Meet the Team

NEC Advisors
John and Dimple Williford

Convention Secretary
Pamela and Dale Smith

My Bio:  Learned to SD in 1995.  I dance through A2 level.  In 2013 I married my favorite caller Dale Smith.  I have been a Registered Nurse since 1976.  Nurse Practitioner working in Rheumatology 1994 until retirement in 2021.  I have two daughters and one precious, beautiful Granddaughter,  Phoenix.   

Education Chairman
Brooke Peters

Brooke Peters has only been square dancing eight years but had danced contra, English Country, Swing, Waltz, and Cajun, since the 1980s. As soon as she graduated mainstream lessons she became active in leadership positions at the club and association levels for the next 6 years as well as serving on assorted committees. She completed two separate Leadership Certification Programs in Atlanta, Georgia and Jackson, Mississippi. She has helped out or served on the Education Committee for four National Conventions before becoming the Education Committee Chairman for the 75th NSDC in Waco. Brooke has a Masters’ Degree in Parent/Child Nursing with a minor in Education. She is retired Army nurse with experience in clinical and administrative nursing as well as quality improvement and nursing education. She lived in the San Antonio area for 24 years and moved to Fruita, Colorado in July 2024 where she now lives with her four rescue dogs. When she is not dancing, she enjoys hiking with her dogs or camping with friends.

Publicity Chairman
Audrey Mansell

Audrey graduated square dance lessons in 2017. She hasn’t spent as much time on the dance floor as she has at the computer. She has served her home club, NORTEX (North Texas Square and Round Dance Association) and now 75NSDC in various capacities. Her home club is the Weatherford Pioneers.

Vice Chairman Publicity
Media Recognition

Melody and Philip Moorehouse

Phil began square dancing as a youngster in 1974 while living in Hawaii. He attended his first National Square Dance Convention® (NSDC) in Anaheim, California in 1976. A third generation caller, Phil began his calling career in 1978 at the age of 15 for the Diamond Heads ‘n Sides and then also for the Teen Twirlers, Bachelors and Bachelorettes, and the Aloha Paradise Dancers. Phil was one of the teen callers in the NSDC’s Youth Hall way back in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Phil is currently the square dance caller for the Blue Belles and Beaus in Judsonia, Maverick Mixers in Mabelvale, Star Steppers in White Hall and Heber Springers in Rosebud. In addition to Arkansas, he also calls regionally in Texas, Louisiana, Tennessee and Oklahoma. Phil recently retired as a Lt. Colonel from active military service, he still works as a civilian C-130 pilot and instructor pilot in the 189^th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base.

Melody did not begin dancing until 2015, the same year of her first national convention – the 64^th NSDC in Springfield, MA. Melody earned both a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Public Information and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She was the editor and owner for many years of her hometown newspaper. While active in the newspaper industry, she also served on the Board of Directors and on various committees for the Arkansas Press Association for several years.

Services Chairman
David and Kim Neff

Kim took square dance lessons in 1975 and in college in 1980 as a PE class where she met David.  They were married in 1982.  Kim serves as President of CASUL, Inc, the managing corporation of Swingtime Center and David is on the board.  They are members and Presidents of the oldest square dance club in Texas, Circle 8.

Vice-Chairman Sound
Chris and Carolyn Mills

Chris and Carolyn have been dancing since 2008. They have held many offices both at the club (Circle I) and NORTEX level. They have never met a square dancer they didn’t like!

Housing Vice-Chairman
Phil Henderson

I began dancing in 2002 with my wife, Sally. After a parent break we resumed in 2014 with the Bluebonnet Squares in Houston, Texas. We have served our club in every office position We currently advise as Past Presidents. We are currently serving as Houston Square and Round Dance 2nd VPs. We have lent a hand at a few Texas State Festivals as well. I am excited to serve the 75th Nationals as vice chair of housing. 

Round Dance Vice-Chairman
Patricia Morley and Dennis Artz

Photography
Archie and Angie Engledow

Assistant Education Chairman
Everett and Tina Kelly

We learned to square dance with a German American Square Dance club called “Tic-Tac-Toers”, in 1988.  This was in Ansbach, German where we were working for the US Army.  We traveled all over Germany, dancing at every opportunity we could.  That turned out to be a lot!  In September 1989, just before the iron-curtain came down in Europe, we were part of a square dance exhibition in what was then an East Germany small town.

In 1993 we moved to Clarks Green, Pennsylvania and immediately located the “Abington Allamanders” square dance club.  Eventually we became the club president and had a really tood time.  We danced all around northeast Pennsylvania and southern New York.  We moved to Illinois and then Missouri.  In November 2016 we moved to Tomball, Texas where we joined the “Tomball Promenaders”.  In 2022-2023 we had the honor of serving as President of Texas State Federation of Square and Round Dancers.

Director Showcase of Dance Associates
Marilyn Schmit

Director Caller Programming
Kayla and Vernon Jones

Sew and Save Director
Jamey and Keith Klix

Jamey has been doing crafts since her teens, and comes from a crafty family. Her father was a tailor and worked for Ailee’s in Abilene ( it was a textile factory that made clothes, it has long been closed). Both her grandmothers quilted and sewed. They learned from their mothers and grandmothers as in their day, you made your own clothes.  Jamey learned to crochet, knit, embroider, and cross stich from her paternal grandmother.  She has four sisters and only one failed to take up sewing. That sister builds instead.  The father was also a carpenter.  Jamey finds crafting and puzzling as a stress reducer.  She works as a Laboratory Manager in a hospital.  She was asked by Claudia to be Vice Chairman of the Sew and Save prior to going to Alabama. The answer was yes, if Carol was my second.   Alabama was her training ground for our convention.  Her first experience with Sew and Save was at her first convention, and she says she more or less fell over it. Once Jamey found the Sew and Save room she hung out there!

Program Book Vice-Chairman
Jack and Kaye Gregory

Jack and Kaye celebrate 10 years of square dancing this year. They are active members of Roadrunners Round and Square Dance Club in Fort Worth. For several years, Kaye has served as reporter. Some of her duties include designing Club ads for the Promenade and being the administrator for their Facebook page. This active page keeps the Club up to date on dances, activities, and other announcements. Last year, Kaye was asked to be Assistant Promenade Editor and to help Audrey Mansell, editor, as needed. She also helped do the lay out for NORTEX’s “Then and Now” which documented NORTEX and Club histories from 1961 to the present. She and Jack were given a NORTEX Star Award for these efforts.

Education Sessions
Bonnie Abramson

Education Sessions
Sally Bennett-Schmidt

Vice President Fashion Show
Roxie and Bruce Walker

Roxie and Bruce have been part of the square and round dance world for many years.  They are members of the Houston Square and Round Dance Council.  They have served in various offices including president for two non-consecutive terms.  They have served the Texas State Federation of Square and Round Dancers in various capacities such as Fashion Show Director, Registration Chairman, Assistant Festival Chairman, and presently serving as an executive officer.  They are also members of the Texas Teen Scholarship for Graduating Seniors.

Special Event Director
John and Laura Alexander

John and Laura met square dancing in 2002. John is a retired Army Captain and received his Master’s in Environmental Science in 2007 from Texas A&M University Corpus Christi. Laura is retired from Texas A&M University System as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Master’s of Science in Nursing 2000. She worked at the University Health Center and was clinical faculty teaching Advanced Practice Nurses in Master’s of Science program.

They love to travel in their motorhome, as well as air and automobile. They enjoy following the Malpass Brothers who play old classic traditional country music.

E Magazine Vice Chairman
Karen Nace

Karen is a member of Houston Area Camping Squares, where she serves as an officer and covers publicity for the club. She has a background in journalism. Karen and husband Mark have been square dancing since 2005 and love the people.

Hospitality Vice-Chairman
Cinda Siegel

Cinda has been dancing since 2017 from Tomball, TX. She has served as hospitality coordinator since 2019 and is now the backup hospitality coordinator. It has been a challenge to do Hospitality for the Hoe Down because the hotel hasn’t allowed us to bring food into the Convention Center for 4 years.

Assistant General Chairman
Ramona and Billy Grimsley

Ramona started square dancing in 1976 in Austin, Tx with the Whirly Birds as most of the couples were stationed at Bergstrom Air Force. Their caller was Joe Brown. She danced with them until 1978 when the club was forced to move due to the YWCA closing and the club merging with the Shirts N Skirts in Georgetown, Tx. Because of the distance from Austin and finding out she was going to have a baby boy with two more baby boys following, she took a parenting break and started back in 2000 with the Waterloo Squares in South Austin after a divorce. Ramona and Billy met at square dancing and married in 2024. Both of them are very enthusiastic dancers, enjoy entertaining folks in their square and above all want to preserve square dancing in the USA! 

Billy started square dancing at the age of 14 in a church group and recruited his friends from school as well as his family in the Seguin area. Soon his group began driving to surrounding towns like San Antonio, Gonzalez, Shertz and Marble Falls. In 2011, Billy decided to learn how to call and took his first caller school weekend in California. It was like lightning struck his heart and he continued to practice on his own. At his first national convention in Arkansas, Billy attended a GSI caller school. As of 2017, he held various positions in his club called the Wheels n Deals and is currently President. Billy and Ramona served as presidents of Austin Square and Round Dance Association and were asked to serve as Assistant General Chairman of the 75th (NSDC) by Claudia and Gary Lester. Their pre-requisite for this position is the ability to  instill “jubilee” into the thousands of dancers who will be joining us at the 75th NSDC Diamond Jubilee. 

NEC Advisors
Angie and Louis McClure

Ceremonies Coordinator
Ken and Dawn Hengst

Ken and Dawn Hengst are from Houston, Texas.  They have been dancing multiple nights per week since they graduated at the Hey Lollies Square Dance Club in 2017.  They are currently the  2025 Presidents for Houston Square and Round Dance Council and are also very involved in the leadership of the Texas Renegades, a plus dance club in central Houston.  They love to travel and dance whenever and wherever they can.  You never know where you might see them in a square!

Business Chairman
Trent and Beth Hubbert

Trent and Beth started square dancing in 2019, and then COVID started.  Finally, in 2022, they completed mainstream lessons and moved into plus lessons.  In 2022, they were elected to the Hanger’s Squares board in Special Events and Planning.  They quickly added social media and marketing for their club, and last year were also Co-Class Coordinators.  They are very excited to promote our activity and to have new dancers in the Square Dance Community.

Business Assistant
Katie Hubbert

Vice Chairman Finance
Bob and Melody Purnell

Assistant Business Chairman
Charles and Carol Thornburg

Carol and Charles Thornburg live in Houston and have been square dancing since 2019. They are members of Hey Lollies and the Texas Renegades, and currently 1st Vice Presidents of the Houston Square and Round Dance Council (HSRDC). They have served as Class Coordinators for Hey Lollies and 2nd Vice Presidents of HSRDC.  When not square dancing, they both sing in their church choir and in Houston Choral Society, where Charles serves as board chair. They love to travel and look forward to welcoming dancers from all over the US and around the world to the Great State of Texas.

Program Chairman
Michele Russell

Registration & Housing Chairman
Fisher and Maria Reynolds

Social & Special Events Chairman
Edd and Rhonda Harshbarger

Edd learned to square dance in Germany while in the Air Force in 1963. He and Rhonda met in 1987, in Austin, when he was her angel for her square dance lessons. They were married in 1998 and live in Spring, Texas. They dance with the Tomball Promenaders.

Assistant Chairman of Social & Special Events
Melinda and John Bassett

Vice-Chairman Tours
Jerry and Brenda Fabian

Brenda and Jerry Fabian took square dance lessons, with instructor Tim Ploch, about 4 years ago at Bluebonnet Squares in Spring, Texas.  They have become very involved with the Tomball Sesquicentennial Promenaders where they have served in various positions including Treasurers for 2 years and are the current Club Presidents.  They love the camaraderie and dancing in the HSDC community.  Additionally, you might find them dancing with the KPP and Renegades clubs in Houston.  The Texas State Festivals are a favorite and the 73^rd National Convention in 2024 was their first national convention.  It won’t be their last as they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Jerry continues to work full-time in the energy industry.  Brenda retired after 37 years of teaching science.  Her specialty was IB and AP Biology.  Today she specializes in the care of grandchildren.

Director International
Jan and Yasuko Andersen

Jan and Yasuko have been married for 33 years and have been dancing together for close to 20 years. Yasuko learned square dance in her native country of Japan, and Jan started in his native country of Norway when they moved there from the US in 2005.  In 2010, they moved to Houston and have been dancing since with the Hey Lollies and other local clubs.  They have square danced in the US, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and in Japan.

Social Media
Sally Henderson

Sally is a member of Bluebonnet Squares and HSRDC(2025-2028). She serves both organizations as Facebook publicity. She and husband Phil have served as presidents of Bluebonnet squares as well.

Special Project Director
Walt Littlejohn and Kimberly Vennard

Director of Security
Larry Leavitt

Computer Coordinator for Education
Mike Goggin

Transportation Vice-Chairman
Dean Haney

Vendor Vice-Chairman
Wanda and Bruce Carter

Bruce and Wanda took Square Dance Lessons in Houston with the Meadowbrook Mavericks in 1978. In addition to the Meadowbrook Mavericks, Frontier Squares and Pat Barbour’s Plus Club, they were members of The Spirits, which was a Square Dance Exhibition Group. As part of The Spirits, they danced in exhibitions each year at the National Square Dance Convention from 1979 to 1982. They moved to Austin in 1985 and danced with various Austin clubs. In 1993, they became a Vendor at the Texas State Convention and National Square Dance Convention and have had their engraving booth at these conventions every year since. In 2015, they joined Waterloo Squares and have held various Officer positions since 2016. They enjoy Square Dancing and making new friends!

Director of Media Development
Wanda Kruse

Wanda started square dancing in 1979 and moved to St. Louis in 1991 where she met her husband, Art. Wanda was the Vice Chairman of hospitality for the 74^th NSDC. They were Assistant General Chairman for the 42nd NSDC and the 73^rd NSDC. They were Services Chairman for the 67^th, 69^th and 71^st NSDC. She was also Ways and Means for the 73^rd NSDC. Wanda retired as a Senior Analytical Research Chemist. She has 2 Maine Coon cats and Art’s dog.

Traveling Team
JD & Cindy Brahm

JD asked Cindy to go to a dance with him, while they were dating in 2002. In 2004 they were married, and JD signed Cindy up for lessons with the Wildcatters in Humble TX. KO Jeans was the club caller. He had been dancing a long time and his 3 kids danced as they were growing up. It was only natural he would get Cindy involved. JD & Cindy danced with the Wildcatters until they retired and moved from Crosby, TX to Somerville TX in 2021.

Their Home Club then became Houston Area Camping Squares. This club dances once a month in Bellville TX at the Coushatta RV Resort.

Cindy started serving as club secretary 2021-2023. Then in 2024 JD & Cindy became Vice President, then in 2025 they were elected President of the club.

They are also members of the Brenham Club, Rock’n T Squares, dancing on Monday nights.

Traveling Team
Andy & Sandy Remson

Their love for square dancing started in 2015 when they first took lessons with the late Paul Cote, Bluebonnet Squares, in Houston. They then began dancing at different Houston area clubs to become more proficient.  This led to their introduction to Dance-by-Definition with KO Jeanes and have since learned Advanced and Challenge 1. As they progressed, they recognized floor time was key to mastering each level and that travelling to dances is a good way to get that floor time with a variety of callers.

The first national convention they attended was in Atlanta.  They have danced at all Nationals since then, and have already signed up for the Colorado and Florida conventions, in addition to Waco.  When Gary and Claudia Lester asked them to represent the 75th National Convention at some out-of-town/out-of-state dances, they readily agreed.