2020 CASMEC Medal of Honor Recipient – Norm Dea
In 2010 organizations came together to work on creating CASMEC. This is the 10 annual CASMEC Conference. In order to thank those visionaries, we would like to bring them out on stage. Please help us welcome our Past Presidents from 2010 Mr. Norm Dea from CMEA, Mr. John Burn from CBDA, Mr. Jason Aiello from CODA, Ms. Lisa Butts from CAJ, and Ms. Lori Marie Rios from CCDA. These individuals were key in developing the tradition of CASMEC, and we are all grateful for their work and effort in creating a collaborative conference.
As the leadership of 2010 created new traditions, the 2020 leadership has also created a new tradition for CASMEC, the CASMEC Medal of Honor. The CASMEC Medal of Honor was created to acknowledge individuals who have been key in the development of CASMEC and have given up their time and efforts to ensure that we can have a conference that reaches all aspects of music in California. Last month the leadership voted for the first recipient of the CASMEC Medal of Honor and it is our privilege to award this year’s award to Mr. Norm Dea.
Norm Dea began his career as a band director at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek and the size and quality of the band program steadily grew. Norm’s commitment to serving the profession beyond the school site is amazing. From the beginning of his career not only did he attend festivals, but he hosted them. He not only sent kids to honor bands he co-founded his county’s honor band. He went from the CMEA Bay Section Band Rep to the Bay Section President to CMEA State President. He was the CBDA Treasurer and became CBDA President. Through these leadership positions he was a model of responsibility and professionalism.
It was Norm Dea, as CMEA President, that went to the other organizations and proposed that we combine into this mega conference. Without Norm, CASMEC would have never have happened. He is a true mentor to myself and countless others across the state. Please join me in congratulating our inaugural recipient of the CASMEC Medal of Honor, Norm Dea.
