Meet Your Convention Team

Art and Wanda bring over five decades of combined square and round dance experience to their roles as General Chairmen. Art began square dancing in 1973, and Wanda started in 1979 as a retired cuer. Their shared journey began after meeting at a St. Louis dance in 1991, marrying the following year.

Together, their extensive national convention resume includes serving as Assistant General Chairmen for the 42nd NSDC in St. Louis, and working on numerous committees spanning the 41st, 67th, 69th, 71st, 74th, 75th, and 76th NSDCs. Regionally, they have served as Presidents of the Missouri Round Dance Association, Secretaries for the Missouri Promenaders, and in key executive and parliamentary roles for the Missouri Federation of Square 'n Round Dance Clubs and the St. Louis Metro Association.

Outside of dancing, Art is a retired Contracting Officer for the United States Department of Defense, and Wanda is a retired Senior Analytical Research Chemist. In their spare time, Art enjoys spending time in the garden while Wanda focuses on papercrafts, sewing, and quilting.

David and Penny are high school sweethearts who married in 1985. After becoming empty nesters, they sought a shared activity and discovered square dancing in 2013. They graduated lessons in March 2014, attended their first National Square Dance Convention® in 2015, and haven't missed one since. Deeply dedicated to promoting the activity, they even customized a flat-bed trailer named "Joy" to use in parades across Missouri, including the Missouri State Fair and the Knoxville National Sprint Car Races.

Their extensive service resume includes volunteering at the 67th, 74th, and 75th NSDCs as Cookbook Director and Bus Monitors. Regionally, they are Past Presidents and executive leaders for the Missouri Federation of Square 'n Round Dance Clubs, and have served as Presidents and District Representatives for the NE District and the Peppy Promenaders Club. In recognition of their outstanding contributions, they were honored with the Circle of Service Award in October 2024.

Professionally, David has spent over two decades as a Collision Repair Tech and has owned DDI Fabrication for nearly 15 years, specializing in stainless steel welding. Penny has a 20-year background as an office assistant for a Medical Records Copy Service and manages the bookkeeping for their business. Away from the dance floor, they cherish time with their two daughters and four grandchildren, enjoy road trips, and pursue hobbies like sprint car pit-crewing, reading, and scrapbooking.

Kim is a freelance website and graphic designer with over two decades of experience. Through her business, Lami Designs, she manages websites for various organizations, including the Missouri Federation of Square & Round Dance and the St. Louis Metro Square & Round Dance Association.

During the 2020 pandemic shutdowns when traditional activities were paused, Kim discovered a new creative outlet by spending time outdoors. This transition sparked a deep passion for nature photography, and she now dedicates much of her free time to capturing the local beauty of parks and gardens throughout the St. Louis metro area and beyond.

Steve suggested square dancing after about 6 months of retirement. He needed to get out of the house more. After picking his wife Kathy up off the floor, their minds were made up. Covid had other plans: a long hospital stay and the doctors said it probably wouldn’t happen. Six weeks later, a determined Steve showed up with an oxygen tank on his back, ready to prove the doctors wrong. After week one, they knew they had found “their thing” and 4 years later they are more passionate than ever. They attend 8-10 festivals a year as well as dancing several times a week. Steve and Kathy are past Vice Presidents of the Heart of America Federation of Square Dance Clubs and are current Vice Presidents of the NW District of the Missouri Federation of Square n’ Round Dance Clubs. Both finished their Leadership Certification at the 75th National Square Dance Convention® in Waco. Steve and Kathy have been married 41 years and have 3 non-dancing kids (but working on them) and 6 grandkids. God, Family. Dance. In that order. Steve is well known in his area for his promotion of square dancing for physical and mental health as well as just plain fun. He’s written several articles for local newspapers and local dance publications. As lifelong residents of Kansas City, promoting the city and the activity they love is a natural fit.

Daryl and Leslie Arndt have enjoyed square dancing for 14 years and are active members of the Beloit, Wisconsin, square dance club. Former members of the Gardner, Kansas, club, they served as officers and focused on growing the club.

The couple met in Kansas and got married in 2009. Since then, square dancing has taken them to eight National Conventions, where they have enjoyed making friends and serving where needed. They have served on committees for five national conventions, with roles in hospitality, security, services chairman, and facilities, including their current roles for Overland Park, Kansas.

Now retired from (Daryl) General Motors and (Leslie) Johnson County, Kansas, they enjoy traveling by motorhome. They have visited forty-nine states and Canada, often choosing national parks, forests, monuments, BLM lands, and quiet scenic places. Now, if they can just figure out how to drive to Hawaii!