Preston Pierce is a Band Director at Plano West Senior High School in Plano, Texas. His duties include directing the Wind Symphony, Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Band, Jazz Small Groups, assisting with the Marching Band, and coordinating the jazz program for the Plano West Cluster. He is a past President of the Texas Jazz Educators Association (TJEA). Additionally, he is a Consultant/Clinician for Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Plano West Jazz Orchestra is a five-time finalist in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Essentially Ellington Competition and Festival in New York City. Since 2020, the Plano West Jazz program has won a combined 21 DownBeat Student Music Awards in the annual competitions. In 2022 & 2018 the Jazz Orchestra was selected to perform at the Jazz Education Network Conference (JEN). The Plano West Jazz Orchestra was also selected as the 2016 TMEA Invited High School Jazz Ensemble. While teaching in Plano, his students have earned spots in NYO Jazz, The Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, Vail Jazz Workshop, Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Summer Jazz Academy (SJA), named National YoungArts winners in jazz, Music for All-Jazz Band of America, selected to tour in the NEA/Herbie Hancock Institute All-Star Peer-to-Peer Jazz Sextet, and have consistently earned spots in the TMEA All-State Jazz Ensembles. In 2017 the Plano West Jazz program was selected by the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz (formerly known as the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz) to take part in a new initiative that supports the jazz program by providing educational materials, clinicians, guest artists, and performance opportunities.