2008
Gabrielle Gang
Gabrielle is a member of 3 Chicago area Jitterbug clubs and has been for many years. She along with George Baer are responsible for donating the many cups, plates, clocks, etc. with dance logos to all the events they attended, then donating the profits to the ABA. She participated in workshops for Assisted Living facilities, retirement groups and acted as dance instructor and as a Dance Aide for the Special Olympics.
Gabrielle was an Associate Director for the ABA.
Herky Meredith
Herky is one of the original founding members of the Derby City Bop Association in Louisville, KY. His role during the inception was to act as Dance Instructor and during the first 2 ½ years, he never missed a single Tuesday night dance.
He started with Arthur Murray at the age of 15 and because of his love of dancing, it has always been a big part of his life. 1998 he suffered a severe accident and after 4 years of extensive physical therapy, he came back to dance again.
Herky has been a Vice President of the DCBA, and served as a dance instructor at their annual dance event.
Mary Lou Poremba
Mary Lou is a founding member of the Chicago Jitterbug Club. She has held the office of President and dance instructor for many years.
She was the Clubs’ ABA Representative for almost as many years. She was also Editor of the ABA newsletter and served on the Associations’ Bylaw committee and the ABA Cruises.
Mary Lou participates in Special Olympic Dinner Dances “Parish Without Borders”, local Girl Scout troops, and at the “Great American Gurnee”
2009
Brenda Meredith
Brenda began dancing when she was 8 years old and still loves it today. She has taught both private and group lessons and in 1989 she was a co-founder of the Derby City Bop Association. She was awarded the DCBA Lifetime Award and serves on the Board of Directors. Over the years, she has served as club historian, newsletter editor, membership chair, secretary, activities chairperson.
Brenda has been very involved with the ABA, serving as she clubs’ representative to the ABA, many out of town ABA events and the ABA cruises. Brenda feels her involvement in the ABA has afforded herthe opportunity to make many friends and dance with some of the best dancers in the country.
Jo Reynolds
Jo has been involved in the dance community nearly all of her adult life. In her home Club, she has held the positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, Sergeant of Arms, and Parliamentarian. She has been a member of the Memphis Bop Club, Memphis Shag Club, Memphis Boogie Bunch, Memphis Swing Dance Club too. She’s been available to any new club to help them start up by writing their bylaws, charter, and music licensing contracts.
Active in the ABA, Jo has been a Director and Treasurer of the ABA. She handled the Music Licensing program and organized it for all the ABA member clubs to easily pay their clubs’ music licensing fees to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.
Larry and Debbie Wheelis
Debbie has been dancing all of her life. In the 1970’s, she saw a need to keep the St. Louis Style of dancing “Imperial Swing Dance” alive. As a result, she was one of the co-founders of the St. Louis Imperial Dance Club. She’s a lifetime member of SLIDC and has inducted into the Midwest Swing Dance Federation Hall of Fame. Debbie continues to teach, perform demos, and mentor dancers.
Larry has been a premier DJ both locally and nationally, Djing events all over the country. He’s a member of the National Association of Rhythm and Blues DJ’s.
2010
Steve and Kathy Day
Steve and Kathy have been Shag Dancing since 1984, and competing in the Competitive Shag Association events since 1995, and members of both the R & B Shag Club as well as the Upstate Shag Club. Well-known along the east coast because they’ve competed, performed demos, taught workshops from Chicago to Tampa and teaching workshops for Carnival Cruise Lines and on ABA Cruises. Both holed multiple offices in the Competitive Shaggers Association (CSA) and the R & B Shag Club.
Locally, they teach dancing for the Spartanburg County Parks & Recreation Dept, YMCA, and Debutant Club any many more.
Mike and Kim Nelson
Mike and Kim met on the dance floor in 1999 and have been making contributions to the dance community since. Married on the dance floor in 2003, the couple has served on the Board of Directors and planning committees for several years.
Teaching, being one of their passions, Mike and Kim have introduced “Street Swing” to hundreds of people. They’re regulars at many out of town conventions, doing from the sublimely smooth to the sublimley silly routines, to workshops. When they aren’t helping others to learn to dance, they’re on the dance floor dancing all night with anyone who wants to dance with them.