Max Dvorin is a woodwind doubler who resides in Nashville, TN. Max graduated from Belmont University in 2018, with a Bachelor of Music degree in commercial saxophone. Max went back to Belmont in 2021 and earned his Master of Music Degree in Multiple Woodwinds with a concentration in flute in 2023.

In 2018, after graduating from Belmont University, Max became a full-time freelance musician and private music instructor in Nashville, TN. Teaching saxophone, clarinet, flute and oboe to students of all ages. Max enjoys sharing his love for music with his students, hoping to inspire and motivate them to achieve their very best on their instruments.

Max has a home studio where he records for clients on all of the woodwinds. Other gigs Max does frequently involve Television broadcasts, big bands, corporate events, musical theater, weddings, music festivals and other live performances. Currently, Max also co-leads a monthly big band with some of the finest musicians in Nashville.

Some artists and venues that Max has performed or have been a part of include Grand Ole Opry, Jon Pardi, Joss Stone, The Huckabee Show, Wendy Moten, Phil Vassar, Mike Farris, Here Come the Mummies, Tim Akers & The Smoking Section, Musicians Hall of Fame Concert and Induction Ceremony, Gaither Christmas, Sam Moore, The Nashville Jazz Orchestra, The General Jackson Showboat, Ann Hampton Callaway, Morgan James.

Karah Cox is a versatile writer with a strong educational background and an avid new experience enthusiast with a passion for creating content that resonates with people. With a strong background in crafting compelling narratives and a commitment to delivering high-quality work, she is driven to engage and inspire through the written word.

She is eager to channel her creativity into projects that connect with audiences and make a meaningful impact. She seeks opportunities to apply her diverse skill set and passion for storytelling in a dynamic role.

Sheila Calloway, a native of Louisville, KY, came to Nashville, Tennessee in 1987 to attend Vanderbilt University Law School. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications in 1991 and her Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1994. After graduating from law school, Sheila Calloway worked at the Metropolitan Defender’s Office in the adult system as well as the juvenile system. In January 2004, she was appointed by Judge Betty Adams Green to the position of Juvenile Court Magistrate and served in that position until November 2013, when she announced her intention to run for the position of Juvenile Court Judge.

Sheila was elected Davidson County’s Juvenile Court Judge in 2014 and was sworn into office for her eight-year term on August 28, 2014. She was re-elected for another eight-year term in August of 2022. Judge Calloway also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Vanderbilt University Law School where she teaches Trial Advocacy, and an Adjunct Professor Belmont College of Law where she teaches Juvenile Law.

Judge Calloway uses her unique combination of humor, passion, and judicial wisdom to change the way we look at justice in the United States.

Michal is a proud graduate of Albany State University and Fisk University. She is an advocate for promoting mental wellness and personal development. Her previous experience includes providing counseling services to individuals of all ages and administering psychological assessments. More recently, she has been involved in behavioral health care, research and data collection, and educational advancement.

In life we are faced with challenges and sometimes feel we can’t overcome them, but we can because “All things are possible, only believe.”

Throughout Jason’s professional and academic career, he has honed his skills in speech and communication, which led to a career change in 2010 away from sales and marketing to keynote speaking and corporate training.

In 2016, Jason completed his own program for teaching extemporaneous speaking and storytelling skills, which he has taught to corporations and students around the country. Jason also completed his own book, which compliments his signature course: 14 Weeks: From Fear to Firebrand.

In addition, Jason has also developed courses in Advanced Extemporaneous Speaking, Intergenerational Communications, Professional Networking, and Interviewing Skills. All of these courses would be highly beneficial to the students at Cumberland.

In addition to his experience developing and delivering speaking programs, Jason has a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, and an MBA from Texas A&M. He also spent over a decade with Toastmasters International, earning the Distinguished Toastmaster designation in 2018.

Jason enjoys competing regularly at the state and national level and truly believes that it is critical for a public speaking teacher to stay active and connected to the professional world, in order to provide the students with the most current and applicable training available.

For any additional information you can visit Jason’s website at: www.Firestory.com or follow him on Twitter/X at @yourFirestory.

Considering his dual interests in writing and illustration, Steve Simmerman has found that graphic design, whether in the form of a poster, magazine spread, or album cover, offers wonderful possibilities for word and image to coalesce into a message with impact. Design is truly universal, and imagery often confronts us, urging us to connect symbols with ideas.

Among his inspirations are Will Eisner, Gary Larson, Chris Ware, Daniel Clowes, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Steve’s also a huge fan of early magazine illustrators like Edward Penfield and Will Bradley, as well as artists Jasper Johns and Edward Hopper.

Simmerman’s passion for music, archaeology, and branding often show up in his artwork. He works in a variety of media — typically ink, watercolor, and acrylic — as well as digital tools like Illustrator and Photoshop. Tinkering with a synthesis of hand-drawn sketches and digital manipulation, Steve continues to explore the rewarding, often meandering paths to visual narrative. He has illustrated two children’s books and exhibited artwork in New York, Chicago, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Additionally, he’s taught graphic design for over twenty years.

Adjunct Instructor William Lucas Patton grew up in Arkansas, attending Lyon College for his bachelor’s degree in English and Theatre, later achieved a Master’s in English at the University of Memphis and a second Master’s at Middle Tennessee State University. He has been teaching for over six years in various Tennessee institutions such as Motlow State Community College, Columbia State Community College, and now recently Cumberland University.

William has presented papers and given talks regarding the philosophy behind pop culture usage in society ranging from media including Shakespearean drama, fantasy horror shows for Joss Whedon, anime series such as Cowboy Bebop, modern science fiction and Disney film archetypes.

He is frequently performing at theater events throughout Rutherford County and has recently participated in poetry and literature clubs in the area. He is currently teaching Grammar Studies and Introduction to Literature studies at Cumberland.

Dr. Luke Truxal is an American military historian who focuses on the application of American air power during the Second World War. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of North Texas in 2011 and 2018.  His teaching fields include Europe in the twentieth century, United States history, United States military history, and United States political history in the twentieth century.

Truxal’s main research interest is the air war in Europe from 1942 to 1945. He is the author of the forthcoming book Uniting against the Reich: The American Air War in Europe, which comes out in fall 2023. He is also an assistant editor for the scholarly web journal Balloons to Drones. He previously published “Bombing the Romanian Rail Network,” in the Spring 2018 issue of Air Power History.  He is currently researching the air war over Romania from 1942 to 1944 with a particular emphasis on American and Soviet coordination and joint operations.

Johnny Lee Park is a lifelong student of art, history, and language. He has supplemented his English, Graphic Design, and Photography/Printmaking degrees with many years of personal creation and research, while simultaneously taking an avid interest in the ways technology and its effect on societies is portrayed in art.

Following graduation from MTSU and Graduate School at the University of Memphis, Johnny has worked as artist, designer, photographer, and instructor, both freelance and at the university level. His visual works have been featured in Nashville Arts magazine as well as in numerous national and local venues including the Frist Art Museum. Examples of his work can be seen at: eccentricartfoundry.com