2025 Adjudication Panel and Field Staff

Adjudication panel — class 1a-3a

Robert Abend is in his third year as the associate director of bands at the University of South Alabama. At USA, his responsibilities include director of the Symphony Band, director of the Jaguar Marching Band and athletic bands, and teaching courses in conducting, music education, and marching band techniques. Prior to his appointment at USA, he completed his graduate studies at Michigan State University, where he earned his DMA in wind conducting. Abend earned his master’s degree in wind conducting at Western Michigan University where he studied with Dr. Scott Boerma. Upon graduation from WMU, Abend was recipient of the All-University Graduate Teaching Effectiveness Award, an honor given to only three masters teaching assistants across the entire university.

Prior to his graduate studies, Abend taught instrumental music in Michigan for eight years. Most recently, he served as the director of bands at Dakota High School in Macomb, Michigan from 2013 to 2018. Under his direction, the Dakota High School band program of approximately 200 students included four concert bands, marching band, jazz band, winter drumline, and winterguard. Prior to his tenure at Dakota High School, Abend taught at Southgate (Michigan) Anderson High School and Elizabeth Ann Johnson High School in Mount Morris, Michigan. 

Abend earned his bachelor of music education degree from Eastern Michigan University. As a percussionist, Abend has performed with the Macomb Symphony Orchestra, the Motor City Brass Band (timpanist), and was featured as a soloist at the 2009 Michigan Day of Percussion.

Chris Kaatz earned his bachelor's degree in music education from Michigan State University and his master of music with a concentration in conducting from University of Missouri–Kansas City, studying with Steven D. Davis. He also has completed a coursework residency towards a doctoral degree at Northwestern University where he studied with Dr. Mallory Thompson.

He is the assistant director of bands at SFA, serving as the associate director of the Lumberjack Marching Band and director of the Roarin' Buzzsaws Pep Band. He also conducts the Symphonic Band, teaches courses in undergraduate conducting, mentors music education majors as a student teaching supervisor and teaches at the SFA band camps.

Prior to joining SFA's School of Music faculty, Kaatz served three years as the director of bands at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Breese, Illinois. During his tenure at Mater Dei, he was the sole administrator of the music program, conducted the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Marching Knights, basketball pep band, Jazz Combo and Noon Chorus. He also taught courses in both beginning chorus and music appreciation.

Kaatz has been an instructor at the Smith Walbridge Music for All Summer Symposium and the Drum Major Clinic.

J.R. Trimpe grew up in Western Michigan where he was a member of the Jenison Marching Band. While still in high school, he began his arranging career with the assistance of his band director. His first marching band arrangements were performed in 1993 while he was still a senior in high school. While attending Michigan State University and performing in the Spartan Marching Band, he continued working with Jenison as well as other high school marching bands in the state. His first concert band arrangements were premiered in 1995 internationally. He began writing for the Spartan Marching band in 1997 while still an undergrad. Upon completing his degree in instrumental music education, he accepted the position of beginning band and orchestra director for Kalamazoo Public Schools. He also continued his work with Jenison as well as directing their top jazz band.

In 2000, he moved to Central Illinois to begin work on his master’s degree in music education at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. There he assisted with the Marching Illini, directed the Basketball Band, guest conducted the concert bands, and taught a class on wind arranging. He began writing music and drill for the Marching Illini in 2000. Upon completion of his degree, he moved back to Michigan to focus all of his energies into arranging and drill writing.

Along with writing drill and music for university, high school, and special events like the Rose Bowl and the Orange bowl, he has also served on the board of directors of the Michigan Color Guard Circuit. He continues to judge actively all over the United States with local circuits as well as with Bands of America and USBands as well as working as a clinician for high schools and universities. In 2007, he became a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). He is also a member of the National Band Association (NBA).

Dr. Jack A. Eaddy, Jr., a native of Orangeburg, South Carolina, is the associate director of bands at the University of Georgia (UGA), where he conducts the wind symphony and teaches undergraduate conducting in the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Prior to his appointment at UGA, Dr. Eaddy served as director of athletic bands at Western Carolina University, assistant director of bands at McNeese State University, and the University of South Carolina, where he assisted with athletic bands, including the award-winning Pride of the Mountains Marching Band, Pride of McNeese Marching Band, and the Carolina Band, as well as taught music education courses.

Eaddy has presented at state and national music conferences, including the Midwest Clinic and CBDNA National and Athletic Band Conferences. As a conductor, some of his honors include being a participant in the U.S. Pershing’s Own Army Band’s conducting workshop and receiving second place for the 2020 American Prize in Conducting.

Before transitioning to higher education, Eaddy served as director of bands at Oak Ridge High School in Florida, where he developed a flourishing program that was recognized throughout the state of Florida for maintaining the highest standards in spite of the challenges that many of its students experienced.

Eaddy earned the doctor of musical arts in wind conducting from the University of North Texas. He holds a master of music in wind conducting from the University of Georgia, and a bachelor of music education degree from Florida State University. Eaddy is a 2022 GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year finalist, and a Conn-Selmer clinician.

Paul Wiercioch has been involved in the marching arts since 2001 as a performer, educator, clinical, and adjudicator. Most notably, he served eleven years over 2007–2018 as a designer, manager, and visual coordinator for the Green Thunder Percussion, later named Cavaliers Indoor Percussion. Prior to his tenure with Cavaliers Indoor, Wiercioch was a member of the Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps contra section (2001–2004) and visual staff (2011–2013). In addition to his work with the drum corps, Wiercioch has worked extensively with marching band and winter guard programs throughout the state of Illinois for the past twenty years. Most recently, Wiercioch served Lake Park High School (2009–2011, 2014–2015) as visual caption head and designer for the marching band and a visual designer for the winter guard. Wiercioch’s time at Lake Park was preceded by work at Plainfield North High School, John Hersey High School, and Normal West High School.

Wiercioch attended Illinois State University, earning a bachelor of science in business administration. He currently works as a sales executive for Sentinel Technologies.

Bob Medworth was the band director at Northview High School (formerly Brazil HS) for forty‑one years. During that time, his marching bands were Indiana State Finalists thirty-nine times and have won ten state championships. His drum corps involvement as a marching technician and caption supervisor has included The Star of Indiana, Carolina Crown, the Madison Scouts, and he is currently on the staff of the World Champion Bluecoats. Medworth was also a member of the Brass Theater and Blast! staff as well as serving at many camps and clinics throughout the United States. He has received recognition in education including the WTWO Golden Apple, the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology Outstanding High School Teacher Award and the Wal Mart Educator of the Year Award, and was a 1995 State of Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash. While serving as the Girls Varsity Basketball coach at Northview from 2001 to 2007, Bob was twice named WIC Conference Coach of the Year.

Mitch Rogers began his career as a high school marching band trombonist and continued at the University of Illinois, where he performed in concert and marching bands. Rogers performed with The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps in the early 1980s. After graduating from the University of Illinios with a bachelor of science in computer engineering, he began instructing the Cavaliers and various Illinois and Texas high school bands in his spare time.

 In 1991, Rogers became the visual caption head of the Cavaliers and assisted the corps to two consecutive DCI visual caption awards and the 1992 DCI World Championship. In 2002, he continued his drum corps experience as the program coordinator for the Santa Clara Vanguard. He was the Bluecoats drill designer from 2003–2008 and he wrote the drill for The Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps from 2007–2010. He returned to as visual designer for the Cavaliers from 2013–1015.

 Rogers now works full-time as a drill designer, marching instructor, and show design clinician.

Adjudication panel — class 4a-6a

John M. “Jay” Watkins, Jr., serves the Gator Nation as the associate director of bands, director of athletic bands, and assistant professor in the School of Music, and as the director of the Gator Marching Band. Prior to his appointment at the University of Florida, he served as assistant to the director of bands, assistant director of the Longhorn Band, and conductor of the Longhorn Basketball, Volleyball and Concert Bands at The University of Texas at Austin (where he was the principal guest conductor of the Symphony Band and the show designer for the Longhorn Band). In the past, ensembles under his direction have performed and recorded with over thirty-six Grammy-award winning artists in a program he developed to integrate the academic, athletics and live music communities of Central Texas. Prior to his appointment at Texas, he served as the director of bands and associate professor of music at Charleston Southern University (South Carolina), where he was also the coordinator of instrumental music education. Watkins has received recognition as the CSU Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year and as a recipient of the National Band Association’s “Citation of Excellence,” and was the founder, music director and conductor of the Lowcountry Winds, a professional wind ensemble based in Charleston, South Carolina. He has also served as the director of the US Navy Drum & Bugle Corps and the director of instrumental music at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and as a teacher in the public schools in North Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia. Prior to his work in music education, he worked for the US Naval Research Laboratory as a research associate in the areas of liquid fuel propellants and their stability and published over seventy-five articles in refereed science journals.

Watkins is a native of Falls Church, Virginia and earned bachelor of science and master of music education degrees from George Mason University and Valdosta State University.

Dr. Christopher Hoch, director of The Ohio State University Marching and Athletic Bands, served as interim director from May 2015–2016. Previously, he served two years as associate director and one year as assistant director of the marching and athletic bands at Ohio State, seven years as the director of bands at Rutherford B. Hayes High School in Delaware, Ohio, and three years as a director of The Ohio State University Marching Band Alumni.

Hoch’s work with The Ohio State University Marching Band has received national recognition for innovation and creativity in the show design process. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Hoch serves as the musical director of the Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Company, and he is active around the state of Ohio as a clinician, guest conductor, musical arranger and guest speaker.

Hoch's Ohio State education includes bachelor's degrees in music education and mathematics, master's degrees in instrumental conducting and music education, and a PhD in music education.

Dr. Tim Yontz is professor of music, head of instrumental studies, and director of bands at the Bower School of Music & the Arts at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida. Before joining the faculty at FGCU, he was professor of music education and director of bands at Wheaton College in Illinois, associate director of bands at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and director of bands at Marinette High School in Wisconsin, and at New Palestine and New Albany High Schools in Indiana. Yontz holds a PhD in administration, curriculum, and instruction in music from the University of Nebraska, master of music from Butler University in Indianapolis, and bachelor of music education from Indiana University. He is the founding music director of the Symphonic Winds of Southwest Florida.

Da Knowlton is an educator, author, speaker, consultant, and artisan.  He researches and teaches in the areas of educational psychology, instructional systems design, design thinking, online pedagogy, and creativity theory. He also supervises and facilitates the Instructional Technology design studio.

For the past thirty years, Knowlton has passionately advocated for the power of creativity, education, and self-directed learning as means of improving organizations and changing lives. Knowlton has written over seventy-five articles and book chapters in the areas of higher education pedagogy, faculty development, employee performance improvement, creativity, communication, and the arts. Knowlton is co-editor of three volumes in Jossey-Bass' New Directions for Teaching and Learning (NDTL) series. NDTL describes itself as “one of the most well-respected publications in the area of teaching and learning at the postsecondary level.”

 Knowlton is the graduate program director for Instructional Design and Performance Improvement. He also is the producer of The Learning Vibes Podcast.

As a performer, designer, director, instructor, and clinician, Kim Kuhn has been involved with multiple groups making appearances in Bands of America (BOA), Drum Corps International (DCI), and Winter Guard International (WGI) semi-finals and finals. She continues to work with groups in the fall and winter as a writer/designer and technician. As an instructor, she most enjoys being able to share her passion for the activity with her students, watching the training foundation she put into place support their development continuing to higher levels of performance with other organizations as well as teaching groups of their own. Having served on the board of directors for the Michigan Color Guard Circuit (MCGC) for multiple years, she is currently the vice president of color guards where her main focus is on instructor education. She remains an active member of the rules, championships, and education committees in MCGC. Her judging experience as a visual judge includes: BOA, WGI, DCI, as well as multiple local circuits throughout the country.

Scott Seal has been involved with drum corps and marching band in some capacity since he was five years old. He marched in The Cavaliers organization for fourteen years, served on their visual staff for over a decade, and was privileged to spend a few seasons on staff with the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps as well.

 For fifteen years, Scott was the visual caption head for former BOA champion Lake Park High School of Roselle, Illinois, and he still instructs and advises several high school marching bands.

Scott has served as a marching band clinician and judge in several states for the last thirty years.

field & IMBC STAFF

Wayne Gordon is currently in his 21st year as band director at Northbrook School District 27’s Wood Oaks Jr. High School where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Band. Mr. Gordon also taught high school in southern Maryland and conducted the University of Chicago Wind Ensemble (1990-2010). Under his direction the bands at Wood Oaks have doubled in size, and the Wood Oaks Wind Ensemble has become one of the premier middle school bands in the State of Illinois. A graduate of Northwestern University and student of the legendary John P. Paynter, Mr. Gordon is a National Board Certified teacher and has earned numerous honors including the Chicagoland Outstanding Music Educator Award and a dozen Citations of Excellence from the National Band Association. Mr. Gordon is an active adjudicator and clinician, has taught on the campuses of Northwestern University (NHSMI), the University of Illinois (ISYM), and Illinois State University (ISSA). He conducts festival bands throughout the State of Illinois, and is an active performer on French Horn with the North Suburban Wind Ensemble. A former chair of the ILMEA District VII Junior Band, Mr. Gordon is the co-founder of the All-Illinois Junior Band (AIJB), and serves as the Illinois State Chair for the National Band Association.

Andy Isbell has served as the Voice of the Marching Illini since 1996, and has been the announcer at IMBC for most of the past 25 years. While attending Illinois he was a member of the Marching Illini Flugelhorn section for 5 years. He also spent 20 seasons as public address announcer for the Illini women's volleyball team and 5 seasons with the Illini women's basketball team. Andy is a 37 year member of the Barbershop Harmony Society, has won two Illinois barbershop quartet championships, and currently sings with and serves as bass section leader for the award winning men's chorus The Ambassadors of Harmony.