Sacramento Performing Arts Recognition Gala

Dr. Sheree Meyer, originally from Rochester, New York, earned her BA in English from Stony Brook University before completing her MA and Ph.D. at Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. She joined California State University, Sacramento (Sac State) in 1991 as a tenure-track Professor of English specializing in Renaissance literature.

Over the years, she held leadership roles including Chair of the English Department and Dean of Undergraduate Studies before becoming Dean of the College of Arts & Letters, officially stepping into the permanent deanship on July 1, 2017.

As Dean, Dr. Meyer has been a vocal advocate for the humanities and the arts at Sac State. She founded the university’s “One Book Program” and has promoted partnerships across the Sacramento region, collaborating with institutions like Blue Line Arts and envisioning a future arts corridor connected to the downtown campus.

A passionate practitioner of the arts herself, she has performed in university productions, sings in her synagogue choir, and occasionally performs folk music locally.

Committed to student success, Dr. Meyer has also championed teaching excellence and innovative curricular initiatives, including a course in Jewish American literature. In Sacramento, her leadership bridges academia, culture, and community engagement, reinforcing the critical role of humanities education in developing well-rounded, career-ready graduates.

Jennifer Wilbanks serves as Director of Instructional Support in the Curriculum & Professional Learning Department of Elk Grove Unified School District (EGUSD) in southern Sacramento County, the fifth-largest district in California. In this leadership role, she shares responsibility for developing and supporting curriculum across the district, collaborating closely with principals, teachers, and instructional staff.

Ms. Wilbanks played a pivotal role in crafting EGUSD’s Arts Education Roadmap, which aims to deliver high-quality visual and performing arts education to all K–12 students—especially by expanding arts offerings into elementary schools.

Under her guidance, the district appointed four VAPA curriculum specialists and integrated teaching artists into over 100 elementary classrooms during the 2024/25 school year.

Before joining the district office, Ms. Wilbanks was a school-site principal, bringing hands-on experience to her districtwide instructional leadership. She emphasizes professional learning communities and teacher collaboration for instructional improvement.

Through her work, Ms. Wilbanks advances EGUSD’s mission to close achievement gaps, elevate arts education, and foster teacher development. Her leadership bridges district strategy and classroom practice—empowering educators and enriching student learning across the Sacramento-area community.

Dr. L. Steven Winlock served as the Executive Director of the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE), School of Education, bringing over 35–45 years of experience in public education to thousands of students, teachers, and parents during his career.

He began as a classroom teacher and subsequently held leadership roles as a school principal and director of staff development, eventually advancing to associate superintendent before assuming his position as Executive Director.

In his capacity at SCOE, Dr. Winlock led professional learning, leadership development, and adult credentialing initiatives throughout Sacramento County. He also co-facilitated communities of practice focused on racial justice and leadership for educators of color. In addition to his educational leadership, he is a governor-appointed special education commissioner. He serves as a Sacramento City arts commissioner, advocating for inclusion of the arts in county schools.

Mandarins Performing Arts recognize a native of Rancho Cordova, Dr. Winlock for his steadfast commitment to equity in education and his support of arts and cultural initiatives in the community. His work has been celebrated in events such as the “Heroes of Arts Education Gala” in March 2024, where he was also honored for his contributions to arts education.

Through his leadership at SCOE, Dr. Winlock helped shape education policy and practice across the region, supporting both administrative leaders and classroom educators in promoting equity and excellence for all students.

The Sacramento Gay Men’s Chorus (SGMC) was founded in 1984 to provide community and support for gay men in Sacramento during the height of the AIDS crisis. Initially known as the Sacramento Men’s Chorus, it lost nearly one-third of its members to AIDS in its first decade and later rebranded to embrace visibility and identity fully.

Today, SGMC includes 110 singers from diverse backgrounds, united by a shared love of music and a mission of social justice and LGBTQ+ advocacy.

SGMC’s mission—“to foster pride and enhance lives, one song at a time”—captures its dual focus on artistic excellence and community empowerment. The chorus promotes diversity, inclusion, and personal growth while maintaining high musical and organizational standards.

Each season runs from August through July and includes two major productions—a winter holiday concert and spring show—along with numerous benefit performances and spontaneous pop-up appearances across the region.

As both an artistic ensemble and community institution, SGMC has become one of Sacramento’s largest LGBTQ+ cultural groups. Through music, outreach, and visibility, it has helped transform public attitudes, confront intolerance, and build solidarity across the broader Sacramento community.

Since its founding in May 1983 by the Junior League of Sacramento, the Sacramento Region Community Foundation has grown into the capital area’s leading philanthropic institution, serving El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties. Over its four-decade history it has stewarded more than $200 million in charitable assets and distributed approximately $300 million in grants and scholarships by the end of 2024.

The Foundation supports local families, businesses, nonprofits, and students through customized charitable funds, grantmaking, and scholarship programs. Its flagship event, Big Day of Giving, launched in 2013, has raised over $117 million from more than 60,000 donors for over 850 local nonprofits.

In 2022, the Foundation adopted a bold Strategic Roadmap—with a focus on increasing equity, enhancing leadership, and strengthening internal capacity. Its vision: “a thriving and resilient region where generosity and collaboration create equitable opportunity.” Its mission: “to lead, serve, and inspire enduring philanthropy for a just and vibrant Sacramento region”.

Recent priorities include tackling health equity in underserved communities in Sacramento and Yolo counties, investing in food access, youth mental health supports, and systemic change initiatives. In 2024 alone, $23.6 million in grants and scholarships were distributed through local philanthropic efforts.

The Foundation empowers community-driven impact through cross-sector partnerships, leading initiatives like the Impact Collaborative, and guiding charitable giving grounded in equity, leadership, ethics, and learning values.

George Miles served as the Mandarins' brass caption head from 1994 through 2004. During this period, he turned the brass performance for members of all experience levels into a championship ensemble. He was a major contributor to the corps’ five DCI championships in Division II and III and eventual move into DCI World Class in 2003. His years of experience as the band director of John F. Kennedy High School influenced his approach to instructing. George was always willing to challenge the members to reach beyond their comfort zone to achieve the complex musical and visual challenges presented to them. He often insisted on leaving challenging musical passages alone (rather than simplifying them) because he valued the educational benefits of doing so. After stepping down from the brass caption head position in 2004, George remained on the brass staff for several more years, providing an invaluable presence.

Quite simply, the ’78 – ’81 Color Guard put the Mandarins on the National map and changed its reputation forever. This dedicated team had a profound impact on the organization, changing the course and respect for the Mandarins. This group of talented women competed at the highest level, receiving accolades, not only locally, but also nationally.

Before their formation, the Mandarins, in broad strokes, were perceived by many from the outside as a nice little “B” corps, who tried hard--respected as an organization for its professionalism and work ethic, but not necessarily for its competitive achievements.

That all changed in the winter of 1978, when the Mandarins’ color guard began its ambitious journey into Winter Guard competition. Through innovative design, instruction, and leadership (Greg Morgan and Mark Dong) and dedicated work and commitment, the guard immediately competed at the highest level against guards from nationally acclaimed “A” corps, like the Blue Devils and Vanguard (Sunnyvale). Not long after, they were winning at the regional level and competing, quite well, at the national level. National awareness and respect for not only the guard, but the organization, were achieved during these years--a fantastic feat and surreal pride for an entire organization, alumni, and fans.

At the center of the Mandarins' core values should be teamwork, hard work, and perseverance. There is no better example than the ‘78-‘81 Color Guard.