The inaugural induction class of the Greene County High School Fine Arts Hall of Fame ceremony was held Monday night at the high school auditorium.

Activities Director Dave Wright was the emcee and he introduced each of the five recipients. The first one was a 2000 Jefferson-Scranton High School graduate Shelby Sievers Van Nordstrand. Following her high school accolades, such as being named a four-time all-state clarinetist, she has continued her music career and has been working at the University of Nebraska-Omaha since 2012 and is the Associate Professor of Music. Sievers-Van Nordstrand talked about her high school music teachers and the community has been supporters of her and her classmates’ fine arts endeavors.

“There’s so many incredible people, not just in the fine arts in Greene County, and it makes it a really special place to grow up. A place where I felt so supported by and that I then have been able to go out and support others throughout Iowa, and the United States, and overseas in the music opportunities that I’ve been given.”    

Another honoree was the 1999 East Greene Jazz Band, who won the Iowa Jazz Championships that year. One of the members of that band was Adam Glawe who credited the success of that jazz band to their director Todd Woodward.

“The arts should be enjoyed, especially at the high school and a true appreciation for the arts will only come about if they’re fun, and Todd Woodward made band fun. We enjoyed being around him, we wore the name ‘band nerd’ with honor, and it wasn’t a chore to come those morning practices.”

The other three inductees included long time speech coach Teresa Lawler, who in her 12 years with Jefferson-Scranton High School compiled 94 all-state individual events and 32 all-state large group qualifiers; Martin McGinn who was a 1999 J-S graduate and selected twice for all-state band, and now lives in Minneapolis with his wife and son teaching piano and composing privately; and Zach Durlam, a 1992 J-S graduate, who was named to all-state choir three times, a two-time all-state individual speech qualifier and selected for all-state jazz band. Durlam continues his music career as an Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, among other things.

The program was followed by the high school music awards concert.