After graduating from Lebanon Valley College, Ron began his teaching career in 1963 as a High School Music Director at Middletown High School, Middletown, PA, where he taught for three years before moving on to a seven year stay at Pleasantville High School, Pleasantville, NJ. He earned a M.S. in Music Education from Ithaca College in 1965.  In 1973 he moved to Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, NJ. During his 27 year tenure there he saw the band program grow from just 12 players to consist of three high school concert bands, two middle school concert bands, two high school jazz bands and one middle school jazz band. The staff expanded from three to eight directors. In February of 2000, after 37 years of teaching Ron retired from full time public school teaching.

        Ron and his wife, Karen, spent 10 years with American Music Abroad, taking hundreds of local music students on three week tours across Western Europe. In addition, he spent nine years as a member of the 553rd Air Force Band, six of which he was the director of the Jazz Band. For three summers he served as Jazz Band Director of the Glassboro College (now Rowan University) Summer Program for High School students. He is past President of the NJIAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators, New Jersey Division) and was a member of NJMENC Curriculum Committee. He also served as South Jersey Region President of the IAJE and directed the Region III Jazz Band. He was named Outstanding Young Educator by the Mainland Jacees and listed in the Who's Who of American Teachers. Ron was also nominated for the 1998 Princeton University Distinguished Teacher Award and named conductor of All-South Jersey Symphonic Band for the January 1999 concert by the South Jersey Orchestra and Band Director Association.  From 2002 to 2005, he taught concert band, pep band and a jazz class as Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Bands at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (now Stockton University).  He has been transcribing and composing music since high school and understands the wind bands unique abilities as well as the style of fine jazz ensembles.

        Currently Ron runs a private lesson studio at his home, specializing in woodwind instruction, works on his writing of music and continues to serve as a consultant at Southern Regional High School Jazz Ensemble. He is Associate Conductor, V.P./Treasurer, and Webmaster of the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble (www.sjawe.com) where he plays first clarinet (and sometimes alto Saxophone) for the past 20 years. - written by Jennifer Poorman Hodgson