Carla Burgess-Tomsa
Color Guard Caption Supervisor

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BIO: Carla Burgess-Tomsa brings with her an extensive background in the pageantry arts as a performer, instructor, designer, consultant and color guard director for some of the top drum corps, marching bands and color guard programs in the Midwest.

Her 13 years of performing experience began at the age of 9 as a baton twirler, and then as a color guard member of the Queen City Cadets drum corps. Carla went on to become drum major of the Queen City Cadets at the age of 14. Later she became a rifle with the Pride of Cincinnati drum corps where she aged out. She also is a founding member of the Pride of Cincinnati winter guard.

Her work in the winter guard activity includes directing, designing and instructing finalist and medal winning WGI World color guards such as the Pride of Cincinnati, Onyx World Guard, Juxtaposition, R2 Performance Group, and the Rangerettes. She has also been instrumental in several successful WGI scholastic color guards such as Westerville, Thomas Worthington H.S. and North Royalton H.S.

Her drum corps experience began as color guard instructor for the Pride of Cincinnati drum corps. She later served as the caption head, designer, and instructor for the Glassmen Drum & Bugle Corps for a number of years and went on to become the caption head for the Spirit of Atlanta. Carla is in her 11th season with the Colts Drum & Bugle Corps.

Carla has served on the Board of Directors for Winter Guard International and the Mid East Performance Association, and 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. Carla was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Ohio Parents and Teachers Association for the outstanding work she did for her guard students at North Royalton High School.

In addition, Carla has also been a consultant and designer for several top high school marching bands around the country. As the color guard caption head and designer for North Royalton High School marching band, her guards won best color guard at every contest during the 11 years she worked there.

Carla currently resides in Berea, Ohio, where she is a registered nurse working at Southwest General Health Center in the Intensive Care Unit.

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