CLAUDIA RAMIREZ
Claudia Ramirez is an intimacy director and human-centered theatre consultant with a passion for helping Texas theatre educators create safe, honest, and connected storytelling. She recently completed the Intimacy Directors & Coordinators Certification Intensive and is dedicated to helping build a culture of consent across Texas theatre and film. A proud University of Houston alumna with dual degrees in Theatre and Spanish, Claudia spent 12 years teaching in Title I schools—10 of those as a high school Head Theatre Director. She has directed award-winning UIL One Act Plays, mentored students to top placements in UIL Theatrical Design, and coached performers to earn perfect scores and selection for MainStage at the International Thespian Festival. Claudia serves as a UIL judge and contest manager with Texas Theatre Adjudicators and Officials (TTAO), and stays actively involved with the Texas Educational Theatre Association and Texas Thespians as a presenter, judge, and volunteer. Outside of her work, she loves geeking out over movies and plays with her husband and directing partner, Bobby, training her corgi, Puck, in agility and service work, and spending quality time with her three amazing step-kids.
TRAVIS SPRINGFIELD
Travis Springfield has been involved with educational theatre for the last 30 years as a classroom teacher, fine arts administrator, director, clinician, contest manager and judge. Mr. Springfield is the founding Chair of the Texas Theatre Adjudicators and Officials (TTAO) and past member of the UIL Advisory Committee. He currently serves as Past-President of the Texas Educators of Theatre Association (TxETA). A sought after one act play judge and clinician, Travis works with over 100 campuses annually and has adjudicated at all levels of competition including eight appearances as a UIL One Act Play State judge. Mr. Springfield has also taught for the past 13 years as an adjunct professor for the University of Houston summer master’s program and has recently accepted a part-time position as Conference Manger for the Arts Schools Network (ASN), a national non-profit organization of arts schools and organizations following his retirement in 2024. During his free time, Travis enjoys films, travel, and exploring antique and thrift stores looking for fun-finds and lost treasures.
ROSHUNDA JONES
Roshunda Jones-Koumba, winner of the 2022 Excellence in Theatre Education Award presented by the Tony Awards and Carnegie Mellon University, graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a B.A. in theatre and a Master of Education in administration. She is the proud recipient of Ebony Magazine’s Power 100, NFHS Outstanding Arts Educator, Stephen Schwartz Musical Theatre and Inspirational Theatre Teacher of the Year Award. Jones was inducted into the Texas Thespians Hall of Fame in 2020, TxETA’s 2017 Educator of the Year and Theatre Under the Stars Leading Ladies inaugural Arts Educator of the year. She has taught in Aldine ISD for over 20 years and all of those years but one spent at George Washington Carver Magnet High School in the Acres Home community in Houston, TX.
As the director of Carver’s Panther Players Troupe #6753, the troupe has been successful on the state and national level at the UIL One Act Play contest, Tommy Tune Awards, Texas Thespians State Festival and International Thespian Festival. Jones-Koumba currently serves on the chapter board for Texas Thespians, UIL OAP Advisory Committee Chair, president of the C. Lee Turner’s Black Theatre Educators’ Caucus and an active member of the Texas Educational Theatre Association where she previously served on the board. In addition, she was the director of the Litefooter youth program at the Plaza Theatre for eleven years where she was part of the board of directors for four. She has been honored with a proclamation from the City of Houston and Wharton for the work she does in the community. She also works professionally as an actor, director and theatre consultant.
Some of her directorial credits include No One Owns Me (AD Players), It Ain’t Nothin' but the Blues (2017 Broadway World Houston award for Best Director-Musical), Lady Day @ Emerson's Bar & Grill (2016 Broadway World Houston award for Best Director- Play), Working (TUTS HSMT), Bring it On (TUTS HSMT), Legend of Mountain Mama & A Beautiful Death on 34th and Fifth (Ensemble Theatre), Soundtrack to Black History (PVAMU), Tobacco Fields (Fade to Black Fest), The Bodyguard the Musical, Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Sister Act, The Bluest Eye, The Wiz, Carmen Jones, Jelly’s Last Jam, Once on this Island, Hairspray, Memphis, In the Heights, Color Purple & Dreamgirls.