General Contact | Staff Bios | Booster Officers & Chairs

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The Professional Team

Chris Rugila - Director of Bands

Chris Rugila joined the South Meck band family in 2009.   Prior to his arrival he was the director of bands at Decatur High School and Middle School since 2006.   While in Decatur he was responsible for instructing all band classes including Beginning Band, Middle School Concert Band, High School Concert Band, Raider Marching Band, and High School Jazz Club.   In addition to instructing all band classes he also teaches two sections of Music Appreciation.

Chris graduated Cum Laude from Eastern Michigan University in 2006.   He holds a B.A. in Music Education.   While at EMU he performed in the Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Marching Band, Symphony Orchestra, Collegium Musicum, and the Huron River Brass Quintet.

In addition to his public school teaching Chris is also an active brass instructor for drum and bugle corps.   He was a brass instructor at the Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps in 2005.   He is currently on the brass staff at Phantom Regiment as a mellophone tech, a position he has held since 2008.

Remaining active as a performer Chris played French horn in the Quintessential Winds woodwind quintet and also in various orchestras and bands.   In those moments when he is not instructing bands or teaching drum corps Chris enjoys golfing and spending time with his friends and family.

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Anna Destajo - Assistant Director

Anna Destajo attended Lincolnton High School and went on to attend Western Carolina University where she pursued a degree in Instrumental Music Education.   Anna is a horn player and she also played mellophone in the marching season.   She was in the Pride of the Mountains marching band where she served as section leader, uniform chief, field lining crew, and various other leadership roles. She is a sister of Sigma Alpha Iota, an international music fraternity for women, and was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow.

Anna is currently working as Asst. Director of Operations for Carolina Crown Drum Corps and has been involved with the drum corps activity since 2006, though she has been a fan since the age of four!

An avid coffee drinker, Anna enjoys any good cup of coffee with her family and friends.   She also loves to spend fun time with her fiance and two dogs, Emmot and Toby.

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TBD - Percussion Director/Arranger

Coming soon!

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Hayley Winder - Guard Director/Choreographer

Hayley Winder is a 2005 graduate from Western Carolina University.   At Western, she received a degree in Public Relations and minors in both Music and Dance.   In the Pride of the Mountains marching band, she also served as a guard captain for three years, and was a mentor for the Leadership Academy.   She is a sister of Sigma Alpha Iota, an international music fraternity for women, and is very involved in community service projects.   She has worked with numerous high schools including Tuscola High School, North Bumcombe High School, and Lake Norman High School.   She has been involved in color guard and winter guard for over 10 years and believes it really is the "sport of the arts."   Hayley marched with independent world winter guard Ad astra per Aspera in 2005.   Hayley has worked with instructors from DCI and WGI awarding winning staffs such as The Cadets and Santa Clara Vanguard.   She is currently working on a Master's degree in Education at UNCC and is looking forward to her first season with SMHS.

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Zakia Ruffin - Guard Director/Choreographer

Zakia Ruffin is a 2004 graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.   At Carolina, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics.

She has been marching color guard and winter guards since 1997 and had the pleasure of spinning with Carolina Visual Productions (2001, 2002, 2004); Carolina Gold Senior Corps (2006); The Study Independent World (2005); Croatan Independent World (2007, 2008, 2009); and Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps (2001, 2003, 2004).  

She has also worked with numerous high schools including East Lincoln High School, Concord High School, Jay M. Robinson High School, and Ronald Reagan High School.   She is very happy to join SMHS staff and looks forward to the great things that will come from all members of the SMHS Band program.