2026 MMEA Elections
Meet the Candidates
MMEA is excited to present the slate of candidates for the 2026 MMEA Board elections.
The MMEA voting window will be February 9 - March 11, 2026
In order to vote in the election, Maryland music educators must have an active MMEA membership by January 30, 2026.
Candidate for Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) Recording Secretary
Carrie Barrett Traube - Baltimore County
Carrie Barrett Traube, NBCT, holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Music Education Degree from Towson University. She has taught in Baltimore County Public Schools for 8 years. She is the current director of bands and steel pan at Stemmers Run Middle School. During the summer, she enjoys working at music camps and marching band camps.
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Candidate for Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) Member-At-Large
Kiarré Sherman - Prince George's County
Kiarré Sherman attended Charles County Public Schools. She graduated from Towson University in 2023 with her B.S. in Music Education and is currently the band and orchestra director at John Hanson Montessori in Prince George’s County, where she has taught since the start of her career. She obtained her Master’s degree in Music Education from Longy School of Music in 2025. She has also served as the All State Audition Coordinator for MODA since 2023.
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Candidates for Maryland Band Directors Association (MBDA) President-Elect
Lauren Bond, NBCT - Washington County
Lauren Bond is in her nineteenth year of teaching. She is the Band Director at Williamsport High School in Williamsport, Maryland where she teaches concert band, marching band, wind ensemble, steel pan ensemble, percussion ensemble, and jazz band. Lauren previously taught middle and elementary school band ensembles. Lauren is a National Board Certified Teacher, holds a master’s in Music Education from Boston University, and a bachelor’s in Music Education from Shenandoah Conservatory. She serves as the regional ensemble chairperson for MBDA and the solo and ensemble coordinator for WCPS.
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Doug Conrad - Frederick County
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Doug Conrad is the band director at Urbana Middle School, where since beginning in 2022 his leadership has doubled program enrollment and earned consistent superior ratings, leading to his recognition as the 2025 UMS Teacher of the Year. An active guest conductor, adjudicator, and performer, he serves as MMEA Advocacy Chair and presents at state and national conferences. He is a Penn State alumnus pursuing graduate studies at McDaniel College.
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Candidate for Maryland General Music Teachers Association (MGMTA) President-Elect
Dr. Anne Binkley - Worcester County
Dr. Anne Binkley teaches general music and directs the award-winning children’s show choir, the OC Stars, at Ocean City Elementary School. Anne has also taught piano, flute, and voice at private schools and a conservatory, as well as applied voice and other courses at Salisbury University. Shortly after she earned her Doctor of Music Education degree from Liberty University in 2023, Binkley was honored by MMEA with the Outstanding Music Educator award in 2024.
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Candidates for Maryland Society for Music Teacher Education (MSMTE) President-Elect
Dr. Rachel N. Brashier - Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
Rachel Brashier is the Chair of Music Education and Pedagogy at the Peabody Institute. She earned her Bachelors in Vocal Performance and Music Education at Eastern Illinois University and taught K-12 music (general, vocal, and instrumental) full-time in the Chicago area for over 12 years. She holds MM degrees in Music History from Southern Illinois University and in Ethnomusicology from the Eastman School of Music where she also completed a PhD in Music Education.
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Brian Kaufman - University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC)
Brian Kaufman is an artist-educator who develops programs and learning experiences that bring people together through music to foster creativity, highlight injustices, engage multiple perspectives, and inspire action. Recognized as an innovator, Kaufman has presented his ideas and project outcomes on five continents at venues such as the United Nations, the Ford Foundation, Oxford University, and Yale University. He oversees the music education program and wind ensemble at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).
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