Judge Coordinators & Training

Judge Coordinators, Education, & Training

CWEA judge staffing for all circuit events is coordinated by our Judge Coordinators: Christine Fisher, Mike Stone, and Mike Leitzke. Together, they oversee the assignment and support of judges across all CWEA competitions.

Individuals with prior indoor judging experience who are interested in judging for the CWEA circuit should contact our Head Judge Coordinator, Christine Fisher, at [email protected].

For those interested in judge education and gaining a deeper understanding of the judging process, CWEA offers a comprehensive Judge Training Program, coordinated by Judge Training Coordinator Greg Llacer. Questions or interest in judge training should be directed to [email protected].

The CWEA Judge Training Program is new for the 2026 season and is designed to provide academic and practical training rooted in a consistent judging philosophy. The program is open to directors and instructors within the CWEA community who are interested in developing their skills and working toward judging certification. Training may span one to three seasons and focuses on commentary, rankings, ratings, and professional development across the pageantry arts.

Judges local to CWEA continue their education and certification through ongoing professional development opportunities that support growth and ensure alignment with the evolving winter guard, winter percussion, and winds activities.

Christine Clayton Fisher, Judge Coordinator Color Guard

Christine Clayton Fisher is a proud resident of Portland OR after stints in Clearwater FL, Nashville TN, and Southern California. She spent her college years as a color guard performer with the University of Southern California and the Sacramento Freelancers Drum and Bugle Corps, then spent 15 years teaching high school and college color guard in the Los Angeles area including Granada Hills Charter High School and USC. After moving to Nashville in 2005 her primary pageantry focus moved to judging while still keeping her hand in instructing as a clinician and writer for groups in Tennessee, Alabama, Texas and Oregon.

During the fall Christine is a Visual judge for marching band circuits across the country and in the winter adjudicates movement, general effect and visual for guard and percussion. In the past Christine has served as the Director of Education for the Winter Guard Association of Southern California, the Judges Liaison for the Southeastern Color Guard Circuit and the Movement Caption Manager for WGI. She currently holds the positions of Operations Admin for the NWAPA and Judges Coordinator for both WGASC and CWEA.

Christine holds her B.S. in Business Management and her MBA in Human Resources from the University of Phoenix and in all her spare time is the Director of Human Resources for BD Performing Arts.

Mike Stone, Judge Coordinator Color Guard

Michael Stone has been involved with music and the pageantry arts since 1984. At San Diego State University, Michael was a music education major. 2025 will be his 25th year as a pageantry adjudicator. Michael is proud to be affiliated with WGI, DCI, BOA, WGASC, USBands, WBA and many other pageantry organizations across the country. Michael is currently the Executive Director for the WGASC in Southern California. Recently Michael has accepted the role of Chief Operating Officer for BD Performing Arts.

Mike Leitzke, Judge Coordinator Percussion/Winds

Mike Leitzke began his music career at Prospect High School in Mount Prospect, IL, and went on to become a member of the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps and Rhythm X Indoor percussion ensemble. During his tenure at Rhythm X, the group earned their first WGI World Class Championship.

Mike has taught, arranged, and consulted for many high schools and indoor programs across the United States. Mike served as the front ensemble caption head and arranger for Palmetto Percussion, winning the WGI Open Class Championship in 2010 and making World Class Finals for the first time. On the drum corps side, Mike has served on the faculty of the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps and Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps as well as worked as a clinician and consultant for The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. Additionally, Mike served as a designer and educator for the WGI PSW finalist Mt. Juliet Band of Gold and Indoor Drumline.

Presently, Mike is the percussion director at Franklin High School (TN), a Sudler Shield band program and an adjunct instructor at Broken Arrow High School. Mike is an active adjudicator for Bands of America, serves on the advisory board/steering committee for Winter Guard International, and serves on the judge leadership team for Drum Corps International. Mike is the percussion/winds coordinator of the CWEA, MEPA, and WGASC indoor circuits. Mike is proud to be an artist and clinician for Yamaha, Remo, Innovative Percussion, and Zildjian.

Greg Llacer, Judge Training Coordinator

Gregory (Greg) Llacer has been a pageantry arts adjudicator and clinician since 1989, judging field show, winter guard, and percussion competitions nationwide. He adjudicates for Bands of America Regional, Super Regional, and Grand National Championships; Drum Corps International regular season and World Championships; and Winter Guard International Winds Regional and World Championships, along with other regional and State Championship contests. Greg is a former color guard and field show designer, originally from San Diego, CA. He also has served in leadership roles across the pageantry arts, as a member of the Board of Directors for WGASC (from which he is recipient of the Order of Excellence and Hall of Fame honors), as Chief Judge for WGASC and the Texas Color Guard Circuit Judges Association (and recipient of the TCGC Randy Julia Service Award), and as a former member of the Field Adjudication Steering Committee for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association. 

Greg lives in the mountain town of Placitas, New Mexico. A learning scientist at Harvard University for the past 20 years, he currently is the Global Director of the Amgen Scholars Program, coordinating 25 of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions in biotechnology study and research training for undergraduates.