Glendale Band Boosters
Meet Our Team
Dedicated volunteers working together to support
an exceptional musical experience for every student.
Band Director
Troy Cronkhite
Troy Cronkhite is the Director of Bands at Glendale High School. After initially studying to be a youth minister, he returned to his passion for music, earning his music education degree from Northwest Missouri State University.
Throughout his career, Troy directed successful band programs in various school districts. He spent four years at Lathrop R-2 School District before moving to Smithville, where his marching and symphonic bands received numerous awards over six years, including six consecutive Superior "I" ratings at the Missouri State Large Group Festival.
Since 2012, Troy has directed the band program at Glendale High School, where the program has grown and received many awards in marching, concert, and jazz bands. In addition to his role at Glendale, he serves as the District Vice President for Jazz with the Southwest Missouri Music Educators Association. He resides with his wife, Suzanne, and three children, Jeremy, Addison and Benjamin. Troy also has an older daughter, Melany, and a grandson, Maddox.
President
Whitney Edes
Whitnay Edes is honored to serve as President of the Glendale Band Boosters and is passionate about supporting the students, directors, and families who make the Glendale band program such a special community. As a band parent, she believes students thrive when they have a strong support system behind them, both on and off the field.
Professionally, Whitnay serves as the Accounting Director for Valiant Group, where she oversees financial operations, budgeting, forecasting, and organizational processes across multiple entities. Her experience in leadership, organization, and financial management helps her bring a practical and collaborative approach to the Band Boosters organization.
Whitnay has been married to her husband since 2009 and is the proud mother of two Glendale High School students. When she's not working or volunteering, she enjoys reading, writing, cooking, and spending time with her family and their four cats. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve the Glendale band community and help support the students and families who make the program so rewarding.
Vice President
Jessica Brannon
Jessica Brannon is the organizational backbone of the Glendale Band Boosters. A proud band parent since her oldest son, Taylor, joined the percussion section in 2022, she has been instrumental in modernizing the boosters' event coordination, volunteer management, and internal communications, including helping bring the online portal to life for the 2026 season.
This year she continues the band parent tradition as her youngest son, Derek, joins the program as a freshman.
Jessica also serves as a secretary in the counseling office at Glendale High School, giving her a daily presence in the building and a close working relationship with the students and staff the boosters support.
Known for her warm personality and can-do spirit, she is the first to arrive with a solution when a challenge comes up and the last to leave after a performance. Her love of both music and community service makes her an invaluable presence in the Glendale family.
Treasurer
Karen Bartlet
Karen Bartlett has served as the Glendale Band Boosters' Treasurer for the past two years. Her son, Jesse, is an incoming senior clarinet player and will serve as the Woodwind Section Leader for the 2026-2027 school year. Karen enjoys being actively involved with the band and color guard programs as a Band Booster. Her favorite time of the year is competition season, when she has the opportunity to watch students dedicate themselves to learning and performing their show. She finds it incredibly rewarding to support the students and celebrate their hard-earned achievements and successes.