Get to know the staff at Best in Class Tours!
Our office is made up of retired directors and two former band students who would love to help you plan your group’s next trip!
Owner/Sales Manager Email: cmajor@bestinclasstours.com
Carl Major is a retired band director from Foley, Alabama. He earned undergraduate and graduate music degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Phoenix. Carl was a member of the McDonald’s All-American High School Band. He was a band director in the public school systems in Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama for 28 years, and traveling was always on the calendar. Organizing over 400 band students and parents on yearly trips became “part of the job.” Having his band programs travel to exciting places was always a great recruiting tool for his programs. Carl is also a published music writer and drill designer. Having over 100 published pieces of music and writing drill for over 75 high schools and colleges through the Southern States has allowed Carl to help many band directors throughout his teaching years.
Some professional organizations that Carl Major was a member to include The National Band Association, Percussive Arts Society, Innovative Percussion Artist, Alabama Bandmasters Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, Music Educators National Conference, The International Association of Rudimental Percussionists, Who’s Who Among American High School Teachers and Band Directors, and the National Education Association.
Now, organizing and helping other band directors travel with their programs is his top priority. Traveling for many years taught Carl all of the pros and cons of interacting with students, chaperones, communities, and administrations. The organization, excitement, motivation, background, and experience that Carl brings to Best in Class Tours is something that you will not get from other tour companies. From offering fundraising ideas and promoting your trip to having a great Educational Performance (if you choose to perform on your trip), Best in Class Tours is the company for you! Carl Major and his wife Amanda live in Orlando, Florida.
Owner/ Office Manager Email: jbarnhart@bestinclasstours.com
Jennifer Barnhart is a native of Orlando, Florida. She graduated from West Orange High School in 1994, where she was a proud member of the Warrior Band. In 1992, Jennifer had the opportunity to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and later served as co-captain of the colorguard during her senior year.
Jennifer attended Valencia Community College while working in the attractions industry at Universal Orlando. She began her career in Ride and Show Operations as a trainer and lead, later advancing to Operations Coordinator and working in Human Resources before leaving Universal in 2001. Having grown up visiting Disney, Jennifer also worked in Disney Entertainment in 1996 while attending college and continuing her role at Universal. It was a very busy but exciting time in her life.
Since 2002, Jennifer has worked in the travel industry, initially assisting families with planning trips to Orlando and, beginning in 2005, specializing in student and youth group travel. Over the years, she has helped coordinate hundreds of trips, working closely with directors, parents, and vendors to create smooth, well-organized experiences.
Jennifer is excited about this opportunity and believes that successful trips are built through strong collaboration and clear communication. Her goal is to provide outstanding personalized service, truly listen to her clients, and help create memorable experiences for every traveler. As a former band student, Jennifer understands the dedication required to build a strong program and recognizes how meaningful travel opportunities can be for students and their growth.
Jennifer and her husband, Archie, live in Winter Garden, Florida, with their two daughters, Haley (25) and Sarah (22), and more than a few rescued cats.
Tour Consultant Email: Townby@bestinclasstours.com
Terry S. Ownby retired June 1 of 2021, after 30 years of teaching instrumental music. He currently serves as a Tour Consultant with Best in Class Tours and Booster Fundraising as the Alabama Head Coach.
Mr. Ownby was the Director of Bands at Florence High School where he oversaw the marching, concert and jazz bands and served as the Secondary Fine Arts Academic Leader. Prior to his appointment at Florence, he served as a professor of music at Wallace State Community College, where he taught Symphonic Band, Music Theory, Music Appreciation and the Brass studio. He held the position of Director of Bands at Muscle Shoals Middle School and Assistant Director of Bands at Muscle Shoals High School for 22 years and also was instrumental in restarting the Muscle Shoals Jazz band program, which he directed for 9 years. He holds a Bachelors of Music in music education and a Master of Arts in Education degree from the University of North Alabama. He continues to serve as a guest Clinician/Conductor and Adjudicator throughout the Southeast.
The Muscle Shoals Middle School Symphonic Band was a featured performer at the Alabama Music Educators Associations 2001 convention. He served as a guest conductor with the Muscle Shoals High School Symphonic band at the Alabama Music Educators Associations 2003 convention. Mr. Ownby is also active as a marching band drill designer/consultant/adjudicator, and he served as the camp coordinator for the W.C. Jazz Music Camp from 1999-2007.
He plays trumpet professionally and has performed with the group Alabama, Percy Sledge, The Speer Family, William Lee Golden, The Oak Ridge Boys and with the world-renowned Muscle Shoals Horn Section. He is the lead trumpet player for the Shoals Area Big Band and has also appeared with the Legends of Jazz Big Band for the W.C. Handy Music Festival in 2003 and 2004, the lead trumpet for the Millennium Big Band for the Huntsville Symphony Association, on the General Jackson Showboat and is a founding member of the Shoals Dixieland Band.
Mr. Ownby serves as President of Terry Ownby Consulting, a firm founded to help build better cultures within schools and businesses, provide leadership training for both students and adults and other services to schools and music programs. He served as a member of the Alabama Bandmasters Board of directors for over 20 years, serving as District 3 Vice Chair and Chairman, Recording Secretary (2005-2017), President Elect (2017-2019), President (2019-2021), and Past President (2021-2023). He received the 2016 University of North Alabama College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding Alumni award, the first ever recipient of this award. He is a four-time member of Who’s Who Among Americas Teachers, listed in Who’s Who in America for 2005 and 2006, and was nominated for the 2004 Disney Hand Teacher Awards for creativity in teaching. He is the recipient of the National Band Associations “Citation of Excellence” for his contribution to bands and band music. He holds memberships in Phi Beta Mu International School Bandmasters Fraternity, National Band Association, Alabama Music Educators Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, American School Band Directors Association and the National Association for Music Education. Terry is married to Laura Reyer Ownby and they have two daughters: Emily Norris and her husband Tyler and Elizabeth Cole and her husband Malachi. He is the proud “POPS” to Jack who was born in July of 2020 and Leo who was born April of 2022 and Tate who will make his debut in July of 2023.
Tour Consultant Email: dclarke@bestinclasstours.com
Dr. Clarke graduated with a B.S. in Music Education from Western Carolina University, a Master’s Degree in Music Education from Winthrop University, and a Doctorate of Educational Leadership from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He spent his early years teaching band at Grandview Middle School, College Park Middle School, and Hickory High School in Hickory, North Carolina. Later, he became the band director at Piedmont Middle and High Schools in Monroe, and this was followed by 21 years as a high school administrator and the Deputy Superintendent for Union County Schools. After 29 years in education, he retired from North Carolina and went on to be a high school administrator at Central High School in Pageland, South Carolina for six years before retiring from public school education. Dr. Clarke was a member of the 1983 Disney All-American College Band at Disney World and was a member of the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West at March AFB, California. Currently, Dr. Clarke plays the French horn with the Carolinas Wind Orchestra. He is excited to be joining Best in Class Tours and looks forward to making unforgettable experiences for groups with quality support and service.
Tour Representative: Email: rjstichler@gmail.com
Rich Stichler: Mr. Stichler retired after 31 years of teaching instrumental music in public education. He has served as director of bands at Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School, Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia since 1999. He became director of the UTC Jazz Programs in 2022 and continues with his work as adjunct professor of trombone. He was director of bands at Ridgeland High School, Rossville, Georgia from 1993 to 1999.
Before relocating to the Chattanooga area, Mr. Stichler taught band and orchestra in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Under his direction the LFO and Ridgeland High School Bands received consistently superior ratings for marching, concert, and jazz performance in Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. The LFO Symphonic Band performed, by invitation, at the 2001 University of Georgia High School Music Festival. He served as GMEA District Seven Band Division chair and as the organizer of the GMEA All-State Jazz Ensembles.
Mr. Stichler maintains a busy schedule as a professional trombonist and teacher in the Chattanooga and Atlanta areas and has also free-lanced and taught privately in Arizona, California, Washington, D.C., and Las Vegas, Nevada. He was a member of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Marching Band, the 1986 Disneyland All-American College Band, and the 15th Air Force Band of the Golden West at March Air Force Base in California from 1987 to 1991. He earned the B.Mus. degree from the University of Arizona and the M.M.Ed. degree and Ed.S. degree in educational technology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Mr. Stichler is excited to be joining Best in Class Tours and sharing his 31+ years of knowledge, expertise, and attention to detail in planning and implementing worthwhile events for current directors and students.
Tour Consultant Email: charltonford@gmail.com
Charlie Ford is a Sales Representative for Fruhauf Uniforms and Marchmaster Inc. Born in Milton, FL in 1963, he is a native of Enterprise, AL, where he retired as band director at Enterprise High School in 2015. Charlie taught band for 29 years in Alabama, beginning his teaching career at Sardis High School in Boaz, AL in 1986. In 1989 he was hired as band director at Enterprise Jr. High School and in 2004 became the director at Enterprise High School.
Throughout his career, Mr. Ford’s band received numerous awards and during his tenure at EHS, the band program grew from 160 to 250 members. While at EHS, his bands never received less than a superior rating, and the EHS Wind Ensemble was selected to perform at the Southeastern States Concert Band Clinic at Troy University and the Alabama Music Educators Conference in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Along with Marchmaster and Fruhauf, Charlie is still an active trumpet player, having performed with the Alabama Winds Community Band in Birmingham, AL, the Moonlighters Jazz Band in Dothan, AL, the Southeast Alabama Community Theater in Dothan, AL, and the Enterprise High School Encores and Esprit Show Choirs. He also performs regularly in local church ensembles as well as other local events.
Charlie is married to Jennifer Ford, a retired nail tech and a Plexus Ambassador. They have three children, Ashley Edwards, Alden Ford, and Sheldon Ford. Ashley, a graduate of the University of Alabama, and Troy University is a high school guidance counselor, Alden, a graduate of Troy University, is a high school band director, and Sheldon, also a graduate of Troy University, is an elementary music teacher.
Charlie and Jennifer enjoy traveling, RV-ing (with their dog and five cats), as well as motorcycle riding.
Tour Consultant Email: amajor@bestinclasstours.com
Amanda Major has a tremendous background in music and education. She was a four Wind Ensemble member at Fairhope High School, playing both trumpet and French horn, serving as a section leader, and performing with the color guard. Attending college on a music scholarship, she played French horn and tuba in the USM Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and multiple Woodwind Ensembles. She earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in English, Philosophy, and Music from the University of Southern Mississippi and The University of South Alabama. Amanda marched French Horn and Contra with the Ventures Drum and Bugle Corps during college, winning a DCI Individual
and Ensemble competition with their small ensemble. Amanda also served as an Advertising Account Executive for a Florida newspaper for two years before moving to Alabama. Amanda taught English, Freshman Leadership, Newspaper, and Senior Project classes at Foley High School in Alabama for 10 years. She worked with area and local high school band programs for over twenty years teaching marching, music sectionals, and private lessons. She traveled on band trips in high school, college, drum corps, and with her husband’s band programs for nearly 30 years. Having been in Sales and Education, Amanda brings a wealth of experience to Best In Class Tours. Her willingness to “go the extra mile” and solve problems is an asset to the Tour Industry. “Best In Class Tours” is proud to have Amanda as a Sales and Tour Representative.
Account Manager Email Liz@bestinclasstours.om
Liz Cole was born and raised in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where she grew up as a band director’s daughter—surrounded by the world of music and marching from an early age. As a student, Liz was selected as an All-State Red Band bass clarinetist as a freshman and later served as colorguard captain in high school. Her firsthand experience both on the field and behind the scenes gives her a unique understanding of what directors manage every day.
With a background in office management, Liz has worked as a bookkeeper and secretary in various schools, giving her a deep understanding of the organizational and administrative tasks needed to make events and trips run smoothly. She’s passionate about helping directors stay organized, reduce stress, and focus on what they do best.
Liz graduated from the University of Alabama in 2018 and has since worked with multiple schools and nonprofits in communications, media, and events. She currently serves on staff with the Well Network, a movement of multiplying disciple-making churches in southeastern university cities.
Liz and her husband live in Jacksonville, Alabama with their two boys, where they planted Banner Church in 2022 to reach the campus of Jacksonville State University and the community as a whole. She is eager to serve you in your upcoming trips!
