"The Colts are proud to have Carla Burgess-Tomsa return to the organization in 2007," said Greg Orwoll, Colts Director. "The level of excellence that Carla teaches has earned the Colts guard an outstanding reputation for the past several seasons. For her to share the Caption Head role with Sam Brooks ensures that the tradition of the Colts color guard will remain in good hands for years to come."

An accomplished performer, color guard instructor, visual designer, musician and educator, Sam Brooks is returning as a full-time staff member for the 2007 Colts as Co-Caption Head for the color guard. At 25 years of age, he has been instructing for the last nine years with numerous nationally- and locally-competing color guard, marching band, and drum and bugle corps programs in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania areas. These groups range from the novice to world class levels and include West Deptford HS, Triton HS, Highland HS, Absegami HS, Timber Creek HS, the 2006 DCA World Champion Reading Buccaneers, Carolina Gold Drum & Bugle Corps (as caption head), Tri High Creek, Co-Motion and Blackwatch Color Guards. These efforts have resulted in six Tournament of Bands Atlantic Coast Championship titles, three Tournament Indoor Association Championship titles, over ten medals and one DCA World Championship title. Since 2002, he also has been serving as an adjudicator for the National Judges Association and Tournament of Bands. He is currently a staff member for the WGI World Class Finalist, Blackwatch Color Guard from Mt. Laurel, New Jersey.

Sam's performance career began when he attended Triton High School in New Jersey from 1996-1999. There he was a drum major for the marching band for two years and also the Triton "Free Spirit" winterguard captain for three years. In college, he studied music education and flute performance, and continued to perform with the Blackwatch Winterguard from 2000-2001, where the guard achieved WGI World Class Finalists status both years. He also performed a summer in the Jersey Surf Drum & Bugle Corps in 2000, capturing the guard caption at DCI Division II & III Finals. He completed his B.M. in Music Education in 2003 and is currently beginning a M.A. in Educational Leadership, both from Rowan University. He currently lives in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, is the band director at Glen Landing Middle School and an active freelance flutist in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Carla Burgess-Tomsa has an extensive background in the pageantry activity beginning at age 9 as a baton twirler and a color guard member of the Queen City Cadets. Carla went on to become drum major of the Queen City Cadets at the age of 14 and later performed with the Pride of Cincinnati drum corps color guard. She is a founding member of the Pride of Cincinnati Winter Guard.

Carla's teaching and designing career spans three decades. She has been instrumental in developing several state championship high school marching band and color guard programs. Her work in the winter guard activity includes directing, designing and instructing finalist and medal winning high school and independent guards such as the Pride of Cincinnati, Juxtaposition, R2 Performance Group, the Rangerettes, Westerville HS A and Independent, and North Royalton HS. During the late '90s, Carla was Caption Head, designer, and instructor for the Glassmen Drum & Bugle Corps where she lead the guard to the top ranks of Drum Corps International color guards. She later became Caption Head for the Spirit of Atlanta drum corps, from Atlanta, GA. Carla has served on the Board of Directors for Winter Guard International and the Mid East Performance Association, and also served as the WGI Open and A Class Representative.

She had also been an adjudicator for the Ohio Judges Association and the Mid East Judges Association for many years. In 1997, Carla was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Ohio Parents and Teachers Association for the service she provided to students during her 11 years at North Royalton HS. In addition to her roles as Color Guard Co-Caption Head and Staff Coordinator for the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps, Carla also consults and designs for several high school band programs such as the Indiana state finalist Northrop High School guard. She is a resident of Berea, Ohio where she is attending nursing school.

For more information on the Colts and their 2007 production, EQUINOX, visit their website at: www.colts.org.