2023 Howard Swan award winner: JULIE REYES DANA

Julie Reyes Dana is recently retired after 38 years in choral music education, most recently as the director of the Fresno City College Voice and Choral Program, where she conducted the City Singers, Symphonic Choir, Jazz Singers, the Fresno Chorale, and taught Music Appreciation. Under her direction, Fresno City College ensembles traveled nationally and internationally, including tours to France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Canada and performances at Carnegie Hall in New York. Prior to her work at Fresno City, Julie taught at the high school level in Coalinga and southern California, conducting treble and tenor/bass ensembles, show choirs, concert choirs and chamber ensembles. In addition to her college and school ensembles, Julie has conducted ACDA and SCVA Regional and FMCMEA Honor Choirs and was the choir director at the Shrine of St. Therese Church in Fresno.

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She is dedicated to serving the choral music community as demonstrated by her past positions on state and regional music organization boards including CCDA (Past-President), SCVA, Western ACDA and CASMEC. She coordinated the Southern California Vocal Association (SCVA) choral festivals and assisted with regional and state honor choirs while teaching at the secondary level. She is currently serving as President-elect for Western Region ACDA. Her prior work on the Western ACDA board was as program chair for 5 division conferences in California, Utah and Nevada. She has also served on the faculty of Jazz Education Abroad (JEA) teaching vocal jazz in the Middle East.
Julie studied with Dorothy Renzi, and cantors at the Shrine of St. Therese Church in Fresno. She has been recognized for her work as an educator with the Silver Burdett Outstanding Choral Educator Award (2022), the State Center Community College District Bill Stewart Award of Excellence (2021) and was inducted into the SCCCD Muro de Honor in December 2022 at Arte Américas in Fresno for outstanding contributions to the district by a Latino/Chicano individual. Her formal studies include a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from San Diego State University, and a Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado. Julie and her husband Mike, also a music educator, work together to foster an appreciation of music throughout their community, volunteering their time to support the next generation of music educators. They spend as much time as they can enjoying their roles as Great Aunt and Uncle with their many nieces and nephews.