Members |

Meet the Director

KC Congdon began ringing bells in junior high and conducting when she was a senior in high school. She attended Moody Bible Institute where she was the piano soloist for Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the concert band and received her degree in organ performance from Northern Illinois University. Mrs. C (as her students call her) lives a dual lifestyle; half of the week she’s a country girl from Lexington, IL, where she teaches piano; the other half of the week she’s a city girl from the western suburbs of Chicago where she has another piano studio and directs four church choirs. She has received private mentoring from David Weck on handbells while ringing with The Agape Ringers and Jane Holstein on choral. KC is married to her best friend David who hails from South Africa and currently works for a pigless farmer. In their spare time they rescue cats, rabbits, and bats.

Meet the Members

Derek Bonczkowski lives in Bloomington, IL where he is a technical analyst for HCLTech. He has been ringing with church choirs and at handbell camps since 1992. When not working or ringing handbells, Derek is practicing his bagpipes as part of the Celtic Cross Pipes and Drums group in Eureka, IL, where he placed first in the senior novice solo competition of the Midwest Pipes and Drums Association in 2017.

Madeline Chang lives in Lisle, IL and is currently a Financial Analyst Professional at a healthcare company. She began ringing in elementary school and quickly decided that handbells were way cooler than violin. Aside from ringing, Madeline enjoys crocheting, making stickers, eating snacks, and perusing the internet for crochet patterns that she’ll never actually get around to making.

Julia Cozad-Callighan has been a bell player since age 8 when she began ringing in her hometown church choir in Bettendorf, IA with her mother. She was immediately drawn to the low bass and has stayed down there ever since, but will play smaller bells if you ask nicely. She also plays in Riverbend Bronze, a community group in the Quad Cities, where she resides (Rock Island, IL). In October 2023, Julia participated in her first Distinctly Bronze West under the direction of Hart Morris, and in August 2024 will attend the International Handbell Symposium in Japan. Julia enjoys board games, baking (she runs a small home bakery), costuming and weightlifting. She shares her home with her spouse, Shaun, two guinea pigs (Panda and Bear) and a crested gecko named Gecko.

Eve Diel has been ringing handbells and singing in choirs since elementary school in her hometown of Robinson, IL, home of the Heath candy bar. She has been a member of the ReBellion Handbell Ensemble in St. Louis for 11 years, and also serves on the board of the Handbell Association of Greater St. Louis. She has sung with several auditioned choirs in the St. Louis Metro area, including the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, the American Chamber Chorale, and currently the “No-Name” Chorale of Belleville, IL. Eve is recently retired after a 27-year library career, and is now employed in two part-time “fun jobs.” She is on the Transportation Team at the Tony Award-winning Muny, the longest running outdoor theatre in the USA, and works as a Standardized Patient at St. Louis University School of Medicine.

Susan Grieve lives in Forsyth, IL with her current rescue dog, Bojangles. She retired from managing a Family Practice. Twenty years ago, Susan added ringing bells to piano accompanying and singing in choirs. When not involved in some type of music as a participant or listener, Susan enjoys traveling, playing Mah jongg, reading, quilting and volunteering. Retirement is so much fun.

Kirsten Hendrickson has been playing handbells since 1997 in various church choirs. She has performed with Chicago Bronze and is currently a member of The Agape Ringers. In addition to handbells she plays the viola, violin and (if absolutely necessary) can play the cello. Her favorite bell is the D-flat 4 chime.

EmJ Jackle-Hugh is a freelance musician living in Pana IL. She has been playing handbells since high school. She also plays bassoon, flute and clarinet. When not busy making music, EmJ works in the Wellness Department at Pana Community Hospital. She is also on the Illinois State Committee for HMA Area 8. In what little free time she has, EmJ enjoys sleeping, chocolate, and all things Star Trek. “Live long and Prosper”

Joel Jackle-Hugh lives in Pana, IL and works for the state of Illinois. Joel is an ordained Presbyterian minister and keeps busy filling in at churches around central Illinois. Joel is also a talented musician. In addition to handbells, he plays tuba, trombone, French horn, piano, guitar, and he sings. Joel’s hobbies include cooking, train watching, and working on model railroads.

Kyle Jackle-Hugh lives in Pana IL and joined Bells in Motion in 2022. Kyle graduated high school in the fall of 2025 and is attending Lake Land Community College while he figures out what he wants to be when he grows up. Kyle is active in 4H and is the second violin section leader for the Illinois Symphony Youth Orchestra. He is also the choir accompanist for Pana First United Methodist Church and maintains a small violin private lesson studio.

Catie Jackson lives in Denver, Colorado where she is a Senior Event Manager for Gaylord Hotels and lives with her husband, cat, and 3 dogs. She has been ringing handbells since 2001, and also currently rings in the Bells of the Rockies community handbell choir. Her non-handbell hobbies include reading, hiking, strength training, trying new Half Baked Harvest recipes, and tending to her small flower garden.

Erica John is a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she is possibly majoring in French or linguistics but is still figuring it out! Erica first picked up a set of bells in third grade and has loved it ever since! She also has been playing the french horn since 4th grade and enjoys learning how to play new instruments. Outside of school and music, Erica likes to play board games and Dungeons and Dragons with friends, doing puzzles, nerding out about online improv comedians, and eating ice cream.

John Kouns lives in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. Recently retired from the engineering/construction field, he has been ringing bells since 1980 in various church choirs. John has always looked at playing bells as musical therapy. He loves playing the bass bells, especially the low chimes. His other interests include kite flying, building and flying model rockets, singing, collecting die cast cars and restoring his 1975 Datsun 280Z.

Kendall Ladd lives in Lexington, IL where she works as a research statistician for State Farm. She has been ringing handbells since she was 10 in both school and community choirs and has allowed it to take up most of her free time. Her non-handbell hobbies include yoga, traveling, hanging out with her cats, listening to music, reading, and binge-watching Netflix.

Lisa Landstrom lives in Bloomington, Illinois with her husband, daughters and 3 dogs. When not being the family chauffeur, she teaches Kindermusik classes for children age birth thru 3. Lisa has been playing handbells since elementary school and currently plays weekly with the Bloomington Normal Community Bell Choir.

Nancy Leigh lives in Fulton County on Bacon Hill Farm, which is operated by her husband and son. She is a retired math and chemistry teacher, having worked at Western Illinois University in Macomb and Spoon River College in Macomb and Canton. Nancy also directs a young ringers handchime and handbell choir for Macomb Wesley United Methodist Church. She also enjoys playing in the Steel Band at WIU.

Chris Peck lives in Vandalia, Illinois, where he is a Transportation Specialist with Central Illinois Public Transit and a traveling church organist for three local churches. He is a member of a very small group of individuals who have both rung in a handbell choir AND have run a marathon. He has rung in and directed handbell choirs for over 25 years and has about 10 published handbell arrangements. Currently, he is preparing his garden for tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, and sweet peppers. Chris is the current Area 8 Chair of the Handbell Musicians of America.

Debi Robey lives in Madison, WI, where she rings with the Madison Area Concert Handbells. She has been ringing for over 40 years in both church and community groups in PA, IL, and WI, including the Malmark Ringers and The Agape Ringers. She loves her monthly road trips to Central Illinois to ring with KC and BIM!! When (occasionally) not ringing bells, she enjoys gardening, hiking and biking, doing puzzles, operating the carousel and train at the children’s zoo, volunteering around Madison, and traveling with her husband and daughters.

David Congdon has been the emcee for Bells in Motion since 2013. He currently serves in his church as Ministry Lead for Security, runs a small security consulting firm, helps out at the Johnson Jacobs Farm Partnership, and operates a guest house called the Victoria. David spent 17 years of his life living and working in Africa, the Middle East, Central and South America. He spends most of his day searching for misplaced keys or glasses.