District Coordinator of Fine Arts, Collier County Public Schools
Mr. Harry (“Skip”) Pardee, M.M., serves as the District Coordinator of Fine Arts for the Collier County Public Schools in Collier County, FL (Naples, Marco Island, Everglades City and Immokalee), overseeing all aspects of Teaching & Learning for Music, Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance, grades K-12. Specifically, Mr. Pardee provides direction on the Florida Standards, professional development for teachers, facilities and equipment standards and performance standards for all fine and performing arts programs county-wide. He also serves as the community liaison for all arts organizations and their involvement with the public schools. Mr. Pardee is a founding member of the FL (Naples) 2016 Kennedy Center for Performing Arts National Partnership Team alongside Artis—Naples, Inc, where the focus has been providing impactful professional development on authentic arts integration strategies for content area teachers.
In addition to his duties within the Collier County Public Schools, Mr. Pardee has served as an Adjunct Professor in the Music Education Department at the Bower School of Music and the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL. Prior to his appointment as Coordinator of Fine Arts, Mr. Pardee served as the Director of Bands at Palmetto Ridge High School in Naples, where he directed the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Percussion Choir and advised the Color Guard and Dance Teams. Most prominently, Mr. Pardee served as the Director of the 250- member “Marching Pride” of Palmetto Ridge – a nationally recognized corps-style marching band. His marching, concert and jazz bands were consistently rated Superior at the Florida Bandmasters Association State and District festivals.
Mr. Pardee is a graduate of the University of Florida School of Music, with his Master of Music in Music Education degree (2009) and his Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree (2007) from the same institution. Mr. Pardee is also a graduate of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School (2003), having performed in two international symphony orchestra tours. In 2002, he was cited by the Massachusetts State Senate as an “Outstanding Performing Artist” and was honored by the International Jazz Education Association in 2001, 2002 and 2003 as the Northeast District (MA) “Most Valuable Player.”
Mr. Pardee is a doctoral candidate at the College of Education at Florida Gulf Coast University, with a research focus on teacher evaluation in the visual and performing arts. He is an active freelance trumpet player throughout Southwest Florida and serves the music ministry at North Naples United Methodist Church. Mr. Pardee resides in Naples, FL with his wife Lauren and three children.
