September 21, 2021

Local band director receives educator award

Steven Stickney, the band director at Mount Mercy University, received the Outstanding Educator Award from the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).

Stickney was one of only eight regional state winners selected for the award.

Criteria for this award includes organization and continuance of an activity program, significant and ongoing contributions to the field, years of both curricular and co-curricular service, and contributions to the profession both in and out of the state.

Stickney brings a distinguished 33-years of public high school band experience to Mount Mercy University. This award joins his long list of professional honors including traveling to Japan as a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar, to Yale University as one of 50 music educators in the nation selected to receive The Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award, to Northwestern University as a summer Fellows recipient, and being honored by his peers as an Iowa Bandmasters Association Karl King Distinguished Service Award recipient.