Creative Grounds Staff
Creative Grounds Fine Arts Academy is blessed to have these individuals on staff to help lead The Organization as it builds individuals up through fostering relationships and growing artists.
Mark Landis - Executive Director, Co-Founder & Music Director
Mark Landis serves as the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Creative Grounds Fine Arts Academy. Mark holds a Bachelors Degree from Ball State University and studied two years at Indiana Wesleyan University in Music Education and Worship Ministry. For shows with CGFAA, Mark serves as the Music Director. He has been teaching private voice lessons for over 20 years. Mark is married to Katie and has three sons.
Katie Landis - Youth Development Director, Co-Founder & Director
Katie grew up in Indianapolis and loved her many years as a member of the Indianapolis Children's Choir. She graduated from Judson University in Elgin, Illinois, where she received her Bachelors of Arts Degree in Worship Arts with a minor in Youth Ministry and Music. She has spent countless hours helping various teams alongside her husband, Mark, since CGFAA began and enjoys directing shows while also serving as the Youth Development Director. As Youth Development Director she works with the Student Leadership Team and the Chaplain Program. She and Mark are the parents of three crazy boys.
Emily McDuffee - Director
Jacqui DeBoard - Assistant Director
Dennis Tooley - Assistant Director
Christa Fleming - Choreographer & Dance Instructor
As a native of Indianapolis, Christa attended Holy Name Catholic Elementary and Roncalli High School where she was a member of show choir and the musical theatre department. Christa continued her education at Webster University where she studied Musical Theatre and Dance and Marian College where she studied Music Education and Vocal Performance. She is also a former cast member at Walt Disney World where she performed at The Magic Kingdom. Some of her favorite choreographing opportunities include various numbers with the Moving Company at IUPUI, Buck Creek players, Whiteland High School, and other various programs across the city. Christa enjoys spending time with her kids and fiancé and is a member of Saints Francis and Clare Catholic Church, where she is employed and her children attend school. She feels very blessed and thankful for any opportunity to share her love of the arts with the youth of our community.
Jen Kocher - Choreographer
Linda Parr - Music Director
Linda grew up in Southern Indiana, where she began learning music from the age of 4. She received her Bachelor of Music Degree, with concentrations in piano, trumpet, and conducting, from Indiana University School of Music. She received her Master of Divinity Degree from Anderson University School of Theology, with concentrations in worship, counseling and chaplaincy. She received her Doctor of Community, Continuing, and Higher Education from Ball State University. She retired from IUPUI after 20 years of teaching there. She has worked as a freelance musician most of her life. She has worked with many community theatre groups in the greater Indianapolis area for 25 plus years. She also serves as Director of Music at Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis. She and her wife, Linda Suba, have 6 children, 8 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild.
Jamie Moiser - Music Director
Jaimie was born and raised in Sandusky, Ohio and graduated in 2015 from Anderson University (Anderson, Indiana) with a BA in Music Business. She has performed and directed with various theatres on the North and West sides on Indianapolis, but is excited to have become a part of the CGFAA family through this production. She enjoys getting see the growth of her students when she directs and teaches vocal lessons.
Erin Troxell - Show Coordinator
Erin and her husband of 28 years live downtown in a historic neighborhood. She is currently an interventionist at George Julian School #57 in Irvington and has an EdS in Reading and Literacy Leadership. She very much enjoys being a part of CGFAA productions and sitting on the board. She credits her grandparents for her love of theater. She hopes to be a part of CGFAA for years to come.
Cody Negri - Show Coordinator
Cody Negri brings over 20 years of theater and production experience to CGFAA, where he has contributed to more than 15 productions as Show Coordinator. He also serves on the production team at Greenwood Christian Church as a lighting designer, shaping the look and atmosphere of the stage from behind the scenes. Outside of CGFAA and church, Cody works as a software developer. Most recently, he stepped into the spotlight for the first time at CGFAA, performing in their production of Disney's Newsies: The Broadway Musical — a memorable debut that brought his long love of theater full circle from the lighting booth to the stage.
Kimberly Heron - Show Coordinator
Kimberly lives in Southport with her two children and her sister Michelle and her two children. Kimberly loves theater and performed on stage in her youth. She is thrilled to be able to share this love with her children and all of Creative Grounds. Kimberly is thankful for Creative Grounds and everything this program has done for her family and the community.
Garod Cavanaugh - Technical Director
Garod, a Greenwood native, is the auditorium stage technician for Emmens Auditorium at Ball State University. In addition to Emmens Auditorium, Garod brings years of theatrical and entertainment industry experience to Creative Grounds. He has designed sets for the majority of the shows at Creative Grounds!