Nominations for 2026 Board of Directors
There FOUR candidates for THREE open board seats. Candidate statements and biographies may be viewed by clicking candidate name on the tabs below. Cast your ballot by selecting ONE (1) nominee for each seat. Ballots are individual. Member units with two members must cast separate ballots each using a unique email address as these are used to validate ballots. If separate email addresses are not available, please call the office with your ballot.
Be sure to select a different candidate for each seat. Ballots with multiple votes for one candidate will not be valid.
Barbara Connelly & Paul Connelly – Lower Waterford, Vermont & Holland, Michigan
Statement
ROUNDALAB has been a part of my life since its inception. Our round dance clientele has been changing from all couples to include many singles. I have experience as both part of a couple and as a single and can relate to both groups. We need to encourage all who are interested. ROUNDALAB needs to continue to work with other dance organizations to promote a healthy lifestyle. Through working with and sharing, all dance organizations can continue to grow. – Barbara
Having grown up around ROUNDALAB my entire life, I have seen it grow and develop throughout the years at the hands of wonderful leadership. I feel that I should continue their hard work and step into a leadership role in the organization that has helped shape me as a teacher and an individual. It is my hope to represent the next generation of round dance leaders. – Paul
Biography
Barbara has been dancing since 1968 and teaching since 1972. Barbara teaches phases I – V in 2 round dance clubs and cues regularly for three square dance clubs. The Connelly family included three generations of cuers/leaders. Paul taught himself to dance by following and imitating the dancers in the round dance circle while his grandparents and parents cued dances and/or taught. Paul made his cueing debut the day before his 10th birthday, 1997. Paul teaches phase I – V in Michigan.
Barbara is a retired Vermont music educator (44 yrs), and presently music director/ organist / choir director at church (45 yrs), church secretary (20 yrs), and teaches piano/organ privately. She was editor of the Vermont Music Educators News for 8 years and is secretary for the Local Standards Board (teacher relicensures in her school district). She has been in Girl Scouts for 55 years (lifetime member) with 42 as a leader, 17 as a Service Unit Manager, 8 as a Trainer and 12 on the Gold Award Support Committee (Girl Scout Council of the Green and White Mountains). She has been a presenter for the Vermont Department of Corrections Victim Impact Panel for the past 19 years.
Paul is a Michigan music, theater, and dance educator (15 yrs), and part-time church organist and vocal soloist (17 yrs). He is chair of the theater and dance departments at Hamilton Community Schools. Besides school classes, Paul produces, directs, and choreographs the musicals and straight plays for Hamilton High School (4 productions per year). Paul is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Hope College, Boy Scout Eagle Scout, and has presented workshops at the Michigan Music Conference.
Beside the many committees Barbara has served on in ROUNDALAB, she is also a member of VARDL, and served in various capacities including chairman for many years and is a member of NECORTA and presently Vice Chair. She was on the Board of Directors of ROUNDALAB from 1991-1994 (with husband Jim), 2010-2015 (with daughter Crystal) and 2019 – 2024 (with son Paul) and editor of the ROUNDALAB Journal from 1987 to 1994. She followed her mom, Peg Tirrell, as historian for ROUNDALAB. She was the editor for the National Square Dance Campers Association Times for 12 years. Presently Barbara edits the VAWSSDC Gazette. Barbara and her late husband Jim, are recipients of the New England Yankee Clipper Award (2007) for “unselfish dedication to the advancement of square and round dancing in the New England area.”
Paul is a member of VARDL and NECORTA. He has served on the Phase IV ROQ and Phase IV committee and presently serves as the chairman of the Phase IV Latin standardization committee. He has also chaired the convention education committee and presently is a member of the committee. Paul, using zoom, presented at the Australian Round Dance Convention. Growing up, Paul helped both grandparents and parents with their many jobs relating to Round Dancing and ROUNDALAB.
Barbara and Paul have taught dances and cued at Vermont Conventions, the annual New England Square and Round Conventions, National Square Dance Conventions, biannual Canadian National Square Dance Festivals, and the National Square Dance Campers Association International Camporees. Barbara was Round Dance programmer for the 2004 & 2005 NESRDCs (Paul & Crystal were the programmer’s right hand couple) and for the 2018 & 2019 conventions (Paul assisted again). They were on the 64th NSDC Round Dance Committee and the Publicity Committee (Press Breakfast and National Squares). Barbara and Paul have taught workshops at the ROUNDALAB convention individually and both have served as convention education chair. The Connellys have written many dances including Tombe la Neige, Weekend in New England, and Side by Side.
Gene & Anita Eckley – Swanton, Ohio
Statement
We are submitting this application for Board of Directors and accepting the nomination to this position with true reluctance. We do not seek to lead. However, as this is not the first time that we are nominated, and we are willing to serve our organization to the best of our ability, we will accept this nomination and, if elected, will do our best to deserve the trust that has been placed in our hands with this nomination.
Biography
Gene was introduced to the dancing world at the early age of 10, when he went with his parents to their square dance lessons. As the class was short one man, Gene was volunteered fill in and that was the beginning of a lifetime activity. After two years of square dancing Gene and his parents decided to expand to round dancing. They took lessons from a local pharmacist and round dance instructor named Frank Lehnert who was teaching with his wife Phyllis. Gene and his parents continued dancing with many local clubs throughout his elementary and high school years.
Gene went to college and earned a 5-year Bachelors of Science degree in Pharmacy from the University of Toledo in 1974 and later returned to earn a Masters in Education degree in 1987. Gene worked as a pharmacist for several local pharmacies and a local hospital for a few years before going to work as a pharmacist for K-mart, a position he held for over 30 years. During his years at
K-mart he worked at various locations as a staff pharmacist before becoming a Pharmacy Manager in Adrian, Michigan until retirement.
Gene met Anita in 1980 and they married in 1981. Anita was a graduate of Bowling Green State University with a Bachelors in General Business Management. Anita took western square dance lessons in 1981-1982 and danced at Mainstream and Plus levels for several years, Then Gene introduced Anita to Round dancing with lessons from Dave Fleck, teaching at that time with his wife Lonnie. After some lessons and some experience, Gene and Anita joined the Imperial Rounds dance club to continue their round dance experiences.
Anita worked at several jobs, then obtained a position with a bank. Recognizing a need for further education in the accounting field, Anita started on a master’s degree in accounting. The bank underwent several mergers and Anita’s position there was terminated. This resulted in Anita’s career change to industry accounting, working for Prestolite Electric Incorporated for almost 25 years, starting first as Accounts Receivable Manager with a staff of 3, and ending that career as General Accountant in charge of managing all fixed assets for the multi-location company in the US and also managing the conversion of the foreign subsidiaries financials to add to the US locations for consolidation of the statements. During the first few years at Prestolite, Anita completed her Master of Science in Accountancy degree. After the sale of Prestolite to an outside company that headquartered outside the US in 2015, Anita again changed positions and started working for Redline Equipment Company, a farm implement dealer with 11 retail outlets. This forced Anita to study and update knowledge again, this time becoming a sales tax specialist, in addition to all the general accounting duties and the accounts receivable and accounts payable responsibilities.
On a volunteer basis, Anita has served as church Treasurer for Lytton Zion UCC for many years and also for Berkey Congregational Church since 2019. Anita gave up the Lytton position in 2023 when that church found a volunteer to take on that position. She still serves Berkey Church.
Gene and Anita have been members of several dance clubs over the years and also members of the Toledo Area Western Dance Leaders Associaton, where Anita is presently the Secretary-Treasurer and the Insurance Coordinator. Gene and Anita joined Buckeye Round Dance Council in September 2021, and Anita now serves as Secretary for that organization. In 2023 Anita took over as Treasurer for their local dance club, Turkey Foot Trotters. Anita also serves Roundalab as the Budget Officer at present. This is the second time for her to serve in this position.
Gene went to his first Square Dance Caller’s school in 1982 and called at his First NSDC convention in 1983 in Louisville, Ky. He continued calling at several local square dance clubs and at state and national conventions for 28 years. Gene started round dance cueing out of an urgent necessity for cuers. A local cuer and friend, Bill Kansorka, went into the hospital for emergency surgery and didn’t survive and his wife asked if he would take over cueing his round dance clubs. He started cueing in 2011 and attended the Rocky Mountain Cuer College with John & Karen Herr in 2013. Gene and Anita have attended Roundalab Convention a total of 10 times only missing during the Covid years.
Gene and Anita continue to study dance with other teachers, having studied with Richard and Ella Rinehart for several years and after their retirement, maintaining and refining some of the higher level learning by attending a group class in Lansing, Michigan in the summers with Roger and Rose Latchaw, and doing our best to learn as much as possible at conventions and festivals. We have attended two of Frank & Sandy Hartzel’s Fall Galas where we picked up some additional bits and pieces.
Gene & Anita were convinced to start showcasing their dancing in 2022 at the Michigan State Square Dance Convention. Since then, we have Showcased and taught at 10 State conventions (Ohio, Mich, Ind) and 2 NSDC Convention. Being in a relative dancing desert our class teaching has been mostly limited to private lesson in our basement where we have covered Phase II & III Two-Step, Phase III Rumba & Cha, and Phase III Bolero. Gene and Anita do not presently lead a round dance club. However, Gene cues regularly for 2 square dance clubs and sporadically for another 4, most in Ohio, but one in Michigan.
Jim and Carol Tucker – Lincoln, Nebraska
Statement
Having served as a past member of the Board of Directors, we feel the members of the BOD should do everything possible to represent the membership to the fullest extent. We have always done our very best to represent the wants, needs, and desires of the membership of this great organization and we would be honored if elected to serve in this very important position to be able to continue to do just that — serve YOU. We feel that you, the membership, should be the driving force behind what is accomplished by ROUNDALAB. As a member of the Board of Directors, we would not be the stars, but merely among those entrusted with the task of guiding the ship in the direction that the membership would like us to take it, avoiding the icebergs along the way of course. Thank you for taking the time to consider us for your vote and for being involved in the process of deciding what you think is best for the future of the organization!
Biography
Dorothy was caught up in the excitement of the moment, whirled around a few times, and subsequently landed in an unknown and somewhat befuddled world called OZ. With a mere click of her heels, she was enlightened in the wondrous ways of her new world
Oh, if it were really that simple!!!
Fourty-six plus years of clicking our heels together, each others -not just our own, inspired us to take time out from the dance floor long enough to try our hand at creative writing. Here is a little bit about us and our dancing career.
Did we say career??? How about hobby turned insanity!!! We started out square dancing in 1976, learned to round dance in 1979, and wore out many pairs of dancing shoes and dance floors for about the next 10 years. We lessoned, workshopped, danced, home-studied, picked brains, and traveled unbelievable miles in search of our own little Oz. We started dancing ballroom in 1980, teaching ballroom classes in 1983, and have taught basic ballroom lessons to over 500 couples during the 12 years we taught through Lincoln City Parks and Recreation. In 1983 we were chosen as the 1st place winners of the ballroom waltz contest sponsored by Lincoln’s Playmor Ballroom. Both of us were/are involved in teaching as a profession and found we liked doing class teaching so it wasn’t long before the “cue” bug hit us. The Omaha dance community welcomed us and we soon found ourselves on the road back and forth for cueing engagements at several dance clubs around the Metro. We have taught many groups of beginner classes and enjoy watching the “light bulbs” come on as music, terms and footwork come together as they learn Phases I and II. We started Rainbow Rounds, phase 2 to 4, in Lincoln in October of 1989 and with the development of skills in Phases IIII thru V, the need for a higher level group was born. We were granted the charter, by national founders, Frank and Iris Gilbert, for National Carousel Club #250, Rainbow Carousel Lites, in 1993.
We were honored to be the full time round dance leaders for the Chix and Chasers Square and Round Dance Club in Lincoln, NE for over 20 years. It was also our pleasure to have cued, and to continue to cue, for other clubs in the area. We have served as featured round dance clinicians for the Western Nebraska Square and Round Dance Festival, the Panhandle Square and Round Dance Festival, the Council Bluffs, IA Square and Round Dance Festival, the Snowball Classic at Hayes, KS (on multiple occasions), the Single Wheelers Memorial Day weekend at Norfolk, NE (on several occasions), for the 1st annual “Wheatland Classic” round dance festival in Junction City, KS. the Northeast Nebraska Square and Round Dance Festival, the Omaha Square and Round Dance Festival, the Y2K Rounders Anniversary Festival Dance (on several occasions) and we were very honored to be asked to serve as the featured round dance leaders for the 2003 Kansas State Square and Round Dance Convention in Salina, Kansas. We were also humbled to be asked to be the featured clinicians for our home town festival, the Lincoln Square and Round Dance Festival several times and 4 times as the featured round dance leaders for the Nebraska State Square and Round Dance Convention. We have served as the round dance leaders at the Wichita Round Dance Festival and the Wichita Square and Round Dance Festival (both on multiple occasions). We served as the round dance program Chair couple for many Lincoln Festivals as well as many Nebraska State Conventions/weekends. We also served as the Director of Workshops and Programmed Rounds for the 2008 National Square and Round Dance Festival in Wichita as well as the Assistant Director of Rounds for the NSDC in Kansas City.
We are members of ROUNDALAB, where we were elected to serve 4 year terms as members of ROUNDALAB’S Board of Directors and also elected to serve 3 terms as the Vice-Chairman of ROUNDALAB, both positions never held by a Nebraska round dance leader before. We have served as ROUNDALAB’s Chair couple of Phase 5 Standardization and Planning, Parliamentarian for the ROUNDALAB Corporation, as members of ROUNDALAB’s Education committee, as Chairman of ROUNDALAB’s By-laws and Procedures committee, as Coordinators of ROUNDALABS Mini-Lab program. We also performed the duties, for seven years, as ROUNDALAB’S Chair couple of the phase 3 Round of the Quarter selection committee, as members of the phase 4 Round of the Quarter Selection Committee, from the beginning, with the Shane’s, as helping write the teaching progression manuals, the standardization of classic dance cues committee, the unphased figures committee. We are currently serving as, for multiple terms, the Operations Coordinator for RAL.
We are also members of the Nebraska State Callers and Cuers Association, the Kansas Round Dance Association, the organization of National Carousel Clubs (club #250). We also have served as President, vice-president, Lincoln Council consultant, and past president of the Southeast Nebraska Callers Association (SENCA), an organization of callers and cuers in the Southeast Nebraska area.
We are very proud to have been the founders, and host clinicians of the Cornhusker Sweetheart Classic, a phase 2-4+ round dance weekend held over Valentine weekend that served the Round Dance community in Nebraska and the surrounding states for 15 years. We designed this weekend with the express purpose of introducing “skeptical” round dancers to the world of the round dance weekend and show them they could have a good time. We engaged as clinicians the best leaders in round dancing to do our teaching.
We are nationally recognized for the round dances we have choreographed, 31 over the past 21 years. Most of the dances we have written have been recognized as round of the month in various states. Six of these dances, “Quietly Foxtrot”, “I’m Confessin’”, “The Song From Moulin Rouge”, “Won’t You Be My Girl”, “Un P’Tit Foxtrot” and “When Shadows Are Deep” have been recognized as being among the Rounds of the Quarter as selected by members of ROUNDALAB. “Waltzing With Tammy” made the Australian National Classic List, while “I’m Sorry” spent 2 years on Japan’s list of 20 “recommended” round dances. Four others, “Foxtrot Shereen”, “Flirting with the Moon”, “I’m Confessin” and “Quietly Foxtrot” have been included by ROUNDALAB in the teaching progression manuals as suggested dance to use.
We continue to dance, workshop, home-study, pick brains, travel unbelievable miles and explore round dancing for ourselves in the hope we can share a little of our meager knowledge with those of you who have been most gracious in welcoming us into your circle of round dance friends.
Terri & Tim Wilaby – Pensacola, Florida
Statement
We would love to be elected back onto the BOD. We feel we have learned so much during our years with RAL and would really like to pass along to the newer members the richness of what RAL has to offer.
Biography
Tim retired from the Navy and now lives in Pensacola, Florida, with his wife, Terri. They have two sons – Stephen who has joined in square and round dancing and Christopher who is a square dancer. Tim is currently the general manager at a local bowling center and doubles as snack bar manager. Terri has worked as the bookkeeper/office manager at the same bowling center.
Terri and Tim began square dancing in the late ‘70’s while in Rota, Spain. In the late ‘80’s they were introduced to round dancing by the square dance caller’s wife while they were stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. They busied themselves putting their two sons through the Boy Scout program when they got back to the States, serving as both Scoutmaster and Troop Committee Chairman for their troop. In 2000 they were able to take up square dancing again. 2003 finally saw them with the “spare time” needed and they began taking round dance lessons.
However, as the number of cuers in the Panhandle started to dwindle, dancers started looking for some- one to step up and provide rounds for the area. With some wonderful assistance from cuers Lisa Wall, Sandy Sturgis and Bryan “Dad” Gerdes, Terri and Tim decided to give cueing try. Terri picked up the mike and Tim made sure she had everything she needed to provide a quality service to the dancers in their area.
Terri and Tim now cue and teach Phase II through Phase IV on Sundays to their club, TNT Rounds, founded in 2008. They have also cued dances in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, as well as several Florida and National conventions.
Terri and Tim were General Chairman for the 53rd Florida State Square and Round Dance Convention (Follow the Bird to the 53rd) and have been Cuer Chairman and Co-Chairman for other Florida conventions. They have taught at both Florida State Conventions and National Conventions. They are members of ROUNDALAB (RAL) (the association for dance leaders). They have served three terms on the Board of Directors for RAL. Terri has served as General Chairman for two years. They were members of the Round Dance Council of Florida for 14 years. They have also served as the editors for the NWFSRDA newspaper, Panhandle Press, for 14 years. Terri completed two terms as Director of Northwest Florida Caller/Cuer’s Association before it was closed. Terri and Tim were coordinators for the Showcase of Rounds for the 72nd National Square Dance Convention in Mobile, Alabama 2023.