Vicki Portis is the retired music specialist from Bluff Park Elementary School in Hoover, AL. Except for an eight-year hiatus in which she worked in a local ministry, Ms. Portis has taught since 1977 in schools in Montgomery County, Jefferson County, and Hoover, AL. Ms. Portis received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in music education from the University of Montevallo as well as Level 1 Orff certification under Konnie Saliba. She completed Levels 2-3 Orff certification and Master Class at Memphis State University under Ms. Saliba and Jos Wuytack. Ms. Portis has conducted workshops for both music and classroom teachers in addition to serving as a guest elementary choral conductor and adjudicator. She worked with local universities as a cooperating teacher for student interns. Ms. Portis has served the Elementary/General division of Alabama Music Educators Association as president and district representative. She is also a member of Music Educators National Conference, American Orff-Schulwerk Association, the Alabama Chapter of AOSA, and the Alabama National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Network. Ms. Portis conducted Hoover and Homewood elementary choral students in the Opening Session performance of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association National Conference in Birmingham in 2005 She also conducted the Alabama Music Education Association’s first all-state choral performance in 2006. In November 2002 she became the first Alabama music teacher to become certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards and recertified in 2011. She has mentored other teachers in the National Board process and is an adjunct professor at Samford University. In 2016 Ms. Portis presented a workshop for Jefferson County elementary music teachers on developing the child voice. Ms. Portis has been blessed to travel to many places in the world. Kenya is the place dearest to her heart. She has made special friends in the Masai Mara area while doing humanitarian and mission work.