Michele Welton retired in 2023 as the choral director of York Middle School in York, SC. During her 38-year career, Michele had numerous students accepted to the SC ACDA Honor Choir and the York County Middle School Honor Choir. Her choirs consistently received superior ratings at choral festivals, including CPA, Carowinds Festival of Music, Music in the Parks and were the Grand Champions of the Time to Travel Festival of Pigeon Forge for two consecutive years.

Ms. Welton has served as a clinician for numerous honor choirs and has adjudicated middle school honor choir auditions, SC ACDA and SC All-State auditions.

Ms. Welton earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree at Lee University and her Masters in Education at Winthrop University. Prior to teaching in York, she taught Chorus, ELA, and Social Studies at Chester Middle School. Ms. Welton resides in Rock Hill, SC and enjoys traveling and spending time with her two granddaughters.

Phil Suggs retired in 2023 as choral director at York Comprehensive High School in York, SC where he served 29 of his 39 years in education. Having also taught at the former York Junior High School, his middle and high school choirs received “superior” ratings at Carowinds, Myrtle Beach, Virginia Beach, Orlando, Atlanta, Gatlinburg, Richmond, and in Washington, DC.

At the SC Choral Festival York choirs earned “superior” ratings in sight reading as well as stage performance multiple times. In 2014, York choirs earned 5/6 available awards in class 4A including all 3 places in sight singing. In 2015, the York Chamber Singers presented a workshop for the February SCMEA In-Service Conference titled “Fundamental Music Literacy for the Secondary Choral Classroom.” At the Palmetto Choral Championships, York choirs earned multiple awards with some of the highest scores in sight reading. York students consistently earned positions in the SC ACDA Honor Choirs and SC All-State Choirs. Mr. Suggs has been an adjudicator for the Carowinds Music Festival and for auditions for middle school and high school honor choir and All-State auditions and has mentored many student teachers through Winthrop University.

Mr. Suggs earned his Bachelor of Arts from Pfeiffer College in Misenheimer, NC under Dr. Richard Brewer and a Master’s from USC-Columbia with additional study at Winthrop University including Kodaly certification under Dr. Carol Krueger. Additionally, he directed the Chancel Choir at First Presbyterian Church in York for 16 years, taught in the summer ST-ARTS program for middle school students at Winthrop University for 16 years, and conducted the Collegiate Choir at Winthrop for two years. He currently directs the Chancel Choir at Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Rock Hill, SC as well as presents workshops for teachers, adjudicates for auditions and festivals, conducts honor choirs and All-County choirs, teaches private voice, and drives activity busses. He also enjoys reading along with playing tennis and pickleball.