Staff Members
Craig Snyder
Director of Bands &
Music Director
Mr. Snyder has been Director of Bands at Penncrest High School since 2002. He is the Director and Conductor of the Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Lab, and the Roaring Lions Marching Band. Mr. Snyder's professional duties also include teaching Music Theory and Composition, AP Music Theory, and serving as the Penncrest Music Department Coordinator.
During Mr. Snyder's time at Penncrest, every aspect of the band program has received accolades at the local and national level. The Jazz Band has won numerous awards including A-Class and World Class Championships. In 2015 the Jazz Band was selected to perform at the PMEA State Conference in Harrisburg. The Wind Ensemble has performed at the Kimmel Center and Symphony Hall in Boston. They have never received less than a Superior rating in the past 20 years and twice have been invited to perform at Festival of Gold events. The Roaring Lions are multiple PA state champions in both USBands and Tournament of Bands associations. Penncrest annually places among the top schools with student representatives in PMEA District 12 and Region VI bands. In 2019 Mr. Snyder was a top 10 finalist for the Grammy Music Educator of the Year award, and is inducted in the Phi Beta Mu National Band Director Honors Fraternity.
Mr. Snyder has two adult children who both participated in band, choir and sports in high school. He enjoys an active outdoor lifestyle which includes hiking, camping, kayaking, golf, and cutting the grass. He is a professional trumpet player as well as guest clinician and conductor. He lives at home with Mrs. Snyder and two cats who fortunately continue to tolerate him.
Alan Reno
Assistant Band Director &
Drill Designer
Mr. Reno began his marching experience as a member of the Washington Township Minutemen Marching Band from Sewell, NJ. There, he played trumpet for two years, and then served as drum major for the next two years. Mr. Reno joined the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 1992.
After high school, Mr. Reno remained on staff with the Minutemen Marching Band while attending West Chester University and participating in the Golden Rams Marching Band. While also being a member of the Minutemen staff, Mr. Reno also designed drill for Owen J. Roberts HS, Sussex Central HS and instructed the Thomas McKean HS Marching Band. Mr. Reno served as drill designer for Illusion Drum and Bugle Corps and was a drill designer for Under the Sun Productions in West Chester, PA. Mr. Reno served as band director for Chichester High School in Boothwyn, PA from 1998 to 2002.
After becoming the band director at Springton Lake Middle School in 2002, Mr. Reno joined the staff at Penncrest High School and has served as assistant band director and drill designer.
Kate Skinner
Brass & Visual Tech
Music has been a part of Ms. Skinner's life for as long as she can remember, and she fell in love with marching ensembles when she entered high school. She marched all four years as a part of the Upper Dublin Marching Cardinals low brass section, playing mellophone and euphonium all four seasons.
She spent time touring with the 7th Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in the DCI Open Class circuit, playing Euphonium and Contra Tuba. Her most favorite marching experience, however, was her time as a tuba player for the West Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band. Her collegiate marching experience became richer as she toured up and down the East Coast, playing at exhibition shows across the region, and representing everything that she knew and loved about WCU!
Now, she has the unique experience of working alongside some of the very same people that she marched with all of those years ago! She is very excited to continue working with the band!
Leighann Keegan
Colorguard Coordinator
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Ms. Keegan began her Color Guard career in 2000 as a member of the Bpex Winter Guard from Newark, DE. From there she spent 4 years with the Ridley High School Marching Band and 8 years (2004-2011) as a member of the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps, where she spent her last three years as captain. Leighann also spent a year with the Black Watch Winter Guard and five years with Field of View Winter Guard from West Chester, Pennsylvania.
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In the winter of 2011, Leighann began teaching the Penncrest High School and has been with the group ever since. In 2016, she created the inaugural version of the Springton Lake Middle School Colorguard and is proud that the group still continues today.
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In addition to Penncrest, Leighann has spent time teaching many high schools in the Southeastern PA area including Ridley, Rustin, and Abington High Schools. From 2012-2013 she returned to her alma mater where she served as a technician for the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps.
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Outside of the marching activity, Leighann works at West Chester University as the Assistant Director of Conference Services & Cultural Affairs. In her free time, Leighann spends her time with her family, friends and pets.
Kimberly Santa
Colorguard Assistant
Ms. Kinden started her colorguard career in 2005 as a member of the Springfield High School Indoor Color Guard.
From there she spent another 4 years with Springfield High School’s Marching Band and Indoor program. She continued to expand her colorguard experience by becoming a member of the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps Color Guard. She spent 6 summers marching with them and was honored to hold the captain position for her last 3 summers. Kimberly has also spent 5 years with Field Of View Winter guard from West Chester, Pennsylvania and spent another 5 years with The Black Watch Winer Guard from Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, with her last 3 years as captain. She also was a member of the West Chester University Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band color guard for 5 years, and served as captain for 2.
Kimberly began working with the Penncrest High School Color Guard in the fall of 2018 and has been working with them, in both the marching band and the winter season, since! She enjoys watching the students grow and fall in love with same activity that she did!
In addition to Penncrest, Kimberly has also spent time teaching with Haverford High School, Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps, Main Line Independent Winter Guard, and The Black Watch Winter Guard.
Outside of the marching activity, Kimberly works as a toddler teacher at Life Discovery School in Springfield, PA. In her free time, Kimberly loves spending time with her friends and family as well as baking and doing arts and crafts.
John Kuhar
Percussion Coordinator
Mr. Kuhar is the Percussion Coordinator for the Marching Band and Indoor Percussion Program.
He graduated from Father Judge High School in 2014 and began his undergraduate Music Education degree at West Chester University and what is now the Wells School of Music. There, he marched for three seasons with the "Incomparable" Golden Rams Marching Band in the battery, and one season as one of four Drum Majors. With the “Incomparable” Golden Rams Marching Band, John Paul marched in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (2015), the Pittsburgh Steelers home game vs. the Cincinnati Bengals in Heinz Stadium (2016), the Miss America Show Us Your Shoes Parade (2017), and the Philadelphia Eagles NFC Wildcard Playoff Game (2020). In the Spring of 2015, John Paul marched with Field of View Indoor Percussion and performed at WGI Championships in Dayton, Ohio.
John Paul earned a Bachelor of Music degree from West Chester University in 2018, with a focus on instrumental music education. He currently teaches general music at Lifeworks Schools.
Dave Hearn
Percussion Assistant
Mr. Hearn is a Front Ensemble Instructor and Percussion Arranger with the Roaring Lions Marching Band and Penncrest Indoor Ensemble.
Mr. Hearn graduated with the class of 2015 from Penncrest High School. During his time at Penncrest, he was a member and section leader of the front ensemble.
Mr. Hearn earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Grades Preparation from West Chester University in 2020. While a student at WCU, Mr. Hearn was an active member of the Incomparable Golden Rams Marching Band. In the band, he played Marimba and worked as the student electronics coordinator.
Mr. Hearn has worked and arranged for many different programs including West Chester East High School, Downingtown East High School, and Chichester Middle School.
Mr. Hearn is currently a third-grade teacher at Rose Tree Elementary School.
In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his friends and family, listening to music, and hanging out at the beach.
Joe Stephenraj
Percussion Assistant
Mr. Stephenraj is the Battery Instructor and Percussion Arranger with the Roaring Lions Marching Band and Penncrest Indoor Ensemble.
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Joe graduated from Abington Senior High School in 2018, and spent 3 years with the marching and indoor programs at Abington. He was a member of the Front Ensemble during his first year in 2014-15, and spent 2015-17 on the snareline in the battery. During his last year in high school, he marched on the snareline at East Coast Percussion, a WGI Finalist in 2018. After graduating, Joe spent a year with the Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School in Philadelphia, PA as the Battery Instructor, and subsequently joined the Penncrest team in 2019.
Joe earned his Bachelor in Business Administration degree, with a concentration in Management Information Systems (MIS), from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. During his time at Temple, Joe served as a Teaching Assistant for four undergraduate courses in the MIS program, as well as a digital consultant for two separate departments within the Fox School of Business. He is also currently working at AmerisourceBergen Corporation in Conshohocken, PA, on the Information Security – IAM Team.