The Editorial Team!

Catina Anderson - Virginia - Editor/Founder

Catina has been participating in the color guard activity for more than 20 years, first as a performer and since the fall of 1994 as a coach and choreographer for high school color guards in Maryland and Northern Virginia.  She was a member and captain of the Towson State University Tiger Marching Band Color Guard.  She taught high school biology and chemistry prior to leaving full-time teaching to start a family.  She has earned a Bachelors in Biology, a Masters Degree in Education and has completed coursework towards an Associates in Applied Music (Vocal).  She is currently continuing to work with the fall and winter color guards at Broad Run High School in Ashburn, VA while primarily focusing on her family and building this website.  She also writes a color guard technique column for the new Halftime Magazine and has written several feature articles for Halftime as well.  She serves as the education specialist for the Atlantic Indoor Association.  Catina started CGE in January of 2007 after recognizing a need in her local color guard community for providing support to beginning coaches and the sharing of coaching strategies.  She is passionate about the mission of promoting positive coaching techniques and providing educational support for instructors in the efforts to grow their own programs as well as contribute to the growth of the overall colorguard activity.  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Chris Casteel - California

Chris Casteel has been involved in the Color Guard activity since 1981 as both a performer and an instructor.  She earned her B.A. and M.A. in Education from National University.  Her experience as an instructor has spanned the course of two decades with several medaling guards for the WGASC (Winter Guard Association of Southern California).  Currently, Chris is an adjudicator for the SCSBOA (Southern California Band and Orchestra Association) and the WGASC.  In addition, she has traveled throughout the United States as a guest adjudicator for other color guard circuits.  Presently, she holds the position of Education Coordinator for the WGASC.  Finally, she is a full time middle school teacher who specializes in Language Arts and Math. 

 Darcie Gudger - Colorado

Darcie Gudger's color guard career began with a broken off broomstick and a stained handkerchief taped to the top for a flag.  Her mother tried to foster a love for all things baton, but Darcie was too enamored with the shimmer of shiny fabric under stadium lights to succumb to maternal pressure.  In middle school and high school, Darcie marched both fall and winter seasons for the iconic Lake Lehman High School in Lehman, Pennsylvannia.

College forced Darcie to pursue interests outside of guard.  She was a member of the exclusive Houghton College Choir that toured every spring break.  Darcie earned a B.A. in psychology from Hougton College and an M.A. in  Education from the University of Colorado at Denver.  She taught high school special education full time for four years before pursuing her dream of becoming a writer and full-time mom.

Darcie got involved in guard again through instructing the award-winning Sheridan High School color guard in Denver, Colorado for eight years.  In June of 2009, she started teaching the guard at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.  In addition to teaching guard, Darcie is an active Individual Analysis Equipment judge for the Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association.  The 2009-2010 season will be her 8th year as a judge.

Darcie is also the Outdoor Recreation Examiner for Examiner.com and has completed her first young adult novel which includes the world of color guard.  Currently, Darcie's agent is shopping her manuscript to potential publishers.  Darcie has been married for 11 years and has a three-and-a-half year old drummer-boy.  Hobbies include hiking, camping, biking, knitting and singing.

Jennifer Hiltwine - Virginia

Jennifer Hiltwine is a 2009 graduate of Elon University in North Carolina with a degree in English Literature.  During her four years at the university she led the growth of their outdoor color guard program from 6 to 20 members.  She began her color guard career at Broad Run High School, in Ashburn, Virginia, where she spent eight seasons participating in both indoor and outdoor activities, including four seasons as a captain.  This season she has returned to her alma mater in her first year as a full-time assistant coach.  She is excited to have found an outlet in Color Guard Educators which ties together her love of the marching arts with her writing skills as she searches for a full-time job in the editing and publishing industry. 

Jennifer has written multiple articles for an international magazine stationed in London during her college intership and has had the opportunity to write for (and in some cases help establish) several on-campus publications.  Hee at CGE she will be focusing on editing along with writing articles of interest for college-age programs and high school student leaders.  She is excited to be joining our team and we're thrilled to welcome her!

Cheryl Myers - New York

Cheryl Myers is began her pageantry career as a member of the Liverpool High School Marching Band and Winterguard, going on to travel and teach with  Marching Auxiliaries as an All-American before performing with the Admiral Guard out of Poughkeepsie, NY. In addition, she worked and danced with the Terpsichorean Society at SUNY Oneonta, choreographing for (3) years, while also acting as Captain of the Kickline & Dance Team.  (Yes, she spent some time with pom-poms and wearing those Nike saddle shoes!)  Her instructional experience encompasses many Central NY winterguard and marching band programs, including Critical Acclaim, U-E High School, Trumansburg High School and Marcus Whitman. 

Currently, Ms. Myers is a member of the NY Federation of Contest Judges and the Atlantic Indoor Judges Association for both Marching Band and Colorguard, specializing in movement and field visual. She participated as a WGI adjudicator for the past 5 years, and continues to judge indoor colorguard and band contests around the country. She has been the guest clinician at the Loudon County Guard and Dance Camp in Leesburg, VA, and presents clinics to band directors and guard instructors alike on various topics including incorporating a basic movement block into rehearsals, and building a movement program from the ground up.  She was thrilled to take her first tap class in her mid-twenties, and continues to dance whenever possible, even if only in the kitchen.

Ms. Myers lives in the Fingerlakes area outside of Ithaca, NY where she works as a financial/estate planner and a freelance proofreader/editor. She is pursuing her CLU designation, but is far more proud of her primary career: that of raising her two beautiful children, a future dancer and drummer.   She is thrilled by the opportunity to join Colorguard Educators, and is hoping to provide a bit of humor, levity and more importantly, continue to learn in this great world of pageantry we call home.

Chelley Evans Thelen - Michigan

Chelley started color guard because her twin brother and best friend talked her into joining them as they auditioned for color guard.  She originally planned on being in the front ensemble, but after picking up a flag for the first time, decided that throwing things was more fun than pounding on things.

Chelley has performing experience in color guard, dance and music.  She marched color guard for 13 seasons (6 years of drum corps, 4 years of winter guard, and 3 years of marching band), including the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps from Dubuque, IA and Interplay Winterguard from Grand Rapids, MI.  She has also performed with the dance troupe at Grand Valley State University, focusing primarily on modern dance and ballet.  Chelley also plays piano and sings, and is currently in the choir at her church.

Currently, Chelley is the guard director at Pansophia Academy in Coldwater, Michigan.  Her brother who was instrumental in talking her into trying color guard for the first time is also on the guard staff at Pansophia.  She has taught at all levels (elementary, middle school, high school and college) and all seasons (drum corps, winter guard and marching band), as well as having worked as a clinician and consultant.  Prior to having her daughter in 2005, she also taught ballet and creative movement classes.  The upcoming winter 2010 season marks her 15th season as an instructor and designer in the color guard activity.

In addition to her performance, instruction and choreography experience, Chelley is a skilled seamstress who designs and sews most of th euniforms and silks for the guards she teaches.  Besides color guard work, she is self-employed as a freelance writer and graphic designer.  Chelley graduated from Grand Valley State University with degrees in Philosophy and Advertising/Public Relations.  She currently resides in Michigan with her husband, preschool-aged daughter and shih tzu.

CGE Advisors

The CGE advisors form a volunteer committee of color guard educators and organization representatives established to provide insight and guidance to the CGE Editorial Team.  They include educators and business people with a variety of experiences and backgrouns as well as familiarity with various geographical regions and competitive organizations.  The CGE Advisors are passionate about the mission of the ColorGuardEducators.com and passionate about the growth of the marching arts activity.  

William Chumley - Colorado

As a marching member, instructor, consultant, judge, and color guard director, William Chumley has committed over 28 years to the pageantry arts, where his various roles have included:  serving on the Board of Directors for the Rocky Mountain Color Guard Association for 20 years; judging worldwide for Drum Corps United Kingdom, Drum Corps Japan, Color Guard Netherlands, Winter Guard International, Bands of America, and Drum Corps International for 18 years; and training, mentoring, and scheduling judges as president of the Rocky Mountain Judges' Association for the past 12 years.

William is the Director of Education for Winter Guard United Kingdom, and trains judges and instructors around the world.  William is the Color Guard Director for Legacy and Rampart High Schools in Colorado.

William took several Colorado programs “to the next level” through sound training, programming, and instructing.  Loveland High School moved from 11th to 3rd place in the Scholastic A class.  Under William’s guidance, Rampart High School regained its title in the Scholastic A class and then moved up to Scholastic Open.  The Fossil Ridge, Cherry Creek, and Rampart high school marching bands all consistently achieve finals in the State Championship.

William created Oracle Winter Guard as a nonprofit arts organization where its members were equipped to be ambassadors of excellence in behavior, performance, and achievement.  As director of Oracle, William integrated his Master’s degree in Business Administration and 18 years’ experience in business and management with his passion for the color guard activity to cultivate a confident team of skilled individuals.  William created an environment that supported proficiency of the guard members both as performers and as successful humans.  Oracle’s achievements include:  2002 WGI Open Class World Champion; four-time WGI Independent World Class finalist, finishing in 9th place in 2003, 6th place in 2004, 4th place in 2005, and 6th place in 2006. 

At Carolina Crown, William facilitated and optimized the creative process and the collaborative writing of the program.  William promoted a safe and powerful culture in which team members experienced technical excellence, a deep connection to each other, achievement of personal and corps goals, and the total joy of performing.

Peter Gomez - Color Guard USA, California

Christine Ngeo Katzman - Halftime Magazine

Christine Ngeo Katzman is the CEO/founder of Halftime Magazine, a print publication and online community presenting the sights, sounds and spirit of the marching arts.  Katzman has played the flute since the age of 8. She marched in the Northwestern University Marching Band, including the 1996 Rose Bowl and 1997 Citrus Bowl. She graduated cum laude from Northwestern with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1997. Since then, she has worked in the publishing industry as a writer and editor and helped launch Play Music, a magazine for recreational musicians, sponsored by American Music Group (now Music and Arts Center). In the summer of 2006, Christine worked at Yamaha where she interacted with staff and students in various marching bands and drum corps. Christine earned her MBA with honors from the University of Southern California in May 2007.  CGE is thrilled to have her experience and expertise in the publishing industry as part of our advisory board!

Eduardo Martinez - Pennsylvania

Eduardo Martinez is a visual design consultant with Broad Run High School in Asburn, Virginia.  He was worked with high school and independent marching bands and winter guard programs in the Middle Atlantic and Southern California areas since 1995.  Past program affiliations include McLean HS (Virginia), Solution Performance Ensemble (Huntington Beach, CA), and Revelation (Richmond, VA).

Eduardo has judged fall marching band, winter guard, and indoor percussion competitions since 1999.  His current and past circuit and judging affliations include American Drum Line Association, Atlantic Indoor Association, Southern California Percussion Alliance, Souther California School Band and Orchestra Association, United States School Band Association, Winter Guard Arizona and Winter Guard Association of Southern California.

Eduardo is a Senior Economist with Moody's Economy.com in West Chester, PA.  He graduated with a BA in International Business from California State University Fullerton in 1993 and a MA in Economics from California State University Long Beach in 1998.  He has been a member of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses since 2007.

Rose Molinary - Kentucky

Rose has been the color guard director at Raceland-Worthington High School in Raceland, KY since 2005 where she directs both fall and winter programs.  As a relatively new instructor she brings a fresh perspective to the advisory board, providing the insight and experience of working through the first few years directing and growing a program.  During the day, Rose works for the Family Resource and Youth Services office for her school district.  Her husband, Guy, is the band director at Raceland-Worthington and while they don’t have any children yet, they have 3 wonderful dogs.  Rose has been involved in the activity for the past 12 years, beginning as a performer at Oldham County High School in Buckner, KY.  She is a frequent participant in the CGE forum and a contributor to the website.  She hopes to bring many new and exciting ideas and articles to Color Guard Educators and that her experiences will help new instructors who are also working to build their programs.