave, where she would begin a tenure first as adjunct faculty before becoming full time, teaching classes like music theory, music civilization and methods classes in addition to the ensembles. It was at this time that Debbie began directing the Pep Band, something she is still proud to be doing today.
After holding a list of jobs like this over the course of so many years, we sat down with Debbie and reflected over some of the history she was a part of.
TEMPO
*** After 34 years working on behalf of NJMEA and being a part of so many projects, what is your most proud moment? Wow. There isn’t really one specific moment that comes to mind, but being able to manage the growth of NJMEA is something I’m very proud of. We really have grown so much as an organization, so seeing us become one of the largest MEAs in the country, and putting NJMEA in the category of a true non-profit association. What has been the biggest challenge for you in managing NJMEA for these several decades? With the structure we have in place, there is a new president every two years, so I would have to say navigat6
MAY 2021
