Leadership

Geof Sloan

Geof Sloan, NAoAB President, helped conceive the formation of the National Association of Alumni Bands in 2018 at the symposium held in Austin, and since June 2019, he has chaired the organizing committee through the process of writing the bylaws and governing documents that created the organization. His vision with NAoAB is to help alumni bands at all the major collegiate programs grow or help those who want to start their alumni bands. His goal is to increase the visibility of alumni bands across the nation supported through the efforts of the association member bands and for NAoAB to be the indispensable advocate for alumni bands. 

Geof is currently serving in the University of Texas Longhorn Alumni Band (LHAB) as the Past-President and previously served as the Vice President of Communications. He attended both UT-Austin and University of Mississippi where he performed in the percussion sections and played drum-set in both school’s jazz programs. In 2019, he served as President of the Longhorn Alumni Band when LHAB attended the 75th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France, and lead 535 alumni and family members on a week-long adventure honoring the WWII veterans of the allied landing liberating France from German forces in 1944. Geof regularly performs with various small ensembles in Austin and Central Texas, as well as local community bands and symphonies. His website is: www.geofsloan.com 

Geof is a people-oriented executive with proven experience in leadership, media and communications, business development, and client experience, combining a unique career in real estate, media technology and quick-service restaurants. His career has been working in client experience, product development, organizational management, and people development. He has a diverse and eclectic background in operations, communications, digital marketing, brand management and business development and focus on building strong relationships and connecting people. 

Geof’s day job is consulting with clients in Central Texas on real estate transactions. He is very humbled, honored, and excited to serve as the inaugural NAoAB President. 

Bill Phillips

Bill Phillips serves as the Vice President for the National Association of Alumni Bands. Bill was a trumpet player in The University of Texas Longhorn Band and joined the Longhorn Alumni Band (LHAB) since graduation in 1976. He has marched in and performed in every halftime show since joining the LHAB.

Bill’s service in the NAoAB will support the goals and mission of the organization. That necessarily includes helping schools with no alumni band create one, provide support for new and existing alumni bands in a manner that helps them reach their goals and objectives, and mentoring alumni bands in an effort to help them accomplish their specific goals.

As a member of the Longhorn Alumni Band Charitable Fund Board of Trustees, he has been instrumental in significantly increasing the number of scholarships and dollar amounts given to LHB students.  He helped create the Longhorn Alumni Band “Legacy Fund”, a fund directly supporting the Longhorn Band and he initiated an annual golf tournament.  As Steering Committee Chair, Bill helped lead a 300-member alumni band (including 235 VIP’s) to perform in Normandy, France for the 75^th of D-Day on June 4, 2019, and was co-producer of the documentary film of the bands performances at the American Cemetery in Omaha Beach and other key events in France.

Bill’s professional career in the energy industry includes over 40 years of industry experience in onshore and offshore domestic and international upstream operations. Bill received a Petroleum Land Management degree from The University of Texas at Austin in 1976.  Bill is the President of Skelly Energy Company and currently serves on the Advisory Council of the Energy Initiative Program in the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, serves on the UT Chancellor’s Council, various energy industry boards and committees.  In the Fine Arts arena, Bill serves on the board of the world renown Dallas Winds.

Robin Oegerle

Robin Oegerle is a founding member of NAoAB. She played piccolo in the University of Florida Gator Band and earned a degree in Music Education. She was a member of the Beta Xi Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma at UF. Robin also is a pianist and received a Master of Music degree from the University of Massachusetts. Her love for the Gator Band had her serve on the board of the Gator Band Alumni Association as both secretary and president. During her term as president, she was instrumental in the fundraising for the Gator Band Practice Facility and received the Pride of the Sunshine award for Exemplary service to the Gator Band. She established the Robin Oegerle Music Education Fund at the University of Florida as she believes that funding music education in the schools is essential.

Robin, a Florida native, is retired and lives in Siesta Key, Florida. She spent her professional career as Marketing Director for three national securities institutions and served as financial advisor. Robin served on the board of the Maryland Stadium Authority, Maryland Public Television and The Baltimore Opera. She was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. For fun she runs marathons and plays keyboard with a local rock group.

Daniel Wendt

Daniel Wendt serves as the secretary of NAoAB and is the President-elect of the Four Notes Club at LSU.

Daniel Wendt was born and raised in Denham Springs, Louisiana. He joined his middle school band in 6th grade and has been playing saxophone ever since. Daniel attended Louisiana State University and graduated in 2016 with a B.S. in Financial Planning and again in 2018 with an M.S. in Corporate Finance. During his college tenure, he marched in the Golden Band From Tigerland as an alto saxophone player from 2012-2014, and as the Drum Major of the band from 2015-2017.  

While at LSU, Daniel co-founded Tonal Innovation with his best friend. Tonal Innovation helped to begin the digital revolution in marching bands by creating the first commercially available phone holder for lyres called eFlip. Since its introduction in 2016, the eFlip product line has grown to accomodate more instruments and Tonal Innovation launched a mobile app for bands to digitally distribute files and documents.

Daniel is a Founding Member of the Four Notes Club at LSU and is the current President Elect. The Four Notes Club was founded in 2019 by a group of Tiger Band alumni who saw an opportunity to create an organization that would bring together alumni and friends of the Tiger Marching Band. TFNC is working quickly to engage former members and is the host of the first Alumni Band Reunion at LSU since the coronavirus pandemic began. 

Ranelle Maltas

Ranelle Maltas is from Lincoln, Nebraska and began her marching band experience on the flagline of her Aurora, Nebraska high school, where her instructor (a UNL flagline alumnae) encouraged her to audition at the university. She was on the UNL Cornhusker Marching Band flagline from 1987-91 and served in the band leadership during that time. She graduated with a degree from the College of Business in the summer of 1992.

Returning to participate in every reunion held since her graduation, Ranelle soon became involved with the leadership of the UNL Band Alumni Association. She is currently an elected board member after serving previous terms as Vice-President and General Manager. Ranelle has been served on various boards for other non-profit organizations, such as the Lincoln Chapter of the Association for Talent Development and the University Association for Administrative Development.

Ranelle works at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the Office of Human Resources where she develops and provides employee training. She has been providing computer training and support for the faculty and staff at UNL since August 2000. Ranelle is also an adjunct professor teaching Microsoft applications for Southeast Community College Continuing Education Center.

“My first and favorite memory of being a part of the Cornhusker Marching Band was standing on the field at attention after the first day of my first band camp and realizing the people around me cared as much about marching band as I did. I found my “family.” They are still some of my best friends today.”

During her time in band, Ranelle met and married her best friend, Bill Maltas, an alto sax player. Together, they own The Waffleman™ providing fundraising opportunities for organizations. They have two adult sons active in music. Their oldest joined the Cornhusker Marching Band in 2018 as a trombone player and will be one of the Drum Majors in 2021. 

“I serve on the Board of UNL BAA because I believe we are continuing to build life-long memories and friendships for the current band and our alumni. I have made many friends and have gotten to know many other alumni from different eras that are now a part of my extended band family. On the board of the NAoAB, I want to help others do the same for their bands and alumni.”

Mark J. Spede

Whitney Lorenz

Jessica Peeples

Jo Lyn Peters

Amber Ryan

Amber graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mississippi.

Amber is the current president for the Ole Miss Band Alumni Club. This is the first year for the alumni board. She is very excited to start this journey with Ole Miss Band Alumni. Even though the Ole Miss Alumni Band has held several reunions in the past, there was never any sense of structure or ongoing annual planning. Amber along with several other alumni helped to organize and create bylaws and the systems needed to develop the organization with the goal of annual alumni band days and to create student scholarship programs.

Amber is looking forward to the role of the SW Regional Officer. She is ready to jump right in and see where this journey will take her and encouraged about learning more from other established alumni band leaders from the many great alumni bands across the nation. She hopes to encourage more bands to join the NAoAB and sharing the incredible value the organization brings.

Amber has been working in the medical field over the past 20 years and currently works with a biohazard waste remediation company performing crime scene clean up. She lives in Nashville, TN with her dog and partner.

Stan Yantis

Stan Yantis has been appointed Northwest Regional Officer for the National Association of Alumni Bands. Knowing we all benefit by sharing ideas with each other, Yantis hopes to collaborate with existing alumni bands, while helping other colleges establish new alumni band programs. Yantis feels alumni should focus on supporting student musicians on the field, so college marching bands can always flourish.

Yantis (BA MusicEd, BA Music, University of Washington, trumpet) has been active with the Husky Marching Band Alumni Association for 37 years. HMBAA was created to serve the staff and students of the Husky Band, while allowing former Huskies to stand in front of fans, playing those songs they love. Alumni also combine with the Varsity Band to march in summer parades and the first halftime show of the football season. Now in his seventh year as HMBAA president, Yantis first spent six years on its board of directors. The funds HMBAA raises annually are turned directly into scholarships, while allowing for occasionally feeding the band and purchasing instruments. During his 42 years as a middle school music teacher, Yantis also established two community bands that entertain the public while helping non-profit organizations raise money.

Yantis’s two daughters also marched and met their future husbands in Husky Band. He predicts his grandchildren will most likely march with the Huskies.

Erin Kalkwarf

Erin Kalkwarf graduated from Iowa State University in 2005 and have since been an active member of The Society of the ISU Alumni Band, which was formally organized in 1980. You can find more information about the ISU Alumni Band on our website.

Currently, Erin serves on the ISU Alumni Band executive board as the Immediate Past President after previously serving as President, President-elect, Treasurer and Director-at-large.

Erin is interested in this position with the NAoAB because she would love to help new Alumni Bands get started and help current bands do more. Erin met several NAoAB officers at the 2019 symposium in Seattle and felt energized to improve what they do at ISU. Erin continues to worry that as university and college budgets get cut, Alumni groups might be relied upon more heavily to ensure band programs survive.

Jeff Wendorf

Jeff Wendorf is a member of the University of Wisconsin Band Alumni Association, which was organized in 1951, uwalumni.com/band. Jeff has held positions as UWBAA President and Treasurer. He has helped developed UWBAA bylaws, incorporated the UWBAA and moved the organization to an advancement model taking on development projects as well as alumni engagement initiative.

Jeff is interested in the NAoAB and wants to contribute to the development of alumni band volunteers, grow his network of alumni volunteers, and develop professionally. He is also wanting to get new ideas and perspectives from other organizations in the Big Ten and around the nation as well as mentor the next generation of band advancement volunteers. Jeff believes in giving back to the profession.

As the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association’s Vice President of Advancement, Jeff is responsible for growing relationships with alumni, donors and organizations that support the achievement of engagement and fundraising goals. A UW-Madison graduate of the Business School, a former tuba player in the UW Band, treasurer of the UW Band Alumni Association and a 33-year veteran in advancement with UW-Madison, Jeff has cultivated and maintained many valuable connections and developed strong alliances on campus, in the Madison community and around the world. He is especially proud of efforts to develop Grandparents University, help build Alumni Park and establish the Mike Leckrone Marching Band Director endowment. Jeff has been recognized nationally for his leadership and contributions by the Council of Advancement Support of Education and the Council of Alumni Association Executives.

WBAA has had two very successful events: Alumni Reunion Weekend and Varsity Band Concert Reception. They would like to get more involvement in their playing opportunities (Homecoming Parade, various alumni events) and alumni travel.

Leigh Tompros

Leigh White Tompros is a member of the Redcoat Band Alumni Association (RBAA), where she has served as Homecoming Chairman, Secretary, Ways and Means, and President. As Past President, her participation in Board meetings, Homecoming, and Ways and Means has continued.

Over the years, Leigh has headed up various fundraising events for her Alumni Band, (Golf Tournament and Brick Walkway). These events came with different twists and turns along the way. Some great, some not so great! But all were learning experiences that have helped Leigh as she has moved on to other activities within the organization.

After stepping away from a career in International Business, many years ago, Leigh became a professional Volunteer. This has included Historical Organizations, Genealogical Associations, Church activities, Philanthropic Endeavors, and The Redcoat Alumni Band. Leigh’s volunteering also continued to her local high school, where she was the head of the College Room. This position gave Leigh the opportunity to assist high school students gain admission to the college or university of their choice. Helping them with college applications, SAT, ACT prep scheduling, and references needed for band applications and auditions. Especially loved the time working with those band students!

The NAoAB has a great vision, one that Leigh would like to possibly assist with carrying out. She feels like there is a need to communicate and share experiences among alumni bands. Each of our experiences gleans such welcomed knowledge, both good and bad. All being very helpful as the bands navigate different situations. What a great resource this will be!

As a Region Officer, Leigh sees this position as one of communication and sharing resources. Staying in touch with alumni was one of the main missions stated in the RBAA bylaws. Networking with band family is something Leigh enjoys doing, and that trait would be important to a regional officer. Leigh prioritizes helping these alumni band take their first steps with this national organization.

Johanna Reed Adams

Johanna Reed Adams, Ph.D. is a State Community Leadership Development Extension Specialist University of Missouri Extension and Extension Associate Professor in the Division of Applied Social Sciences in the School of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is responsible for the development and implementation of programming designed to respond to the growing need for community-based leadership. Her main focus is the EXCEL (EXperience in Community Enterprise and Leadership Development), the Step Up to Leadership programs and the newly developed Leadership Online For Today.

She has a Bachelor of Science in Political Science, Masters in Public Administration and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from the University of Missouri- Columbia. Her research is in the field of leadership development. She is a graduate of 2007-08 LEAD 21; the National Extension Leadership Development – NELD 2018 program, and 2019 recipient of the Rural Sociological Society Excellence in Extension and Public Outreach.

Johanna Reed Adams began playing flute in 6th grade under the wonderful tutelage of Robert Smith and Paul C. Copenhaver in Moberly, MO and studied it and general music until graduating from the University of Missouri – Columbia in 1981.

While in undergraduate school she was lucky enough to be a member of Marching Mizzou under the phenomenal direction of Dr. Alex Pickard. Marching Mizzou besides Mizzou football games, produced the opportunity to go to the Liberty Bowl, and play annually at Kansas City Chiefs and St. Louis Cardinals football games. In addition to M2, she was in Mini Mizzou, the pep band. That experience afforded her so many wonderful memories of travel to other Big 8 school basketball and football games. They were fortunate enough to get to go to a couple of NCAA Basketball Tournaments as well as concert tours that took them to public & private schools and to Mizzou Alumni functions all over the Midwest.

Johanna has been active as a Marching Mizzou Alumni Band (M2AB) board member serving as President and an officer for the past 4 years. She learned a great deal in her tenure as President about membership, finance, volunteers, and most about planning for Homecoming. She found it to sometimes be a challenge but rewarding all the same. The M2AB family is very near and dear to her heart.

Don Sabo

Andrea Williams

Primarily tasked with establishing connections with current Gator Band students and GBAA tying future alumni to current alumni by attending rehearsals and as many recitals, concerts, and performances as a show of support. As local liaison, Andrea is on campus with other alumni for big events like UF’s Gator Giving Day. For our annual alumni band weekend, Andrea has organized the GBAA social event that occurs during HC weekend, including the contract for services, food, drinks, and location.

As one of two attorneys on the GBAA board, Andrea reviews documents and bylaws as needed and maintains ongoing relationships with Gator Band faculty and staff and UF School of Music faculty and staff

Andrea is in her third and final year as President of Friends of Music, the fundraising and support group for the UF School of Music as a whole. She attended the NAOAB Symposium in Austin in 2018 learning that we alumni band people are a global family embracing one another to cast our rivalries aside and share our ideas, motivations, successes, and fails as we work towards the betterment of our band alumni groups and the universities, we hold so dear.

Andrea desires to contribute energy and love for all things band to NAOAB as we continue to grow and move forward to great many things and excited to be on the Board of Directors for NAoAB as the Southern Regional Ambassador.

Andrea is a graduate of the University of Florida, 1987 with a B.A and J.D. from Florida School of Law, 1990, where she received Honors in Legal Research and Writing and was inducted into the Order of the Barristers. She is an active member in the Florida and Eighth Judicial Circuit Bars. Andrea joined Florida Legal Research in 2007 and specializes in Florida cases at both the state and federal levels. Prior to joining Florida Legal Research, a division of National Legal Research Group, Andrea practiced in the areas of commercial litigation, personal injury, and insurance defense before focusing on criminal litigation, both prosecution (with the State’s Attorney Office) and defense. During those years, Andrea tried several jury cases and numerous nonjury cases in the Gainesville and Orlando areas. Later, Andrea was a member of the municipal ordinance prosecution division of the Gainesville City’s Attorney Office and continued to appear in court regularly. Currently Andrea serves as Chief Legal Counsel for the Florida Department of Health in Alachua County, North Central Consortium Legal Office

Byron Cain

Byron Cain, of Dallas, Texas, has been a fan of the marching and concert band genre since playing in the excellent bands of the Richardson School District north of Dallas. He went on to play woodwinds in the marching, basketball, and concert bands at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Byron periodically served as the student conductor of the basketball band.

The demanding graduate business program at The University of Texas, where he earned an MBA, did not allow time to participate in renown Longhorn Band, but his tie to the “Showband of the Southwest” is via his father, who served as drum major. Realizing that his talent in supporting bands lay much more in the organizational and management side than playing, he has spent much time as an adult volunteering his organizational skills to assist the Texas Longhorn Alumni Band (of which he is an Honorary member).

Byron also is the founding chairman of the board of the Dallas Winds, as professional ensemble of extraordinary musicians celebrating American band music. Dallas Winds is the leading professional civilian wind band in the United States today. Comprised of 50 woodwind, brass and percussion players, the band performs an eclectic blend of musical styles ranging from Bach to Bernstein and Sousa to Strauss. Byron’s musical performance these days consists of conducting his extensive record and CD collection of Broadway musical theater recordings, much to his family’s dismay. Byron possesses a wealth of knowledge on collegiate bands and their history and conducts research about bands and their early beginnings and traditions.

When not volunteering for musical groups, Byron operates HERITAGE TOURS LLC (originally named Texas International Tours that he founded in 1992) that leads groups on history-focused trips around the American Southeast, Southwest and a few spots in Europe. Heritage Tours is a provider of customized group tours for travelers interested in learning about various fascinating areas of the world, primarily the American Southeast, Southwest and certain destinations outside America to include the Maritimes of Canada, Scotland, and Luxembourg.

James W. Roach

James “Jim” Roach received both his BM Degree in Applied Music and his MM degree in Music Education from The University of Michigan. He taught band and orchestra in Michigan public schools for 40 years, the last 35 years of his career in the Kalamazoo Public Schools. He has served as President and Solo and Ensemble Chair in District XI of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA), is now a Member Emeritus of that organization and continues as a Solo and Ensemble Adjudicator.

Besides being a member of the Board of Directors of The University of Michigan Band Alumni Association (UMBAA) for the past 12 years and a past Vice-President, Jim is a founding member of the UMBAA Concert Band and has served as a substitute rehearsal conductor for that ensemble. Jim has been involved for the past 46 summers with the Kalamazoo Chamber Music Workshop for middle school students, has conducted Bands and Orchestras during the past 40 summers at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp north of Muskegon, MI,  currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Crescendo Academy of Music in Kalamazoo, and is President of the Alumni Council of his social fraternity at Michigan.

Jim is interested in the NC Regional Ambassador position with NAoAB because during his time on the UMBAA Board he has gained a greater understanding that the multi-generational camaraderie and friendships gained from a strong Alumni Band organization leads to impactful support of the students, directors and staff of the collegiate ensembles.

East Ambs Open

West Ambs Open

VP of Comm. Open

Pres Elect Open

President Elect

Immediate Past President

Past President

Past President