The heart of CLA is a knowledgeable and experienced staff.
Bill Humbert
Bill Humbert received his Bachelor and Master of Music in Education degrees from Arizona State University. He has been teaching band in Arizona for 36 years, and is currently in his 23rd year as the Director of Concert Bands at Glendale Community College in Glendale, Arizona. His duties at the college include serving as the director of the concert band program, coordinating and teaching the instrumental music education program, as well as, teaching courses in conducting. Under his direction, the band program at GCC more than doubled in size. Ensembles under his direction have achieved a record of excellence and consistency in the areas of concert, marching, and jazz ensemble performance, including many state, regional, and national recognitions. Mr. Humbert also teaches music education courses at Ottawa University-Arizona, and serves as the liaison between Glendale Community College and Ottawa University-Arizona in their Music Education Partnership
In addition to his duties at Glendale Community College, Mr. Humbert is active throughout the country as a clinician and adjudicator in the areas of concert band, marching band, jazz band, and orchestra. He is the Founder and Director of Bill Humbert Leadership, which provides student leadership, team building, and motivational workshops throughout the country for collegiate, high school, junior high, and middle school students. Additionally, he is the Director of the Arizona Leadership Conference, a summer leadership program for high school music students, and is the Co-Director of the California Leadership Academy. Bill also serves as an Educational Clinician for the Conn-Selmer Corporation.
The Arizona Music Educator’s Association in 2013 honored Mr. Humbert as the Arizona Music Educator of the Year, and also honored him with the Careers in Music Award in 2016. Additionally, he has been a recipient of the American School Band Director’s Association Distinguished Band Director’s Award, as well as, the recipient of the George C. Wilson Leadership Service Award from the Arizona Music Educator’s Association. Mr. Humbert is a Charter Member of the Arizona Chapter of Phi Beta Mu International School Bandmasters Fraternity and has also has served in many leadership positions throughout the Arizona music community, including President for the Arizona Band and Orchestra Director’s Association (2015-2017). He resides in Surprise, Arizona with his amazing wife, Stacy, and their energetic puppies, Frankie and Murphy.
Greg A. Solomon
Greg Solomon recently retired as the Coordinator of Visual and Performing Arts for the Moreno Valley Unified School District, in Moreno Valley, CA. He has been teaching in the Moreno Valley Unified School District for the last 27 of his 40 years in education. Greg is a head field judge for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association as well as a sought after clinician, adjudicator and conductor throughout the western United States. Greg is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton and has a Master’s degree in Educational Administration from National University and Administrative Services Credential from the University of Redlands. He is currently a National Training Director for the Center for Teacher Effectiveness. Greg continues to work with the California Leadership Academy for the 31st year. His high school bands have performed in two Tournament of Rose Parades, England, Scotland, the Florida Citrus Bowl and Hawaii. He has been happily married to his wonderful wife Sharon for 41 years and has two children, Danyelle (37) California Baptist University Graduate 2009, and Dale (35), Oregon State University Graduate 2010, and five incredible grandchildren, Harper, Benjamin, Hudson, Alexander, and Samuel.
- Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from California State University, Fullerton
- Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from National University
- Administrative Services Credential from University of Redlands
- 40 years in Music Education
- 38 years of Field adjudication for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA)
- 14 years a member of the Field Adjudication Steering Committee
- 20 years Head Judge for SCSBOA Field tournaments
- 31 years of instruction with the California Leadership Academy
- 16 years National Training Director, Center for Teacher Effectiveness
- 1984 Appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade with Glendora High School
- 1991 Appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade with Upland High School
- Toured with his high school bands through England, Scotland, Hawaii, Florida and Northern California
- Married for 41 years to a wonderful wife, Sharon
- Two children – Danyelle (37) and Dale (35)
- Five Grandchildren – Harper, Benjamin, Hudson, Alexander, Samuel
Mark Gunderson
A Southern California native, Mark Gunderson has been a part of the band scene since he was an infant. Reared in a family of musicians and educators, Mark headed down the same path. He attended California State University, Fullerton, graduated with a degree in Music Education, earned his teaching credential, and later returned for a Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting.
He has been teaching Instrumental Music since 1989. After teaching high school music for 24 years, he moved to his current position as Band Director at Kraemer Middle School in Placentia where he teaches grades 7-8 everything Band. He has taught nearly various types of instrumental ensembles including concert bands, jazz bands, and orchestras, and classes including AP Music Theory, IB Music, Music Appreciation, guitar, piano, and Recording Technology. Mark also worked with Pacific Crest Youth Arts Organization for 17 years with the last two as Program Coordinator. He is active as a clinician and adjudicator. He is a member of the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, California Association for Music Education, The Society of Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia professional music fraternity.
In 2014 Mark began working regularly with the California Leadership Academy, and in 2017 took over as a Director following the retirement of founder Don Gunderson, his father. As a high school director, his students regularly attended CLA.
Melissa Samson
Missy Samson has been a performer in the Color Guard activity for most of her life. As a student at Fountain Valley High School, she was a member of the school’s Color Guard. Upon graduating high school in 1995, her performance opportunities continued with the Independent Open Winter Guard, Solution Performance Ensemble (‘96-‘99), where she earned a Winter Guard International Independent Open Class Silver Medal in ‘98. After marching four years with Solution, she performed with the 2001 Fantasia Winter Guard, where she earned a WGI Independent World Class Bronze Medal. Since then, Missy has been the proud and successful instructor of many color guard programs in Southern California including Fountain Valley H.S. (‘95-‘99), Valencia H.S. (Placentia, ‘99-‘08), and for the past 15 years she has taught Color Guard at Kraemer Middle School (‘01-current). Missy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies, a Multiple Subjects & Math Credential from CSU Long Beach, and she recently earned her Masters Degree in Educational Administration from Concordia University. Missy is an Auxiliary judge for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association, a Color Guard and Visual Analysis judge for the Marching Band Open Series, and a Design Analysis judge for the Winter Guard Association of Southern California where she is also serving a second term as the WGASC President. After many years of teaching math at Kraemer Middle School, she recently became the school’s Activities Director in 2014. Missy lives in Placentia, with her husband Eric and two children: Chloe, 10 and Micah, 8.