CASMEC Medal of Honor

Lisa Butts has been a tireless advocate for jazz and music education in California, and more specifically, the Central Valley, for decades. She has been at every CASMEC/All-State Conference since she started teaching and has been president of CAJ, CBDA, CMEA Central Section, and the Tulare/Kings Music Educators Association. She has been honored by many of the organizations she has participated in, including the 2006 CBDA Distinguished Service Award, 2008 CMEA Jazz Educator of the Year, 2016 Grammy Quarter Finalist, 2017 CBDA Lifetime Achievement Award, and a 2020 CAJ Hall of Fame Inductee, among others.

Lisa Butts retired after 19 years as Director of Bands at Hanford West High School and 33 years of teaching overall. She attended the College of Sequoias in Visalia, earning her Associate of Arts Degree in 1981. She finished her Bachelor of Arts in Music at California State University, Fresno, in 1983. In 1998, she completed her Master’s Degree in Music from Southern Oregon University, studying under notable conductors Frederick Fennell, John Bourgeois, and Alfred Reed. Mrs. Butts studied conducting under the tutelage of Robert Halseth, Stan DeRusha, Mallory Thompson, Jerry Junkin, Craig Kirchoff, John Whitwell, and H. Robert Reynolds. She is currently a free-lance trumpet player and plays with several groups, including the Sequoia Winds and The Hal Magnie Big Band. She is active as an adjudicator throughout the Central Valley and was guest conductor for the Fresno Madera County Music Educator’s Jr. High Honor Jazz Band in 1998, 2006, and 2016. She has conducted the Tulare Kings Music Educators Association Honor Jazz Band in 2001, 2006, 2009, and 2015 and the Stanislaus Music Educators Association High School Honor Jazz Band in 2019. She conducted the Tulare Kings Music Educators Jr. High Honor Concert Band in 2002 and 2018, the Bakersfield City Schools Jr. High Honor Band in 2011, and the Madera City Schools Jr. High Honor Band in 2019.

Lisa Butts serves as the Symphonic Band conductor for La Sierra Creative Arts Camp in the summer. In addition to the awards mentioned above, Mrs. Butts was the recipient of the 1997 American Band College, Band World Select Project, 2004 California Music Educators Association Central Section Byron Hoyt Band Award, 2005 California Music Educators Association Central Section Music Educator of the Year, 2005 Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year for Kings County, 2008 Tulare/Kings Music Educators Association Hall of Fame Award, 2008 California Music Educators Association Central Section Jazz Educator of the Year, 2011 Tulare/Kings Music Educators Association Outstanding Music Educator Award, 2012 Inducted into the John Philip Sousa Legion of Honor, 2014 Hanford Joint Union High School District Teacher of the Year, and the 2015 Kings County Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Butts is an adjunct professor of music at West Hills College. She has a cool husband, Bill, and two cats: Sweets-Pouncer and Molly.