WYoming ACDA Leadership
Wyoming ACDA is a nonprofit organization run by a dedicated group of volunteers, who are passionate about furthering the choral arts in Wyoming. Our team is comprised of elected and appointed members who work hard to ensure our events and programs are of the highest quality possible. We believe that everyone should have access to quality choral music and education, and we work tirelessly to make that happen.
Brian C.
Murray
President
Brian C. Murray is the Director of Choral Activities and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Wyoming. At UW, he leads a program of six choral ensembles, including the Collegiate Chorale, Singing Statesmen, and Happy Jacks. In 2024 the UW Singing Statesmen gave invited performances for the Wyoming Music Educators Association and the Northwestern American Choral Directors Association. Dr. Murray earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting at the University of North Texas, studying with Drs. Allen Hightower, Jessica Nápoles, Richard Sparks, and Kristina MacMullen.
Prior to beginning his doctoral coursework, Dr. Murray taught high school choir for seven years in Carrollton, Texas. He received a Master of Music Education degree from the Florida State University and a Bachelor of Music degree in choral music education, summa cum laude, from the University of North Texas. He remains connected to his alma mater by returning each summer and serving as an associate director of the UNT All-State Choir Camp and a faculty member for the UNT Choral Conducting Symposium.
Dr. Murray has presented interest sessions for state, divisional, and international choral conferences and has published in ChorTeach and the Choral Journal. He is a frequent clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor, and his professional affiliations include ACDA, NAfME, TMEA, WMEA, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
Beth Kean
President-Elect
Beth Kean, a Wyoming native, is a 2005 graduate of St. Olaf College with a degree in Music Education and a Master's in Music Education from Colorado State University. She has taught at various schools, including Cheyenne East High School, Laramie County Community College, and Laramie High School, where she continues to help students earn spots in prestigious honor choirs and achieve top festival ratings. Beth has also directed the Cheyenne All-City Choir and is currently co-directing the Laramie Children’s Chorus. An active clinician and adjudicator, she has received numerous awards, including the 2013 Weiss Choral Music Educator of the Year and 2019 Music Educator of the Year for Southeast Wyoming. Beth is married to Alex, with whom she has three children, and enjoys outdoor activities with their dog, Fletch.
Mandi Steele
Past-President
Mandi Steele is currently a Ph.D. Music Education student at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Mandi was most recently the choral director at Campbell County High School in Gillette Wyoming, and is currently the Past-President of the Wyoming chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association. She holds a Master of Music in Vocal Education from the University of South Dakota and a Bachelor of Music Education from Boise State University.
Mandi has taught music at every grade level, in addition to teaching privately in her vocal studio. Mandi founded the Vermillion Children's Choir and served as the Executive Director of the Sioux Falls Children's Choir. Mandi served as the directing manager of the Gillette Children’s Choir for 6 years.
Beyond her abilities as an educator and choral director, Mandi is also a professional vocalist. She sang with the GRAMMY-nominated South Dakota Chorale, and the classical ensemble Transept based out of Sioux Falls, the Gillette Chamber Singers, the Skyline Singers, and is a sought after vocal soloist for local and regional music ensembles.
Laura Huckin
COMMUNITY R&R Chair
Laura Huckin has been involved in music education and performance in Jackson Hole for over 20 years. She is currently Artistic Director of Cathedral Voices Chamber Choir and has taken her ensemble to Carnegie Hall, Salzburg, and Dublin in recent years. In addition to choral conducting, Laura currently teaches general music (K-8th grade) in Swan Valley, Idaho, serves as Praise & Worship Director at the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole, and is a frequent musical director with Off Square Theatre Company. She also serves on the Center Advisory Council for Jackson's Center for the Arts. Laura has a Bachelor's Degree from Brigham Young University in Media Arts. She enjoys gardening, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Ashley Lecholat
Secondary R&R Chair
Ashley Lecholat has been in the field of music education for 25 years. She started her career at Alliance High School in Alliance, Nebraska. Currently, Mrs. Lecholat is the choral director at Sheridan High School and has been in that position since August of 2006. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Black Hills State University, earned in 1997, and further honed her expertise with a Master's degree in Music Education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2017.
Based in Sheridan, Wyoming, Ms. Lecholat's contributions to the field extend significantly beyond the classroom. In 2022, her leadership and impact were recognized when she was honored as the Northeast District Music Educator of the Year. She has also served as the Northeast District President and played a pivotal role as host site chair for the 2023 All-State Music Conference, demonstrating her exceptional organizational skills and commitment to statewide music initiatives. In December 2025, Ms. Lecholat's dedication to her profession received national acclaim as she was selected by SBO magazine as one of the "50 Teachers Who Make a Difference," proudly representing Wyoming with this distinguished honor.
Outside of her professional life, Ashley is married to Tony and enjoys spending time with their two grown children and their beagle, Winston.