Michael McCullough
Oklahoma City
Summary
Innovative music professional experienced in creating a positive environment in which to teach and inspire students to achieve their full educational and musical potential. Passionate about motivating students to "want to" obtain excellence in all aspects of their lives. Instilling in them the mindset that all obstacles are opportunities for growth. We must push through and never give up.
Overview
17
17
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Group Training Manager, Staff Sergeant UTM
United States Air Force Reserves
10.2025 - Current
- A Group Training Manager (GTM) in the United States Air Force is responsible for overseeing and managing training programs across all squadrons within a group. The role ensures Airmen are properly trained, qualified, and mission-ready while maintaining compliance with Air Force training policies.
- Directed group training program for 306+ Airmen across 23 squadrons; ensured compliance with AFI 36-2651—boosted training readiness and eliminated overdue qualifications.
- Managed enterprise-level training records in myTraining and Training Business Area; validated certifications and upgrade training—sustained 100% accountability for mission-critical qualifications.
- Led training oversight for group personnel; standardized processes across multiple UTMs—improved training tracking accuracy and reduced discrepancies during program reviews.
- Mentored and guided 4 Unit Training Managers; strengthened squadron training programs—improved compliance and enhanced mission readiness across the group.
- Advised group leadership on training readiness and qualification metrics; delivered data-driven recommendations—enabled informed decisions impacting operational capability.
- Developed training best practices and provided hands-on instruction to supervisors/trainers—elevated training program effectiveness and Airman development.
- Maintained accuracy in training systems by regularly updating data and verifying records.
- Verify certifications, qualifications, and upgrade training progress.
- Provide guidance and mentorship to Unit Training Managers (UTMs) across the group.
- Conducted comprehensive training program reviews across squadrons; identified and corrected deficiencies—strengthened compliance with Air Force training guidance.
- Serve as the subject matter expert for training issues.
- Track Career Development Course (CDC) progress.
- Monitor upgrade training timelines (3-level to 5-level, 5-level to 7-level).
- Ensure supervisors and trainers are fulfilling their responsibilities.
- Orchestrated group preparation for Commander’s Inspection Program and Inspector General Inspection System—ensured full compliance with training standards and inspection criteria.
- Compile and brief training metrics and readiness data to group leadership.
- Analyzed training data and identified trends; implemented corrective actions—enhanced readiness and eliminated recurring training deficiencies.
- Track qualification status, overdue training, and compliance rates.
- Coordinate training opportunities including: PME (Professional Military Education), Special duty training, Leadership courses.
- Help develop Airmen’s career progression.
- Advise Group Commander and senior leaders on training readiness.
- Provide recommendations to improve training effectiveness and mission capability.
- Identify training program weaknesses.
- Partnered with squadron leadership to resolve training issues and streamline processes—improved program efficiency and accountability.
- Coordinated upgrade training, certifications, and qualification tracking for group personnel—ensured Airmen progressed on schedule and maintained mission readiness.
Assistant Band Director
Bridge Creek Public Schools
08.2024 - Current
- Led the marching band to its first Superior rating at the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association Regional Marching Contest in 2024, This was the first time since 2012 (2A); first Superior rating as a Class 4A program.
- Achieved back-to-back Superior ratings at the OSSAA Regional Marching Contest (2024–2025), demonstrating sustained program growth and competitive excellence.
- Guided the concert band to Straight 1 (Superior) ratings in both stage performance and sight-reading at the 2026 OSSAA District Concert Band Contest.
- Co-directed high school marching band, concert band, jazz band, and basketball band, enhancing rehearsal planning, musical instruction, and performance preparation.
- Served as co-director for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade bands, providing foundational instruction in instrumental technique, music literacy, and ensemble performance.
- Assisted in developing and implementing district band curriculum, ensuring alignment with program goals and supporting student skill development.
- Coordinated performance opportunities for Bridge Creek band students at military ceremonies at Tinker Air Force Base, including a Wing Commander Change of Command ceremony, strengthening community and military partnerships.
- Organized a backstage educational experience for the Bridge Creek Jazz Band, allowing students to participate in a private Q&A session with renowned musicians including Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Steve Vai, and Danny Carey.
- Assisted in program administration, including contest scheduling, transportation coordination, facility planning, and overall band calendar management.
- Managed instrument inventory, rentals, and repair processes, ensuring students had access to quality instruments.
- Supported band fundraising initiatives and program sustainability efforts.
- Prepared students for honor band auditions, regional contests, and competitive performances, guiding musical growth and audition readiness.
- Developed daily lesson plans aligned with curriculum standards, ensuring structured and goal-oriented instruction.
- Fostered positive, structured classroom environment that promoted discipline, collaboration, and musical achievement.
- Conducted ensembles and refined musical performance elements, including tempo, phrasing, tone quality, intonation, balance, and dynamics.
- Integrated music theory concepts into rehearsal and instruction to strengthen students’ understanding of harmony, melody, and musical structure.
- Mentored students through coaching, goal setting, and performance preparation, improving individual musicianship and ensemble performance.
Avionics Technician, Electronic Warfare
United States Air Force Reserves
04.2021 - 10.2025
- Certified Trainer/Mentor to new Airmen.
- Coordinated work with engineers, technicians, and other aircraft maintenance personnel.
- Organized and used variety of teaching techniques, maximizing individual and group learning.
- Motivated and engaged Airmen, developing skills and knowledge for time management and trouble shooting.
- I operate and maintain electronic warfare, radar surveillance and computer systems on various aircraft.
- I also remove, install, check, and repair avionics/computer systems and line replaceable units.
- When unforeseen issues occur, I interpret and recommend corrective action to maintenance inspection findings.
- I also help plan, organize, and direct aircraft maintenance activities.
- Reviews maintenance data collection summaries to determine trends & production effectiveness.
- Trained others on how to maintain, pack, & troubleshoot complex electronic equipment.
- Evaluated Airmen academic growth, recording and preparing progress reports.
- Promoted critical thinking to helped Airmen develop problem-solving skills in accordance with U.S. Air Force technical orders.
- Adapted curriculum, addressing needs of the Air Force with varying abilities, values, and morals.
- Identified ways to improve efficiency in operations and implemented process changes.
Band Director
Geary Public Schools
08.2023 - 08.2024
- Was able to take a program that had not competed in any many year and was able to help a few students earn superior rating at district and send them to state sole and ensemble contest.
- Instructed High School Concert Band, High School Pep Band, Middle School Band, Two 6th grade beginning Bands, and helped with 3rd-5th grade general music.
- After many years of students not being able to perform at a standard to compete, I was able to help them receive Superiors ratings at District contest which led them to qualify for State.
- Helped organize a music library of over 1000 pieces of music.
- Organized, repaired and created an instrument inventory.
- Created and maintained a band budget.
- Organized and directed a veteran’s day assembly, Christmas Program, Spring Concert and multiple School Spirit Assemblies.
- Explored and helped students develop musical ideas based on sources such as imagination and sounded in environment.
- Performed administrative tasks such as applying for grants, developing budgets, negotiating contracts, and designing and printing programs and other promotional materials.
- Participated in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
- Developed and implemented appropriate plans to resolve behavioral issues.
- Engaged Students through conversations and activities by showing compassion and understanding, promoting independence and enhanced teamwork.
Band Director/Music Teacher
Capitol Hill Middle School & OKCPS, Fillmore
08.2019 - 05.2022
- I started this brand-new band program at Capitol Hill Middle School.
- Since it was a new school, the students were not allowed to select their own classes.
- 204 students were placed in my class with no experience.
- Out of the 204, 5th through 8th graders, I had over 154 students that choose to stay in band and a few that needed to be moved out into a better fit class.
- When I had arrived, the school had just given me an oversized storage room filled with desks and other random furniture items and I was able to redesign the space to become a suitable band room.
- We started the program with only half the number of instruments.
- This led the students having to share instruments.
- Through many different personal funding channels, I was able to provide more instruments for our program so that every student had their own instrument and more instruments for future students.
- We were able to put own a full Christmas Concert after only playing for less than two months.
- Explored and helped students develop musical ideas based on sources such as imagination and sounded in environment.
- Performed administrative tasks such as applying for grants, developing budgets, negotiating contracts, and designing and printing programs and other promotional materials.
- Participated in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.
- Developed and implemented appropriate plans to resolve behavioral issues.
- Engaged Students through conversations and activities by showing compassion and understanding, promoting independence and enhanced teamwork.
Assistant Band Director
Blanchard Public Schools
08.2018 - 08.2019
- Assisted with the high school band marching program and concert seasons.
- Directed the high school brass ensembles.
- Led the high school basketball band.
- Main director of the 7/8 grade band.
- Assisted the 5th and 6th grade beginner bands.
- In charged of 12 different 3rd/4th grade general music classes.
- Assisted in the creation of the district band curriculum.
- Helped in organizing the total band calendar/coordinated transportation and facilities for contests.
- Worked with CHARMS to organize music program.
- Aided instrument rentals and repairs processes.
- Assisted in fundraising activities.
- Handled multiple honor band auditions and contest.
- Developed monthly newsletters to keep parents informed of everything that was going on with our programs and their students.
- Created daily lesson plans for each of my classes to achieve curriculum goals.
- Established an effective classroom environment.
- Shaped music being played, communicating desired tempo, phrasing, tone, color, pitch, volume, and other performance aspects.
- Applied elements of music theory to create musical and tonal structures, including harmonies, and melodies.
- Managed students’ performance through coaching, goal setting, and day-to-day direction.
Travel Agent
Alamo/Manassas Travel
05.2011 - 04.2018
- Made reservations and monitored cabin availability for government employees and military.
- Arranged Group travel for military missions.
- Managed military travel budgets.
- My current mission is to smoothly move our DoD military/civilian and their dependents from point A to point B in the most economical way possible to save government money and to make sure that all my travelers arrive safe and on time to their missions.
- Developed creative strategies to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Utilized knowledge of international geography and customs regulations to provide customers with detailed information about destinations.
- Helped military select the most cost-effective options that met Air Force requirements.
- Government Travel Agency
Master Teacher
Teaching Little Hands
05.2009 - 05.2011
- Assist in a recreational and educational activities of students.
- Ensured safety measures were in place before and after school.
- Directed the music education in school.
- Worked closely with administrative offices to create a fun and educational summer program for the children.
- Responsible for creating and maintaining different educational centers to stimulate the child's cognitive development.
- Delegated responsibilities to assistant teachers to maintain positive structured environment best for teaching.
- Provided counseling and therapy to mentally disturbed, delinquent, and handicapped children.
- Identified signs of emotional and developmental problems in children and brought them to parents' or guardians' attention.
- Managed student behavioral issues to optimize classroom learning environment.
- Developed and maintained classroom environment conducive to learning and appropriate for social and emotional development of students.
- Motivated and engaged students, developing skills and knowledge for academic foundation.
- Created and maintained clean, safe and organized learning environment.
- Adapted instructional strategies to meet student needs.
Education
Associate In Science (A.S.) - Avionic System Technology
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE AIR FORCE
Montgomery, AL04-2023
BACHELOR’S DEGREE - Instrumental Music Education
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
Edmond, Oklahoma12-2017
BACHELOR’S DEGREE - General Studies, Music
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
Edmond, Oklahoma04-2016
Skills
- Music instruction
- Instrument proficiency
- Conducting expertise
- Musical performance
- Trumpet playing
- Brass playing
- Woodwind playing
- Percussion playing
- Music theory
- Subject matter expertise
- Curriculum development
- Teaching strategies
- Creative lesson planning
- Performance preparation
- Audition preparation
- Rehearsal techniques
- Performance assessment
- Safe environment creation
- Classroom management
- Classroom discipline
- Team leadership
- Leadership
- Team player
- Morale building
- Mentoring students
- Community engagement
- Band program coordination
- Program development
- Distance learning
- Training
- Coaching
- Training methods
- Teaching expertise
- Teaching methods
- Goal setting
- Teaching strategies
- Sound reinforcement
- Score analysis
- Instrument maintenance proficiency
- Instrument maintenance
- Communication
- Effective communication
- Exceptional communicator
- Adaptability
- Organized
- Collaborative learning
- Active listening
- Creativity and innovation
- Rule enforcement
- Critical thinking
- Team development strategies
- Music knowledge
- Music budget management
- Directing
- Role modeling
- Creative lesson planning
- Team player
- Coaching
- Team leadership
- Communication
- Parent communication
- Distance learning
- Rule enforcement
- Critical thinking
- Collaborative learning
Certification
- Behavioral Skills Development
- Instrumental/General Music PK-12.5
References
- Nathan Leonard, Band Director, Bridge Creek Public Schools, (405) 410-9592
- Ryan Edgmon, Director of Bands, Mustang Public Schools
- Edward Hudson, Director of Fine Arts, Edmond Public Schools, (405) 376-7340, edward.hudson@edmondschools.net
- Jacob Hofer, Assistant Band Director, Mustang Public Schools
- Dr. James Klages, Trumpet Professor, University of Central Oklahoma, (405) 620-3409, hofej@mustangps.org
- Darnell Zook, Former Director of Bands Yukon Public Schools, (405) 830-0967
- CMSgt. UTPHALL, Jeremy L Utphall, 513 Air Control Group Chief, US Air Force, (318) 200-9944, jeremy.utphall@us.af.mil
- Col. Robert Zeese, 513 Air Control Group Deputy Commander, US Air Force, (405) 837-0492, robert.zeese.1@us.af.mil
Awards
- Top Graduate at Basic Military Training, 06/01/21, Graduated top of the class out of 627 Space Force and Air Force members.
- Honor Graduate, 06/01/21, Recognition for outstanding performance in Basic Military Training.
- AETC Commander's Award, 08/01/21, Recognition as top graduate for superior academic achievement.
- Flight Chief's Award, 08/01/21, Earned this award twice for outstanding academic achievements.
- AETC Commander's Award, 09/01/21, Recognition as top graduate for superior academic achievement.
- ACE Award, 09/01/21, First person in the history of the Avionics/ Electronic Warfare Technical School to score PERFECT throughout the entire program.
- 513 MXS Airman of the Quarter US Air Force March 2023
Timeline
Group Training Manager, Staff Sergeant UTM
United States Air Force Reserves
10.2025 - Current
Assistant Band Director
Bridge Creek Public Schools
08.2024 - Current
Band Director
Geary Public Schools
08.2023 - 08.2024
Avionics Technician, Electronic Warfare
United States Air Force Reserves
04.2021 - 10.2025
Band Director/Music Teacher
Capitol Hill Middle School & OKCPS, Fillmore
08.2019 - 05.2022
Assistant Band Director
Blanchard Public Schools
08.2018 - 08.2019
Travel Agent
Alamo/Manassas Travel
05.2011 - 04.2018
Master Teacher
Teaching Little Hands
05.2009 - 05.2011
Associate In Science (A.S.) - Avionic System Technology
COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF THE AIR FORCE
BACHELOR’S DEGREE - Instrumental Music Education
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
BACHELOR’S DEGREE - General Studies, Music
UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL OKLAHOMA