Mark Lehmann, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & Choir: Chancel Choir Director
Mark Lehmann’s music education career has taken him all over the state of Iowa since his first school teaching job in 1974. In the past 41 years, Lehmann has taught at both the high school and college levels. He retired from high school teaching in 2010 to take an adjunct professor position at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.
Before teaching at Wartburg, Lehmann worked as a vocal music instructor at Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Waverly, Iowa, from 1996 to 2010. Prior to that, Lehmann held the same position at Hampton-Dumont Community Schools in Hampton, Iowa from 1979 to 1996.
Lehmann had 172 students chosen for Iowa All-State Choir while at Waverly-Shell Rock, and five students were selected for national American Choir Directors Association (ACDA) Honor Choirs. He instructed 69 students who were chosen for Iowa All-State Choir while he worked at Hampton-Dumont.
Lehmann has been heavily involved with the Iowa High School Music Association as well as the ACDA North Central Division. He was executive board president of the former in 2007-08 and 2009-10.
Lehmann was a founding member of Comprehensive Musicianship Project in Iowa, and has served on its steering committee all but one summer when he toured Europe. Through this program, thousands of music educators across the Midwest have been inspired to approach music education with a holistic view.
The award was established in 2003 in memory of Stace N. Stegman (1946-2003) from Sandusky, OH, who exemplified passion, knowledge, and integrity in his ongoing volunteer work with ACDA. It is now presented at each ACDA Midwestern Regional Conference to a member who has demonstrated similar professional dedication.