JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Jacksonville State University has announced that Dr. Jeremy Stovall will serve as the next Director of Bands, succeeding longtime director Dr. Ken Bodiford, who will retire at the end of the current marching season on Jan. 1, 2026. The announcement was made Friday evening during the Annual Southerners Reunion Dinner, which drew a record crowd of alumni, students, and supporters.
Dr. Stovall, a two-time JSU graduate and current faculty member, has been involved with the Marching Southerners for more than 25 years—first as a student and later as an instructor, conductor, and associate professor. President Don C. Killingsworth, Jr. said Stovall’s leadership and experience make him well-suited to continue the band’s longstanding traditions.
“Dr. Stovall is an exceptional educator and musician whose talent, professionalism, and leadership have already made a lasting impact on our band program,” President Killingsworth said. “He has played a key role in the Southerners’ success for more than two decades, helping to shape the sound, spirit, and reputation that define the program today. It is a pleasure to name him the next Director of Bands at Jacksonville State University, ensuring the tradition of excellence continues.”
Dr. Bodiford, who has led the Marching Southerners for 32 years and served Jax State for more than four decades, announced his retirement earlier this fall. President Killingsworth noted the significance of Bodiford’s contributions to both the university and the broader marching arts community.
“Dr. Bodiford’s influence on this university and the world of marching music will be felt for generations,” Killingsworth said. “His mentorship and vision have built a legacy that Dr. Stovall is certainly qualified to carry forward.”
Dr. Stovall, originally from Anniston, earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from JSU in 2003 and his Master of Arts in 2005. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting at the University of Alabama in 2018. Over his career at JSU, he has conducted the Symphonic Band and Pep Band, taught conducting and marching band techniques, and instructed the Marching Southerners both on the field and in the classroom. He has also served as Music Director and Pit Orchestra Conductor for the Department of Drama and the Jacksonville Opera Theatre.
Under his leadership, the Southerners have performed at major national and international events including the Bands of America Grand National Championships (2019), the World Peace Parade in Rome (2019), the Pearl Harbor 75th Anniversary Commemoration (2016), and the London New Year’s Day Parade (2012). Stovall received JSU’s Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year Award in 2020.
His professional experience also includes work with the Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps, the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band, and as visual designer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2022 World Games in Birmingham. He remains active as an adjudicator, consultant, and drill designer across the Southeast.
In a letter to the Marching Southerners community, Stovall said he is “honored and humbled” to step into the position and expressed deep gratitude to Dr. Bodiford for more than two decades of mentorship.
“Immediately after I completed my master’s program here at Jax State, he offered me my dream job and has mentored me for the past 21 years,” Stovall wrote. “His legacy is undeniable, and I endeavor to honor it and him through this next chapter of the Marching Southerners.”
Stovall said his goal as director will be to serve students well and build on the program’s long-standing traditions, including a renewed focus on alumni engagement during the Southerners’ upcoming 70th anniversary season. Looking ahead, he noted excitement for the band’s planned appearance in the 2027 Tournament of Roses Parade.
“I am excited to continue working with and serving our students,” he wrote. “My goal is to serve the students well and give them an experience that changes their lives – just as it did mine.”
Stovall lives in Jacksonville with his wife, Noelle Millirons Stovall, and their daughter, Audrey.
