Becky Williams began her teaching career after graduating from Concordia University Chicago with a degree in speech and theatre. She spent her first several years teaching in the Chicago area. In the fall of 2009, she began her role as theatre teacher at Independence High School and has directed over 20 main stage productions since - including Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, The Crucible, Big Fish, and The Pajama Game. She has served on the TNEdTA board since 2013 and is excited to take on the new role as executive director.

Conner Meinhart is the Managing Director and Co-Founder of Source One Five, a nonprofit theatre company founded in 2019 with a mission to provide free, audition-based, professional productions to the community.

A proud graduate of Columbia College Chicago, Conner holds a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance and brings over a decade of performance experience to his work, blending artistic insight with strategic leadership.

Outside the theatre world, Conner serves as Head of Operations for Compass RE, supporting Real Estate teams across Tennessee, Missouri, and Kansas.

Passionate about building connections, Conner is committed to creating meaningful opportunities for collaboration, networking, and growth throughout Tennessee’s theatre community.

Savannah Aiello has worked in education for over a decade, serving Williamson County Schools as a digital learning designer and speech and theatre teacher at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee. Aiello has also performed and worked with local children’s theatre groups in the area, including Bravo Creative Arts Center and Williamson County Star Bright Players. She currently serves as technical director at Independence High School and assists with Thescon, the state high school theatre conference. Aiello was recently elected to serve as secretary on the board of directors of Pull-Tight Players, where she frequently stage manages shows and serves as a social media and Instagram moderator. Aiello graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and lives in Franklin with her husband Sean, who is an attorney and a Williamson County Commissioner.

Michelle Tripp earned degrees in Mass Communications, emphasizing in television/radio, and Speech/Theatre, along with a Master’s in Education. She earned her certification in Theatre Education and taught Theatre Arts for 27 years in private and public schools. Her theatre programs received awards for her outstanding productions, including national awards recognizing her set designs. Her students and programs have also been recognized locally and nationally for various honors with Spotlight Awards, Governor's School for the Arts, All-State Theatre, CMA Foundation and Broadway Dreams.

Now a teaching artist, she offers her talents to schools with growing programs. She also serves as the president of the alumni association for the Tennessee Arts Academy. She believes it is a true honor to be one of ThesCon's coordinators and working with some of the best Theatre educators in the state to bring the conference to high school students.

Karen Joy Thomas earned her BA in Vocal Performance from Spring Arbor University, where she studied music and theatre, and furthered her lifelong love of the Arts. Entering the professional world, Karen Joy taught private voice lessons and performed professionally in the US and Europe before moving to Nashville in 2000 to develop young artists in the music business.

Karen Joy has a long history in the realm of theater both as an actor and as a director, and she is proud to have worked both in professional and educational settings throughout her career. She is a member of the Educational Theatre Association.

Currently, Ms. Thomas is in her 17th year at Christ Presbyterian Academy and serves the as an instructor of US Theatre, Arts & Activism, and Art of Film, producer of Coffeehouse, director of the One Act productions, Co-Director of the Mainstage show, Assistant Director on the musical, and sponsor of Thespians.

Allie Spengler is a performer and arts educator based in Nashville, TN. A proud Williamson County native, Allie grew up attending Thescon and is thrilled to now serve on its board. She holds a BFA in Musical Theatre from Western Carolina University and has performed at regional theatres and theme parks across the country, with credits including Nashville Repertory Theatre, Franklin Theatrical Fellowship, Old Creamery Theatre, and RWS & Associates.

In addition to her work on stage, Allie is passionate about arts education and currently serves as a supplemental theatre educator at Independence High School. She also contributes to her community through her work with Habitat for Humanity.

Annie Rice is the theater director at Summit High School, having helped open the school 15 years ago and was named the school’s Teacher of the Year in its inaugural year.  Entering her 20th year of teaching, she has directed over 40 productions, one of which she co-wrote with some of her students.  A Middle Tennessee native, Annie graduated from Brentwood High School (where she attended ThesCon as a student), attended Lipscomb University where she earned a BA in English and Theater Education, and has performed around the mid state with several local theaters.  When not teaching or directing, Annie is a home baker specializing in cakes.

ThesFest Committee

Aly Isom is a passionate theatre educator and director with over 15 years of experience inspiring creativity and leadership in students. Since 2005, she has directed more than 40 productions, including Matilda Jr., Seussical Jr., and Aladdin Jr., dedicating over 150 hours per show to training students in acting, singing, dancing, and technical theatre. She leads the Junior International Thespian Society and serves as the Theatre Team Lead for Williamson County Schools, mentoring educators and promoting collaboration.

From 2008 to 2017 at Bradley Academy, Aly directed award-winning shows like Lion King Jr. and Peter Pan Jr., earning the Freddie G. Award for Teaching Excellence in Musical Theatre. Her students regularly ranked in the top 10% at the Junior Theatre Festival, earning honors such as “Outstanding Production.”

Aly has written theatre curricula and collaborated with organizations like the Tennessee Arts Commission and University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. Her recognitions include Teacher of the Year (2022, 2013) and the Tennessee Volunteer Award (2021). With early roots in directing one-acts and scenic artistry, Aly remains committed to cultivating young artists and vibrant theatrical communities.

ThesFest Committee

Donovan Hughes is a Memphis native who found his way to Middle Tennessee to study Theatre at MTSU. He received his B.S. in Theatre in 2019 with a focus on Performance and Production Management. Donovan has spent the last three years as the Theatre Teacher at Page Middle School and will now be serving as the head of Theatre at Page High School! 

ThesCon Committee

Dr. William Eyerly is the Performing Arts Director at St. Andrew’s Sewanee School. He is also the Executive Director for an arts education nonprofit, The Gainesville Association for the Creative Arts. He has advanced degrees in Theatre as well as a Master’s and Doctorate in Education. He has over 20 years of experience with International Thespians as a troupe director in Florida and has adjudicated at every level including for the Thespys at the International Thespian Festival these past two years. He has a passion for the cross-curricular benefits of theatre education,  and his dissertation research “Implementing and Assessing the Effects of Theatre Infused Reading Instruction” is published by ProQuest. 

ThesCon Committee

Michael teaches Theatre at Johnson County High School in Mountain City, TN. During his 28 year tenure, he taught Marketing Education, Personal Finance and for the last 11 years, Theatre. 

Eddie Porras is ecstatic to be this years Thespian Conference Boards President! He is a junior at Centennial Highschool and has been doing theatre for about 4 years now. He loves performing theatre and storytelling as well as singing and dancing. He recently was seen as Spongebob in Spongebob the Musical and some of his favorite roles include Nick (Godspell) and Amos (Chicago). He has performed with Centennial Centerstage, Gift of Song, Starbright, and TFP. Eddie is so happy to have so many friends beside him on the board and to work with incredibly talented people to make this years Thescon special.

Brycen Patterson is over the moon about being on the Thescon Student Board this year! He has wanted this incredible opportunity for many years now. He is currently a Senior at Rockvale High School. Brycen has had a passion for the performing arts since he was very little. His favorite roles include: Seymour Krelborn (Little Shop of Horrors), Huckleberry Finn (Big River), and Scarecrow (Wizard of Oz). He walked and performed in NYFW 2025 and played the role of “Zach” in The Wildman of Shaggy Creek which had its theatrical release on August 1st! He’d like to thank his wonderful Rockvale theatre directors, Kim Hughes and David Hutson, for giving him the tools to make his dreams come true! He cannot wait for this exciting year of Thescon to come! 

Emma Delane Singleton is thrilled to serve on this year’s ThesCon board! It has always been a dream of hers to join this special team. Emma Delane has been in over 30 theatrical productions with local companies like Source One Five, Star Bright, Act Too Players, and others. She also enjoys performing at her school, Lipscomb Academy. Some of her favorite roles include Reno Sweeny, Mary Poppins, and Catherine Parr. Emma Delane is an avid writer, and expresses herself through original scripts, screenplays, and songs. ThesCon is one of her favorite weekends of the year, and she cannot wait to experience it with all of you!

Gabrielle Masternick is so thrilled to be on this year’s Thespian Conference Board! She is a junior at Page High this year and this will be her 3rd year attending ThesCon! She has been performing since second grade and plans to major in musical theater in college! She has loved her time performing with outside theaters as well, including TFP and Starbright! Her favorite roles include Judy (9 to 5), Roxie (Chicago), and Lisa/dance captain (Mamma Mia). She is so excited to be able to contribute to this amazing conference and represent her school. Gabrielle can’t wait to meet new people and make this year the best it can be!

JT McCoy is so excited to be a part of this year's amazing Thespian Conference Board! He is a senior at Nolensville High School! JT has been doing theatre for around 5 years and wants to continue for the rest of his life! He also loves to perform in different community theatres such as Act Too Players, Gift of Song, and Theatre Bug. His favorite roles have included Macbeth(Macbeth), Bert(Mary Poppins), and Marius(Les Mis)! He is so excited to work with this amazing team! And he is so excited to meet everyone and have a great time at Thescon!

Maddie Phillips is so thrilled to get the opportunity to be a part of the Thescon Student Board for 2026! She has had the pleasure of working in many theatre productions with some of her most memorable roles being: Elsa(Frozen), Babe Williams(The Pajama Game), and Katherine Howard(Six). Everyone on this team is so incredible and Maddie is so greatful to work alongside each and every one of them! She is so excited to make this year at Thescon one to look back on.