Music Educators

Gretchen Wessel is a distinguished music educator with over three decades of service to the Worthington community, primarily as the Music Specialist at Colonial Hills Elementary School. An alumna of The Ohio State University and Orff certified, she has built a legacy of artistic excellence by leading diverse ensembles, including specialized folk groups, choral ensembles, samba, and taiko drumming. Her impact has been recognized through notable honors, including the 2016 Battelle Celebrate Teaching Teacher of the Year award and being named a Sunny 95 Teacher of the Month, while her expertise has been featured in the McGraw Hill Art of Teaching series and as a clinician for the OMEA state conference. Beyond the classroom, Gretchen’s influence extends into the broader Columbus arts scene, where her student groups have performed for the Columbus Symphony Family Series, the Ohio History Center, the Columbus Foundation, the Worthington Bicentennial Celebration, and the Grand Illumination at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Her commitment to music is further reflected in her 17-year tenure directing the Children’s Choir and Handbell Ensemble at Worthington United Methodist Church and her time performing with the Columbus Bach Ensemble and Cantari Singers. For Gretchen, the greatest achievement of her career remains the lasting confidence and lifelong love of music she instills in her students, viewing her teaching journey as the privilege of a lifetime. 

John Riegel has been the Director of Orchestras at Hilliard Darby High School since 2000. He retires from the Hilliard City Schools this May after 35 years as a public school orchestra teacher. Originally from Oxford, Ohio, Mr. Riegel holds a Master of Arts in Music and Bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Performance from The Ohio State University, where his major teachers included Dr. Robert Gillespie (string pedagogy) and Michael Davis (violin). He taught orchestra in grades 4-12 in the Mansfield City Schools from 1990-1999. He also served as chair of the OMEA East-Central Region for six years. From 1993 to 2001, Mr. Riegel conducted the Mansfield Symphony Junior Strings Youth Orchestra (now Youth Strings). He was a faculty member of the Ohio String Teachers Association Middle School Orchestra Camp for twelve summers. Since 2011 he has served as an orchestra conductor at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp near Muskegon, Michigan.

Mr. Riegel was recognized as the 2016-17 Public School Orchestra Teacher of the Year by the Ohio String Teachers Association.  Mr. Riegel holds memberships in the American String Teachers Association, National Association for Music Education, and the Ohio Music Education Association. An active violinist, he has performed with the Mansfield Symphony and other area orchestras. 

Mr. Riegel resides in Columbus with his wife Turid, also a violinist and teacher. 

Dr. Kimberlee Goodman is an accomplished flutist, educator, and arts leader. She holds dual degrees in Flute Performance (DMA, MM) from The Ohio State University and a Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance from Arizona State University. An active performer, she is Principal Flutist with the Westerville Symphony and a member of the PANdemonium4 Flute Quartet, and has performed with the Columbus, Lima, West Virginia, and Mansfield Symphony Orchestras. 

A dedicated educator, Dr. Goodman has taught students of all ages for over two decades, fostering technical excellence, creativity, and a lifelong appreciation for music. Her students consistently achieve high levels of success, including All-State honors and national recognition. She was Professor of Flute at Otterbein University from 2005-2023. 

As Executive Director of the McConnell Arts Center in Worthington, OH, she expands access to high-quality arts education through innovative programming and community partnerships. She is committed to connecting students with professional artists and creating meaningful opportunities for artistic exploration. 

Dr. Goodman’s work reflects a deep belief in the transformative power of the arts and a commitment to inspiring the next generation of musicians and arts advocates. 

Stephanie Henkle, Soprano, earned vocal performance and pedagogy degrees from Ohio Wesleyan University and Indiana University, completing her doctoral coursework at The Ohio State University. While at OSU she was a Graduate Teaching Associate, won the Margaret Speaks Award, Critical Difference for Women grant and the Doctoral Concerto Competition. 

Placing first in the Metropolitan Opera District Auditions, the Cooper-Bing Competition, NATS State Artist Award and the Eleanor Steber Foundation Award, Stephanie has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Recital Hall, The Kennedy Center, National Cathedral and venues throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Also a jazz singer, she sang twice with the Duke Ellington Orchestra and enjoys presenting her ‘Salute to the Divas of Broadway’ revue throughout Ohio. 

Having served on the voice faculties of Denison, Otterbein, Capital, Cedarville Universities and Kenyon College, where she was Director of Vocal Studies, Stephanie taught collegiate level Applied Voice, Opera Workshop, class voice, and lyric diction in Latin, Spanish, French, and German. 

Proud that more than sixty of her students have pursued music professionally, they are enjoying careers as Classical, Musical Theatre, film performers, and successful Music Educators, while others thrive as avocational singers. 

Honored to have led the Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing as both State President and District Governor, Stephanie will retire from Henkle Voice and Piano Studio of Westerville in August of 2026.