The Charles Henderson High School Band Foundation is looking to welcome the Blue Machine’s newly hired director aboard, and it is asking for your help.

At 6:30 p.m. Monday the band foundation will hold a banquet to welcome Trent Burkett, who was hired by the Troy Board of Education Monday night to replace Amanda Ford.

Ford, who will transfer to Charles Henderson Middle School as band director, has spent the last 11 years at CHHS.

Ford accepted the position after the CHMS band director resigned because she said it would give her more time with her children.

“It’s a little less hours involved in middle school,” Ford said. “And I’m just ready to let someone else take the high school band.”

Ford said she met Burkett while he had been teaching in Marianna, Fla. several years ago. And, when she was a band director at Daleville High School, Burkett served as her assistant before she came to Troy.

Ford said Burkett has served as the chair of the Alabama Band Masters and is also a member of the Phi Beta Mu Fraternity, an International Band Masters Fraternity.

“He’s very well connected and well liked,” Ford said.

Ford said anyone in the community is invited and encouraged to attend the event Monday.