William Thomas (Director of Bands) is currently in his 26^th year of teaching and his 11^th year at Lakota East High School.  His teaching responsibilities include three concert bands at Lakota East (Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Symphonic Winds); assisting two East Freshman concert bands, the Marching Thunderhawk Band and the pep band. 

Prior to coming to Lakota, he spent 12 years as the Director of Bands, grades five through twelve, in the Minster Local Schools, Minster, Ohio.  Mr. Thomas’ junior high  and high school bands consistently earned superior ratings at OMEA adjudicated events.

He is a graduate of Willoughby South High School and received his Bachelor of Music from Bowling Green State University.  Mr. Thomas is a member of Phi Beta Mu,Phi Mu Alpha, American School Band Directors Association, Ohio Music Education Association and Muse Educators National Conference.  He is  a past Marching Band Adjudications Chairman for the Ohio Music Education  Association.  Mr. Thomas is currently the Band Affairs Chairman for Ohio and is an active OMEA adjudicator in the fields of marching and concert bands.  He was also named 2004 Lakota East School Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Thomas resides in Liberty Township, Ohio with his wife Kathy, a third grade teacher in the Lakota Schools, son Chris, a junior and horn player at The Ohio State University and daughter Brittany, a senior and percussionist at Lakota East High School.

Robert Tanis (Associate Director) He holds a bachelor's degree in trumpet performance and music education from the Eastman School of Music and a master's degree from the Schwob School of Music in conducting and music education where he studied with Dr. Robert Rumbelow. Mr. Tanis is in his thirteenth year of teaching and prior to his appointment as associate director of bands at Lakota East High School, he was the director of bands for two years at a high school in Brownsville, Texas.

Mr. Tanis has performed with the Spoleto Festival Orchestra, the Castle Festival Orchestra in Heidelberg, Germany, the Southwest Ohio Symphonic Band, the Ohio Valley British Brass Band, the Columbus State University Wind Ensemble and the Eastman Wind Ensemble. He is currently an active freelance musician and private trumpet teacher in the Cincinnati area.

Todd Hartman (Director of Jazz Studies) instructs three jazz bands at Lakota East High School and two jazz bands at the Lakota Freshman School. A member of the International Association of Jazz Education, Mr. Hartman has been the director of the Lebanon High School Jazz Ensemble and the Mason High School Jazz Ensemble. Mr. Hartman has taught improvisation and jazz combo workshops in various public schools in Butler and Warren counties. He has been the guest director for and is currently the chairman of the OMEA District XIII Honor Jazz Bands. Mr. Hartman hosted and coordinated the Lebanon Jazz Festival, which showcased jazz bands from Butler, Warren, and Hamilton Counties. He is the jazz chairman for the 2008 Ohio Music Education Association Professional Conference.

Mr. Hartman has performed regularly with the Queen City Big Band, the Queen City Combo, and the After Hours Big Band. He actively performs with the Todd Hartman Jazz Quartet featuring Drews Mitchell on drum set. He also performs as a freelance trumpeter and is a private trumpet instructor. Mr. Hartman has been a guest performer/clinician with the Fairfield High School Jazz Ensemble, the Lakota West Jazz Ensemble, and the CCM Jazz Explosion Jazz Ensemble.

A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), Mr. Hartman earned a degree in Music Education with a specialization in Jazz Studies. He played trumpet in the CCM Jazz Ensemble in each of his four years at CCM. Mr. Hartman lives with his wife, Susan, in Liberty Township, Ohio. He and his wife attend Lakota Christian Church in West Chester, Ohio.