Announcing 2022 NTPA Stardust Award for Performing Arts Educators – Gregory Arp Named Distinguished Performing Arts Leader

Hailing from the west Texas town of Levelland, Greg serves as the Coordinator for Speech and Theatre at Plano ISD.  He is an Associate of Arts Theatre Performance graduate of South Plains College, Bachelor of Arts Theatre Performance graduate of West Texas State University, completed post graduate work in Education at the University of North Texas and completed his Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with a minor in Teacher Leadership, Concordia University, Portland.   

Greg’s career as an educator began immediately after completing his student teaching with a move to Dumas, Texas where he was the theatre and speech teacher for two years.  He began his career with Plano ISD as the Speech and Theatre teacher at Wilson Middle School where he was named Teacher of the Year in 2000.  After five years, Greg continued his PISD career with a move to Vines High School to teach speech and theatre to ninth and tenth graders and served as the Fine Arts Assistant Team Leader.  

After teaching at Vines High School for three years, Greg moved to Plano Sr. High School to serve as the technical theatre teacher for two years and the Director of Theatre for eight years.  His productions garnered many state and local awards including Dallas Summer Musicals High School Musical Theatre Awards Best Musical, Best Technical Execution and Best Actor in 2013.  Greg was selected by his peers as the Plano Sr. High School Teacher of the Year and subsequently Plano ISD’s Secondary Teacher of the Year for 2012.  After ten years at Plano Sr. High, Greg moved into an administrative role as the Coordinator for Speech and Theatre for Plano ISD in 2013 where he now leads teachers in curriculum and instruction for the district.  Greg was recently named District Administer of the Year by the National Speech and Debate Association for 2021.  

Greg serves as a University Interscholastic League One Act Play Adjudicator through Texas Theatre Adjudicators and Officials (TTAO) and has served as the Program Director and Co-Convention Director for the Texas Educational Theatre Association (TxETA) TheatreFest Convention from 2015 to 2018.  He serves as the Vice Chair of the Texas Theatre Administrators Conference (TTAC) and is recent graduate of Leadership Plano Class 38.  You can see him on the stage in his second season of Chamberlain Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” playing the role of Drosselmeyer.  

NTPA is also recognizing three area educators with Stardust Awards including Distinguished High School Performing Arts Educator Carmen McElwain with Shepton High School in Plano. Distinguished Middle School Arts Educator Awards are going to Taylor Coffin with St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School in Dallas, and Joshua Batty with Armstrong Middle School in PISD. Mark Mullino will be honored as the North Texas Performing Arts Distinguished Collegiate Performing Arts Educator. These honorees were selected from over a hundred nominees from across North Texas.

These distinguished honorees will be recognized at the Annual NTPA Stardust Awards Ceremony taking place on October 15 at the historic Southfork Ranch. The evening’s program features recognition for performing arts leadership in ten different categories including instructors, artists, organizations, leadership, business support, and others. NTPA will also be recognizing its own leaders and volunteers during the event featuring entertainment from the Emerald City Party Machine Band, the NTPA Repertory Theatre and other performers. 

The honorees for the arts community leadership awards are nominated by the public and award determinations are made by a committee of judges including performing arts leaders, educators, and professionals from across Texas.

You are invited to a
HUGE CELEBRATION EVENT

with entertainment from Emerald City presents Party Machine Band!