With over 30 years of experience as an educator and advocate, Byron “Bo” Reece is a champion for arts integration as a transformative tool for student engagement and school improvement. Bo holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music from Appalachian State University, where his belief in the power of music as a foundation for creativity and connection began.

A systems-level leader, Bo has served as the Coordinating Teacher of Arts Education for Wake County Public Schools, supporting more than 650 arts educators across North Carolina’s largest district and advancing access and equity in arts education. He is a Fellow with A+ Schools of North Carolina, helping schools use the arts as a central strategy to enhance learning for all students.

Bo currently works with the United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County, where he is helping launch the Incubator Artists Program—an innovative initiative embedding local artists into classrooms and communities.

Bo also conducts the “Oaks” training choir with the Raleigh Youth Choir and performs with Vox Virium, a men’s ensemble committed to community and compassion through music.

At every level, Bo’s work is guided by a core belief: the arts are not extracurricular—they are essential to how students learn, grow, and thrive.