Board of Directors
Lisa Garza
Lisa Garza has been in the world of Healthcare through the lens of Medical insurance, Claims, and a subject matter expert in medical benefits. She’s worked her almost 30 years career in Healthcare starting in Schaumburg, IL in 1995 while living there then made the move back to Oregon in June 2003 and has been working for Kaiser Permanente over 20 years. She’s had various roles within the Organization and currently is a Benefits Project Manager. When she’s not working, she is a Paranormal Investigator, enjoys time with her pets (3 cats), and her many creative adventures.
Lisa began playing musical instruments in the 4th Grade within the Centennial District and continued playing until graduating from Centennial High School in 1987. She was part of the groups that played and marched in the Portland Grand Floral Parade all 4 years of High School.
Lisa joined the CDAF Board in August 2023 and has hopes to bring back the fun, experiences, opportunities, and excitement that she experienced to the current students in the District. She looks forward to helping students, along with their families, enjoy the Arts more fully and participate in Concert and Marching events around the Region.
Johnathon Rockwell
Born and raised in rural Arizona, Johnathon Rockwell found a passion for music and the arts in his schools. He was a part of a championship-winning marching band program and a theater technician in his school’s drama classes. He received his Bachelor’s of Secondary Music from Northern Arizona University. Johnathon started his teaching career in rural Nevada, 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas. He taught K-12 Music and Theater; it was a lot of fun, but he felt it was time to get away from the desert. In 2023 Johnathon moved to Portland and is now the band director at Oliver Middle School.
Terry Smith
Terry grew up attending Centennial District schools and is a CHS alumni, class of ’85. He has done contracting in the custom homes sector for 20 years doing kitchens, baths, decks, and custom woodworking projects of all kinds. Before that he worked in higher education as a philosophy instructor at the undergraduate and graduate levels for 11 years.
His passion for the Arts and athletics began at an early age. As an aspiring trumpet player, band life had a profound and formative impact. Terry’s Arts practices have matured and diversified in adult life to include writing, photography, design, aesthetics, and exploring the impact the Arts have on human maturity and well-being.
Advisory Board
Michael Lasfetto
Michael Lasfetto is the founding Educational Director for the East Metro Community Music Association. In this role, Michael oversees the operation of and directs the concert and marching bands. He also serves as the music teacher at Butler Creek Elementary School where he teaches all students in grades K-5 and is on the faculty of the Eastwinds Band Camp through Vibe of Portland. When not teaching music, Mr. Lafetto is the Church Music Scholar at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church where he takes organ lessons, sings in the choir, and assists the organist-choirmaster. He is frequently asked to substitute as a guest organist at churches around the Pacific Northwest. As a performer he has played horn, piano, and/or sung with the Oregon Sinfonietta, the Portland Wind Symphony, Rose City Swing, The Olympia Symphony, the Northwest Wind Symphony, and the Consonare Chorale. Before returning to the school district where he grew up, Michael taught band, choir, and general music in the Lincoln County, Salem-Keizer, and Scottsdale Unified School Districts. Michael has a Bachelor of Music Education from Pacific Lutheran University and a Master of Music in Music Education from the American Band College of Central Washington University as well as training in Orff Schulwerk, Conversational Solfege, and World Music Drumming. His professional affiliations include the Association of Concert Bands, The National Association for Music Education, the Association of Lutheran Church Musicians, The American Guild of Organists, and the International Horn Society. He is a proud member of this local union, the Centennial Education Association as well as a lifelong member of Mu Phi Epsilon International Professional Music Fraternity.
Evan Sass
Evan Sass played trumpet and flugelhorn–and briefly sousaphone–throughout his years at Centennial High School, from which he graduated in 1987. Evan went on to play in various ensembles at the University of Oregon, where he was a Music Education major for a time. His lifelong passion for music led eventually to meeting his wife, Rona, a trumpet teacher and performer in the Seattle area. Together they founded Brassapalooza, a brass music summer camp, and Northwest Brass Choir, an academic-year brass ensemble program. They were also instrumental (heh) in the creation of Washington Trumpet Guild, the Washington State chapter of the International Trumpet Guild. Evan is a member of the International Tuba Euphonium Association and plays at Tuba Christmas in the Seattle Center Armory each year with his son, who is ramping up to audition for colleges at which to study tuba and euphonium. Evan serves on the CDAF Advisory Board and manages this web site.