Meet the Board
Tammi Croteau was appointed as the Artistic Director of the Tampa Community Band in May 2025. She holds a Bachelors degree in Instrumental Music Education from Troy State University and a Master of Music degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is also a retired Army officer, having started her military career as a musician in the 151st Army National Guard Band in Montgomery, Alabama.
As the Artistic Director, Tammi keeps the fun and welcoming spirit of the Tampa Community Band going strong, just as our previous director, Jahn Van de Putte, did for the last 26 years. From Jimmy Buffett to Ozzy Osbourne to John Philip Sousa, you never know what you’ll get to play, but you can be sure you’ll have a good time making great music and memories together!
Tammi is active in community bands and orchestras throughout the Tampa Bay area, performing regularly on oboe, cello, flute, saxophone, and clarinet. In her spare time, she loves traveling, painting, photography, writing, and spending time with her friends and her furbabies.
Tammi Croteau
Artistic Director
Chris Garcia
President
As President of the Tampa Community Band, Chris brings both leadership and a lifelong passion for music to the organization. His musical journey began in sixth grade and continued through college before he took a 14-year hiatus from the trombone. Reconnecting with his passion for music, Chris joined the Tampa Community Band in May 2025. In addition to being elected President in October 2026, he serves as Assistant Low Brass Section Leader and Band Historian. A dedicated advocate for local community music, he also participated in The Florida Orchestra’s inaugural Play Out Tampa Bay program and continues to represent the band across the Tampa Bay area.
Kathy Vasser
Vice President
Kathy was elected Vice President of the Tampa Community Band in September 2025. She began playing the flute in seventh grade and continued through eleventh grade. After a hiatus of more than 40 years, she rediscovered her love of music and returned to playing the flute.
Today, Kathy is an active member of several community bands and was honored to perform with the Florida Orchestra during its inaugural Play Out Concert. As the Tampa Community Band's flute section leader, she enjoys supporting and encouraging her fellow flutists while helping the section perform at its best. She continues to grow as a musician and values every opportunity to share her passion for music with others.
Kathy is grateful for the friendships, camaraderie, and rewarding experiences that community band has brought into her life, and she looks forward to many more years of making music with the ensemble. Outside of music, she enjoys swimming, gardening, drawing, and hiking.
Alex Vazquez
Secretary
Alex is the assistant section leader of the French Horn section.
Tara Wasserman
Treasurer
Tara Wasserman is a lifelong musician who joined Tampa Community Band in 2026, and proves that no matter how long you take a break from playing, the music is always with you.
Tara started playing piano at age 4, clarinet in 6th grade, and bassoon in high school. She studied bassoon and music history at USF and graduated from the School of Music, and is an alumni of the Herd of Thunder marching band and the Kappa Tau chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. Life took Tara in a different direction after college, and she spent many years living and working in Japan as an elementary school teacher.
After a 20 year pause in playing, Tara now plays bassoon as a member of numerous local bands and orchestras. She also had the honor of participating in the inaugural session of Play Out Tampa Bay with The Florida Orchestra. She is a loud and proud advocate of playing music, at any level and in whatever forms possible. In her free time, Tara enjoys studying languages, cooking, reading, practicing the hammer dulcimer, and spending time with her partner, cat, and macaw.
Tom Barber
Assistant Director
Chris Garcia
Historian
Assistant Digital Librarian
Allen Cheek
Head Librarian
Art Stoutenburg
Assistant Digital Librarian
Earl Hughes
Operations Manager
Julie Carey
Social Manager
Cynthia Zinober
Scheduler
Paige Gale
Website & Social Media Manager
Meet the Band
Section Leaders
Kathy Vasser, flutes
Jeanette Sung, clarinets
Tammi Croteau, double reeds
Betsy Nungesser, saxophones
Harold Goldberg and Alex Vazquez (asst.), French horns
Gerry Maffeo and Jeff Seligsohn (asst.), trumpets
Earl Hughes and Chris Garcia (asst.), low brass
Gary Carroll and Carl Woodruff, percussion