Dana Arnold |Andrew Buikema | Jeff Hood |Greg Mills | Jim Sturgeon | David Veda | Greg Wagner | W. Dale Warren
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Role – Prelims: Visual General Effect
Role – Finals: Colorguard
Dana Arnold is presently the Executive Director of the Fayette County Bar Association in Lexington Kentucky.
Her color guard experience includes over 25 years of teaching in the Central Kentucky area both fall and winter programs. She has been an Assistant Director of the Lexis Winter Guard since its inception in 2010.
Dana has been a member of the TriState Marching Arts Judges Association since 2010 and judges in the areas of Individual Analysis Movement, and Equipment. She has completed level 300 of WGI Certify.
Dana is married to Rob Arnold and he also instructs/designs/judges for bands. They have two sons and reside in Winchester Kentucky.
Location: Rockford, Michigan
Role – Prelims: Music General Effect
Role – Finals: Music Performance Individual
Andrew has 20+ years of experience in design and instruction in marching band programming and 14 years teacher as a Director of Bands in Michigan (Grant, MI). His marching bands were incredibly successful at local, state, and national competitions and were regular participants in BOA Regional and Grand National competitions. His bands and jazz bands were also regular participants in MSBOA festivals and clinics.
His love for the marching arts began with experiencing the pageantry of drum corps in the early ’90s by watching DCI finals and especially Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, an organization that he would later join and perform with in 2000. Buikema studied Music Education at Western Michigan University (Kalamazoo, MI) and has a Master of Education from Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI). He was also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and the “Sound of Western” at WMU.
Buikema’s adjudication experience stems from MCBA (Michigan Competing Band Association), Scholastic Bands, and US Bands. Mr. Buikema is an active drill writer, clinician, and adjudicator.
Buikema lives in Rockford, Michigan with his wife and amazing English Bulldog, Rubble, where he works as an Assistant Principal at Sparta Middle School.
Location: Adair County, Kentucky
Role – Prelims: Visual Performance Individual
Role – Finals: Visual Performance Ensemble
Jeff Hood is a native of Adair County, KY, with Music Ed degrees from Western KY University and the University of Kentucky. He served as Director of Bands at Beechwood Independent Schools, George Rogers Clark, and Paul Laurence Dunbar. During his 7 year tenure, the Beechwood Band grew from 28 to 96 members.
While at GRC, the band won the first KMEA State Championship, Regional Champions at 4 Bands of America Regionals, and was a Grand National Finalist at five consecutive Bands of America Grand National Championships, earning Best Marching 3 Times. During his tenure at Paul Laurence Dunbar, the Band was a KMEA State Finalist 22 years, won the Large Class Championship 6 Times, were Regional Champions at 4 Bands of America Championships. The George Rogers Clark and Paul Laurence Dunbar Bands marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. After retirement in 2015, Mr. Hood remains active as a part time band assistant, adjudicator, and clinician.
Location: King, Ohio
Role – Prelims: Music Performance Individual
Role – Finals: Music Performance Ensemble
Mr. Mills is a native of Tennessee where he attended Bolivar Central High School and graduated cum laude from The University of Memphis in 1978. As a music educator, Mr. Mills taught at Briarcrest High School in Memphis, Tennessee, Highlands High School in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and retired in June of 2012 after thirty years as Director of Instrumental Music at Kings High School. Concert and Marching Ensembles directed by Mr. Mills consistently garnered Superior Ratings and won many competitions during his thirty-five year career. Mr. Mills also conducted the Cincinnati Youth Brass Band for four years. That ensemble won two NABBA Championships in the youth division and was second place the other two years.
Mr. Mills is currently the Executive Director of the Central State Judges Association, President and co-founder of the Mid-States Band Association, past President of District 13-Ohio Music Educator’s Association, and a member of Phi Beta Mu. In addition, Mr. Mills is a member of the Central States Judges Association Hall of Fame. Mr. Mills is currently a brass instructor for the William Mason HS Band and is the brass instructor for the University of Cincinnati Marching Band.
As a professional trumpeter, Mr. Mills has played with entertainers such as Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, Vicki Carr, Dianne Carroll, Roy Clark, John Davidson, Phyllis Diller, Barbara Eden, Peter Nero, Rich Little, Bob Newhart, Wayne Newton, Danny Thomas, Lou Rawls, Barry Manilow, and Sonny & Cher. In addition, Mr. Mills has performed with the Memphis Symphony, Memphis Opera Productions, Holiday on Ice, Disney on Parade, and numerous musicals.
Mr. Mills was a member of the solo cornet section of The Ohio Valley Brass Band for twenty-five years. He is now in his sixth season as the conductor of the Ohio Valley Brass Band.
Location: Henderson, Nevada
Role – Prelims: Visual Performance Ensemble
Role – Finals: Visual Performance Individual
Jim Sturgeon is very humbled to say he has been actively involved in the pageantry arts for more than 30 years. His involvement with the activity has taken him to 46 states and 6 countries. He proudly serves as an adjudicator for Drum Corps International (DCI), Bands of America (BOA), Winter Guard International (WGI), and many local and regional marching band and color guard circuits across the country. Mr. Sturgeon was a member of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps and Pride of Cincinnati Winter Guard. He has served as a designer and clinician for the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as for several high school band and color guard programs throughout the country.
Outside of the pageantry arts, Jim has spent his professional career in the field of human resources. He possesses a B.S. in Business Administration and an MBA from the University of Louisville. Currently Jim is the Executive Vice President of Human Resources for Bristol Hospice, based in Salt Lake City, UT.
Location: Henderson, Nevada
Role – Prelims: Colorguard
Role – Finals: Visual General Effect
Mr. David Veda has over 30 years of pageantry arts experience to his credit. He has served as a designer and clinician for drum corps, winter guard and marching band throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Europe and Kuwait. He has spent 15 years with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, first as a performer, then as a designer/instructor. During this time, the corps won a Drum Corps International (DCI) Championship and a DCI Best Color Guard award, along with achieving DCI finalist status every year. Mr. Veda also spent three years as as a caption manager with the Phantom Regiment Color Guard, one year as a designer and clinician for the Denver Blue Knights and the Santa Clara Vanguard, both of which were DCI finalists.
Other pageantry arts design credits include Homestead HS from Fort Wayne IN, Elizabethtown HS from Elizabethtown KY, Pomona HS from Denver CO, Green Valley HS Las Vegas NV, McGavock HS and Father Ryan HS from Nashville TN.
Outside of the pageantry arts, Mr. Veda has worked as a floor manager for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center Nashville TN. Mr. Veda has also served as the Assistant Company Manager and Press Coordinator for the national tour of Grease with Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka and for an original theater production called Storm at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Most recently he has worked with Spamalot at Wynn Las Vegas, The Beauty of Magic with Hans Klok and Pamela Anderson at Planet Hollywood and Jersey Boys at both the Palazzo and Paris Resorts and Casinos in Las Vegas NV.
Location: Union, Kentucky
Role – Prelims: Percussion
Role – Finals: Percussion
Greg Wagner is a graduate from Northern Kentucky University where he earned his degree in music, studying under Richard Jensen, (Principal Percussionist – Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra). Greg has also been involved with teaching numerous marching percussion ensembles throughout the Northern Kentucky area for more than 30 years. Greg started his teaching career with the Lloyd Memorial Marching Band, then moved on to teach at Scott High School, Grant County, Boone County, and Harrison County.
In 2000 Greg became the Director of Percussion at Dixie Heights High School. During his time there he helped build a strong percussion program winning multiple percussion awards, along with becoming a WGI Scholastic Open World Finalist in 2010, and WGI Scholastic A World Finalist in 2013. In 2017, Greg became the Director of Percussion at Larry A. Ryle High School, helping lead the program to four 5A State Finalist appearances in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022.
Greg is married to Kelly Wagner, and has 3 beautiful children.
Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Role – Prelims: Music Performance Ensemble
Role – Finals: Music General Effect
W. Dale Warren is a senior Wind Band Conductor and Professor of Music in the University of Arkansas’ Department of Music. During his three plus decades of service at the UA, Professor Warren has conducted the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Chamber Winds, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Varsity Band, and Campus Band. He also teaches music education courses, supervises music education interns (student teachers) and is actively engaged in the graduate instrumental conducting program. From 1991-2000 Professor Warren was the Director of the UA Razorback Marching Band. Professor Warren is also the director of the highly successful UA Summer Music Camps.
Professor Warren is a former marching member of the Guardsmen Drum and Bugle Corps of Schaumburg, Illinois and a former brass and visual staff member for the Guardsmen and the Imperial Guard Drum & Bugle Corps of Evansville, Indiana. Professor Warren also has served as a Drum Corps International (DCI) Adjudicator.
Professor Warren’s professional affiliations include: World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Phi Beta Mu Bandmasters Fraternity, National Band Association, College Band Directors National Association, Conductors Guild. Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association, Arkansas Bandmasters Association, Arkansas Music Educators Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Pi Kappa Lambda.