About Us
Robin Coe
Founder
Ext.1
Robin@thewinnerschoice.net
Robin Coe brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise as a 36-year veteran of the cheer & dance industry. While on a mission to help others see the importance of possibilities and develop new opportunities, she has created Winners Choice Championships. She is also the founder of Spirit Festival National Championships established in 1995 and was the first premier event production to award Worlds Bids in New England. Under her direction, it was one of the largest and most prestigious events in the Northeast for many years. In 2011, she sold the competition company to Varsity Spirit yet continued to manage the event until 2014. You may recognize her in one of the various roles she played as a coach, NCA state director, 21-year gym owner, judge, speaker, clinician, and industry consultant. Robin made a big impact in the state of Connecticut being a leader in school, youth, and all-star communities for over 30 years. You may also recollect seeing her in magazines and on camera. She co-hosted cheerleading championships on MSG and local television. Beyond her other responsibilities listed, Robin was the USASF Northeast Regional Director from 2006-2015, a former member of the USASF National Advisory Board, and currently on the USASF Board of Directors. Her most distinguished role is that of being a mother, to an all-star athlete, who understands the accessibility and affordability of cheerleading and dance. Prior to Robin owning her gyms she was a former IBMer, marketing consultant, and development director. She now resides in Florida and in doing so additionally leads the industry in her role as Vice President of Cheer & Dance Success with Double Good Online Fundraising, the official fundraising partner of the USASF, ultimately helping athletes and programs participate in what they are so passionate about doing.
Dennis Worley
Creative Director
Ext. 700
Dennis@thewinnerschoice.net
Dennis attended University of North Carolina receiving a BA with Distinction in Economics and Speech Communication and obtained his JD Cum Laude from the Campbell University School of Law. He served as a Law Clerk to the Chief Justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court and served as Assistant Attorney General for 8 years representing the State of North Carolina before the United States Supreme Court. At this same time, he was head of the cheerleading program at Broughton High School where he won 3 State 4A titles, 3 finishes in the top twenty at the National High School Cheerleading Championships and was selected North Carolina Coach of the Year. In 2001, he merged his two lives into one and began 17 years with Varsity as Director of Business Development and Creativity, creating ALLSTAR CHALLENGE, INTERNATIONAL ALL LEVELS and THE SUMMIT. He served as a founding member and attorney for the NACCC, and spent 11 years on the USASF Sanctioning, Rules and Safety, and Scoring Committees. In 2017, he Received the USASF Pioneer Award for his industry contributions.
Louis Ragland
VP of Operations & Winners Choice Brand Manager.
louis@thewinnerschoice.net
Louis Ragland is a Virginia native and used his gymnastics background as a cheerleader at Albemarle High School and Methodist College. Louis holds interpersonal and human communication degrees from the University of Central Florida and an MBA in project management and business organization from Saint Leo University. Louis is also a retired Army veteran. Louis’s beginnings in the all-star world started at Lake Mary Allstars under the direction of Gena and Tony Evans. As the head coach and choreographer, Louis won numerous national championships with LMA. Through Lake Mary, Louis met Mike Pare, a coach at UCF and the owner of Spirit Cheer. Louis became an event director at Spirit Cheer and volunteered his time as an assistant coach at UCF. Louis has over 26 years of cheer knowledge and has judged for various brands domestic and international. Louis became the brand manager of Spirit Cheer and PacWest while working with various other brands and is known for his impeccable customer service and event integrity. Louis, and his business expertise is a huge asset to our leadership team.
Lori Wickham
Assistant VP of Operations
Lori@thewinnerschoice.net
Lori Wickham has been in the cheerleading industry for almost 40 years and brings a wealth of knowledge as a successful coach, judge, clinician, event director in brand, regionally, and nationally. Before her coaching career started, Lori was the office manager for Phil's Stores, Inc., an Ace Hardware Brand. Her duties included training employees and overseeing accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory control and payroll for two stores. Additionally she possessed extensive knowledge in implementing the computer system and played a key role in developing the inventory control management system. It's impressive that she was the youngest member to sit on the advisory board for Ace Hardware collaborating with 11 others who were brand owners in the brand's development. She then worked in the Edison Local School District in many capacities. Lori was the 2003-04 National Cheerleading Coach of the Year chosen from a field of numerous all-star, high school, and college coaches. Her team’s records spoke volumes not only in awards from cheerleading and academics but also in teaching the values of philanthropy and social responsibility. In her tenure as coach, the teams earned many local, county, state, conference, regional titles, as well as the unbroken string of SIX consecutive CANAM International Cheerleading Championships. In 2005, Lori began as an Event Director for Cheer Ltd. for the award-winning National Cheerleading Coaches Conference held on the campus of Methodist University for more than 25 years, Regional and State Competitions, Judging Coordinator, Certifier, and Summer Camps Director working with staff from all over the country. In 2014, Varsity acquired Cheer Ltd when she became an Event Producer for various other Varsity brands. In her career, she has produced and directed more than 175 competitions in every facet of the event-producing world. Lori was the head cheerleading coach of Methodist University Cheerleading from 2020-2023 and has been with Winners Choice since 2020.
Daniele Blackburn
Customer Relations & Marketing Specialist
Daniele@thewinnerschoice.net
Daniele Blackburn is the former co-owner of American Cheerleading Centers Home of Bama All Starz. She also owned an all star program in Massachusetts for 10 years called Titan All Stars. Daniele has 35 years of cheerleading and dance experience. She cheered at Syracuse University and started the Syracuse Dance Team in 1994. Daniele did UCA Staff and was hired as one of their summer material choreographers. Daniele has judged all over the United States for several cheerleading companies and also judged in Guatemala. Her expertise is in choreography and dance. Daniele was on the very first Worlds Judges Panel in 2004 and continued to judge The Cheerleading Worlds until 2012. Daniele has done it all when it comes to the cheerleading industry. From coaching, to selling uniforms, to teaching cheer camps, to choreography, to judging, to running her own gym, she has a wide range of experience, especially in customer relations that will benefit Choice Events.
Britten Blackburn
Director of Partnerships
britten@thewinnerschoice.net
Britten Blackburn is the former owner of American Cheerleading Centers Home of Bama All Starz. Britten owned ACC Bama All Starz for 26 years. He was the first all star gym in the state of Alabama. Britten has over 30 years of cheerleading and tumbling experience. He is a former Auburn University Cheerleader and “Mic Man”. Britten was on UCA Staff and has taught cheerleading camps all over the world including spending a summer in Japan. Britten’s expertise is in tumbling, stunting, and choreography. He has also judged for several different cheerleading companies throughout the United States. Britten's contagious personality and strong work ethic is such an asset to our customer relations and production team. Britten's knowledge of marketing and customer relations will help develop our Choice Event brand for the future.
Nicole Laurila
Customer Relations & Ambassadors
Nicole@thewinnerschoice.net
Nicole Laurila is the former owner of Bravo All-Stars Cheer & Dance in Massachusetts. Nicole owned Bravo All-Stars for 20 years. She has over 25 years experience in the cheerleading industry. Nicole has done it all when it comes to the cheerleading industry from coaching both All-Star and High School teams, to educating staff, to running all aspects of gym ownership, to running stunt clinics, to choreography. Nicole's commitment to organization and her communication skills as well as her wide range of experience will highly benefit Choice Events. Nicole says, “I consider all my customers as family members who are driven with the same passion and together, we are partners in the same mission”.
Andrei Robinson
Marketing Action Specialist
Drei@thewinnerschoice.net
Andrei Robinson is a former high school gymnast and college cheerleader. He cheered for the NBA for 5 years with the Charlotte Bobcats as a Captain. Andrei has 20+ years experience as a cheerleading coach in both all star and school cheer. He is one of the current coaches at UNC Chapel Hill and has coached there for 16 seasons. In addition to his coaching talents, Andrei is also a 2x USASF Cheerleading Worlds Announcer. With over 14 years experience both announcing and DJing cheerleading events, we are proud to have him as the voice of Winners Choice! Alongside announcing at events, Andrei will also be a huge asset to our marketing team. He has 10+ years experience of Small Business Coaching, doubling and even tripling multiple businesses. He is a serial entrepreneur and currently owns Zapples - a gourmet apple chip company. Andrei is also a veteran and served 9 years in the United States Marines in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Winners Choice is proud to have someone like Andrei on our team
Marli Dvornek
Marketing Specialist & Scheduling
Marli@thewinnerschoice.net
Marli’s roots in the industry began at just 3 years old when she fell in love with dance. Growing up, she juggled both cheer and dance, until she made the Varsity cheer team at Danbury High School as a freshman. Her love of the sport turned to teaching when she began coaching at her mom’s all star gym, Champion All Stars. She later became the assistant cheer director there, and the coach of one of the gym’s most successful teams. She coached her teams to countless National titles, even competing in the inaugural Summit Championship. In 2013, Marli received Reach The Beach's IEP Award from Inside Cheerleader Magazine. That same year, she was nominated for the USASF Coach Of The Year Award where she was the youngest finalist. During the few years that Marli was out of the industry, she co-founded Jake's Journey, a Non-Profit Organization dedicated to education about Service Dogs and their very important jobs. Her children's book is scheduled to be released in 2023. Marli has been with Winners Choice since 2020 and loves being back to her roots, on the event producing side this time.
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