Dolan Bayless, Chair, is a native of Topeka, Kansas, holds the B.M. - Music Education degree from Washburn University, and the M.M. Choral Conducting degree from University of Kansas. Since 2006, Dolan has been Director of Traditional Music Ministries and Worship at Kirkwood United Methodist Church. A long standing member of Handbell Musicians of America, Dolan has served Area 9 in various offices, including Chair for two years. He also served as chair of Pinnacle 2002, a Handbell Musicians of America event, on the Board of Directors for the Greater Houston Handbell Association (GHHA), and as FebFest co-chair.

As a handbell conductor he has led local festivals in Oklahoma and Texas. He has been clinician for workshops at the Texas Conference Choir Clinic, sponsored by the GHHA and Area 9, and in churches throughout Arkansas, Texas, Illinois and Oklahoma. In summer 1999, Dolan was a faculty member for the National Handbell Festival in Tulsa. Dolan was musical director/conductor for Houston Bronze Ensemble, a professional auditioned handbell ensemble, for over five years, taking them on their first tour, recording their first compact disc and performing for Pinnacle. Prior to being named conductor, Dolan was a ringing member.

In the St. Louis area, Dolan rang as a substitute with Gateway Ringers (a community ensemble) and guest conducted a concert with them. Currently he is president of the Choristers Guild St. Louis Chapter, treasurer for the Missouri State Handbell Musicians of America, and a teacher of handbells in the continuing education department of Meramec Community College. In mid 2009, Dolan organized a group of handbell directors to form the Handbell Association of Greater St. Louis, promoting educational and festival handbell events. Also in fall 2009, he formed ReBELLion Ensemble, an auditioned community ensemble.

Marilyn Lake, Past Chair, is an elementary music educator in the Shawnee Mission School District, located in the metro Kansas City area. She teaches private piano and preschool music, and directs two church handbell choirs as well as the Heartland Ringers. She also directs the only hand chime choirs in the Shawnee Mission School District, made up of 5th and 6th grade musicians.

Marilyn has degrees in Music Education and Music Therapy from the University of Kansas and a Masters in Music Education from Emporia State University. She is a member of the Handbell Musicians of America, Sigma Alpha Iota Music fraternity, The National Association for Music Education (MENC) and the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA). She has been ringing bells for over forty years, and plays the piano, sings, and performs on the carillon.

Marilyn was born and raised in Texas, mostly in the Dallas area. College took her to Kansas. She founded handbell choirs in Kansas at Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church, Stanley Presbyterian Church, Circle of Faith Christian Church, and Southminster Presbyterian Church and in Palos Verdes, California at St. Peter’s By the Sea Presbyterian Church. Her talent is in building graded programs that feed on great music and great fellowship.

Marilyn has two adult children (only ONE still in college – yee haw!), a husband of 29 years, and 3 dogs. In her spare time she enjoys KU Basketball, quilting, kayaking, and geo-caching.

Patrick Gagnon, Chair-Elect, is a music educator dedicated to the development of people who are tuneful, rhythmic, creative, coordinated, and mature. A 1998 graduate from the Boston University College of Fine Arts, he is currently a K-5 music specialist and High School choir director for the South Hardin community schools in Eldora, Iowa.

Patrick is active as a church musician as Director of Music at First Congregational Church UCC in Eldora, where he is cantor, principal pianist and organist, and director of adult and youth vocal and handbell choirs. He is a member of the Hardin County Performance Series, and is director of the Hardin County Community Choir.

Patrick is currently the Iowa Chairperson for the Handbell Musicians of America where he leads an active committee in three annual events for ringers and directors. He has written articles in Quavers, the Area 8 newsletter, has taught at local and regional handbell events.

Before moving to the Midwest, Patrick was active as an educator, church musician, and AGEHR board member in the greater Boston area. He served AGEHR as Massachusetts State Chair, Area 1 FC worship coordinator, Massachusetts Spring Ring chair, Area 1 Directors' Seminar Co-Chair, Adult Weekend Chair, Area 1 2009 Festival/Conference Chair, Area 1 Chair-Elect, and finally as Area 1 Chair.

In Boston, Patrick was a founding ringer and later associate director of Back Bay Ringers, was a ringer in Merrimack Valley Ringers, was handbell and handchime director at Trinity Lutheran Church, Everett High School, and Billerica Memorial High School.

Patrick and his wife Jodi, director of undergraduate opera and pianist/coach for the Voice Department in the College of Music at Iowa State University, are currently enjoying owning their first home in Hubbard, Iowa. They love gardening, reading, playing and singing, and "raising" their dachshunds, cats, and birds.

Karen Cadmus, Secretary has been ringing for over 30 years, as long as her church has had bells. She is the only remaining charter member of the group. She also rings in a quintet at church and in the community. She is a retired RN that mostly worked in Doctors' offices.

She has two adult kids and four grandchildren, one in Illinois and three in California. She has been married for 45 years to the same man!

Kristin Kalitowski-Kowal, Treasurer, presently serves the Area 8 Board as Illinois Registrar. She was the equipment loan coordinator for the Area 8 Festival in Peoria, organizing all those handbell sets! At a young age, she caught the handbell bug and began ringing at Santa Maria in Mundelein, IL.

Kristin then went on to college and became Manager and sectional leader in Purdue Bells. When not ringing, she pursued a civil engineering degree and now works as senior project engineer for Civiltech Engineering, preparing plans and cost estimates for roadway projects. She is completing four years as President of The Agape Ringers with renewed enthusiasm for budgeting and dollar stretching.

Always apt to share her love of handbells, Kristin has taught classes at private and Handbell Musicians of America sponsored workshops in the Midwest, as well as Area 8 and 10 Festivals. She directs Glory Ringers, a junior high/high school choir, at Gary UMC in Wheaton, IL. The rest of her time is spent with husband Joe, turning their new house into a home.