Tom Merrill Email & Phone Number

Naperville, Illinois

• Developed client base and created brand awareness in new territory areas through outreach and in-person sales visits and conference attendance. Achieved sales goal within first year on team.
• Named to Team Leader position mentoring four other sales team members, guiding through COVID-19 pandemic response and strategizing for future outreach and sales.
• Member of Student and Youth Travel Association (SYTA) Education Sub-Committee.
• Created on-line teaching lessons related to school band and orchestra that were made available on the company website to provide music educators with immediate, free content to assist them with the transition to.

• Coordinate and manage adjudicated, educationally-focused music festivals over multiple dates and locations across North America each spring. Festival serves thousands of student musicians and hundreds of ensembles from.
• Communicate details of schedule, participation, regulations, and festival process with participating music educators and their respective professional travel planners.
• Recruit, develop, and coordinate teams of well-respected and qualified music educators to serve on adjudication teams for each festival event.
• Research, analyze, select, and contract performance site locations consisting of high-quality concert venues for festival events. Sites are typically collegiate or community performing arts centers.
• Hire and oversee site teams to execute festival operations at the local level.
• Research and contract with awards ceremony venues at attractions unique to each festival location.

Greater Chicago Area

• Named Assistant Director of Concert Development, August 2014
• Researched, identified, and recruited qualified ensembles to participate in concert residency performances at locations such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Orchestra Hall, and Kennedy Center
• Increased performer numbers from first to second year by over 325%, many from ensembles previously unfamiliar with our educational programs
• Member of Ideas Committee: collected and brainstormed new performance event concepts, client care improvements, and outreach projects for organization

Deerfield, IL

• New Horizons Tour and Travel/Brightspark Travel merged in 2010
• Opened regional office and built strong client bases where none existed previously
• Sales Leadership Team: acted as mentor/trainer to Sales Team members, including advisement on sales technique, itinerary development, and client care
• Actively involved in Centers of Excellence Project of sister company best practices for sales and operations related to TUI Student/First Choice merger
• Led drive for New Horizons to achieve Top Producer status for Disney Magic Music Days (now Disney Performing Arts) at Disneyland in 2009
• Sales Technique Review Project; examined techniques of client care and evaluated strengths and challenges to remain competitive in evolving travel industry.

Lafayette, CO

• Oversaw all aspects of band program, including multiple concert bands, marching band, jazz band, pep band, drum line and small ensembles
• Group performances included Colorado Bandmasters Association marching and concert band festivals, Musicfest Orlando and Disney Magic Music Days (now Disney Performing Arts Program)
• Supervised band program with 120+ student participants as well as parent booster organization

Clinton, IA

• Directed grades 9-10 concert band, jazz bands and pep band
• Designed, arranged and assisted with teaching fall marching band show for ensemble of 200+ members

Normal, IL

• Assisted with all university wind bands, marching band, and basketball band
• Coordinated operations for Department of Bands including planning, sponsorship development, and execution of major statewide concert and marching band festivals

Keosauqua, IA

Ruthven, IA

Masters, Music In Conducting And Clarinet Performance

Bachelors, Music Education, Instrumental Emphasis