For the past 32 years, Mr. Jeffery H. Richardson has been the band director at Needham B. Broughton High School in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Originally from Portsmouth, Virginia, “JR” is a 1978 graduate of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education.  During his tenure at Broughton, the program has grown to a 165-member marching band, one 65-member symphonic wind ensemble, one 75-member concert band, two jazz ensembles of 19 members each and one indoor winter guard units of 22 total members.  He has been awarded the Richard M. Jewell Teaching Excellence Award in 1988, 1993, and 2007 and also the prestigious $25,000 Richard Jenrette Teaching Endowment Award in 1994.  He has also been awarded the “Inspire the Future” Award presented by the North Carolina Symphony and Fidelity Investments for his tireless and endless devotion to education for the past four decades.   He has been honored as the “Tarheel of the Week”, an honor bestowed by The News and Observer newspaper publication for his dedication to public education. Most recently, Mr. Richardson has been awarded the “Medal of Arts” by the Raleigh Arts Commission for continually contributions to the arts community during his teaching career.  He has also served as talent coordinator on the production crew for the Special Olympics World Summer Games held in Raleigh in 1999. In 2003, he was awarded the Wake County PTA Outstanding Teacher Award for high school educators.  Also, he has been inducted in the Broughton Athletics Hall of Fame for his continued contributions to the athletics department at the school.  Presently he donates his time to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Music Department assisting the Marching Tar Heels with football activities.  In his spare time he has traveled to various destinations such as Russia (3 times), China Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia (twice), and the entire European continent.

Mr. Richardson presently holds memberships in the following organizations:  Music Educators National Conference, Central District Band Directors Association, North Carolina Band Directors Association and serves on the Board of Directors for not only the Needham B. Broughton High School Band Boosters, Inc. but also Theatre in the Park where he serves as the “A Christmas Carol” Chair which allows him to promote the theatre with publicity for upcoming productions and scholarships for deserving students in the Raleigh area.  He was recently appointed to the Chair of “ACC France” and in 2009, Theatre in the Park and “A Christmas Carol” traveled to Raleigh’s sister city of Compiegne, France for a cultural exchange and holiday performances.