Current Staff Members:
Wendy Hoover
Artistic Director & Co-Founder
Board Member
Wendy Hoover has worked professionally as a singer, actor and violinist. At age ten, Wendy’s love for the theater was sparked when she first took to the stage as one of the original students in the founding years of CYT San Diego. She co-founded CYT Sacramento in 2012 and in addition to teaching various classes, Wendy has directed and/or music directed more than fifteen shows. She also teaches private voice lessons and enjoys working with singers of all skill levels to cultivate beautiful and healthful singing.
She sang before she talked, started studying the violin at age four, and eventually attended the University of New Mexico, earning her degree in Music with an emphasis in voice. After gaining experience in dinner theater, cabaret, musical theater and opera, Wendy returned to Southern California and went on to play lead and supporting roles in theater, television, and film.
Wendy has played a variety of onstage roles including Madame Vodskaya in The Gift of the Magi, Alice in Alice in Modernland, Christine in The Phantom in Concert, Sandy in Grease, and she even starred in a one-woman show called Marilyn...Sleepless Nights at the American Theater in Kansas City. However, people get most excited about Wendy’s appearance in the Hallmark Movie, Santa Jr. (you sappy Hallmark fans know who you are!). She also worked as a principal actor in a number of national, regional, and local commercials.
Wendy and her husband Cris moved to the Sacramento area with their three dynamic kids in 2010. She’s deeply grateful to God for allowing her to use her peculiar array of gifts to serve Him and to serve this wonderfully awkward CYT family.
Lisa Keeler
Managing Director
Board Member
Lisa Keeler joined the CYT family eight years ago when her daughter fell in love with the community. She was asked to serve on the CYT Board of Directors in 2020. Her previous board experience included Chairperson of her local church. After retirement of over 35 years of state of California experience as a Deputy Director in administrative functions, including leading facility operations, contracts and procurement, health and safety, and strategic planning and workforce development, she joined the CYT staff as Managing
Director. She also serves as the Weekends and Special Events Director for Bayside Adventure where she provides leadership for weekend volunteer teams ensuring the teams are staffed, equipped, and trained. She believes CYT Sacramento has a
great mission and a really good team – very talented and passionate. Among many things, she strives to help CYT further their mission in expanding in more areas
around Sacramento.
Rachael Durling
Marketing Director
One would classify Rachael Durling as a generalist as she is good at a lot of things, but a master of none. Outside of her Marketing Director role with CYT Sacramento, Rachael works in the tourism and hospitality industry as a Destination Partnerships and Community Engagement Manager. Her creative and collaborative mind has allowed her many opportunities to get involved within the community. Rachael currently serves as the Board President for both the choir and drama departments at Bella Vista High School. She also has directed, assistant directed, stage managed, and produced several musicals at various community and school theaters. Rachael loves writing, creating, singing (mostly in tune, but never the right lyrics), all types of pickles, true-crime podcasts, the Sacramento Republic FC, owls, and believes that pineapple belongs on pizza.
Rachael moonlights as a photographer, capturing families, children, newborns and more. You will often find her behind the computer screen editing photos, graphic designing, video production, and perhaps a little social media scrolling to keep up with her family and friends.
Although Rachael is a self-proclaimed yes girl, she does manage her time well and we do promise that she does indeed find time to sleep. That’s one of her hobbies too! Rachael has had many accomplishments in her life, but by far, her best and most favorite ones all call her mom (except for the Rottweiler, she just slobbers). Rachael feels very blessed by the talents she has been given and grateful to be able to share them in various ways at CYT!
Bonny Verner
Folsom Chapter Coordinator
As the daughter of a Naval officer, Bonny grew up all over the world beginning in Southern California then London, England, Virginia, Rhode Island, Santiago, Chile and finally back to Northern California where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from the University of the Pacific. Bonny met her husband Don while attending a layman's program at Faith Bible College and after graduation they moved to the Sacramento area where they have enjoyed living for over 30 years! Bonny worked as a lobbyist for Traditional Values Coalition, Concerned Women for America and as a legislative aide for a California State Assemblyman until transitioning to the role of "homeschool mom". In addition to leading various homeschool co-ops, that season of life was rich with supporting her children's activities. While her older boys were young, Bonny served as Children's Ministry Director for Christian Life Ministries. She volunteered as team mom through the little league and soccer years and then served on the Board of Directors for the 200 swimmer strong El Dorado Hills Tazmanian Devils Swim Team where she was tasked with team communications and the annual fundraiser, Laps for Taz. When her boys transitioned to high school, Bonny served as the President of the Oak Ridge High School Parent Teacher Organization, coordinating parent volunteers. She also supported the ORHS Jr and Varsity Swim and Water Polo teams by organizing annual awards banquets, game and tournament volunteers, and booster events. When her youngest daughter departed from the family sports obsession and turned her passion to theater, the news was met with "joy unspeakable" because it was Bonny's passion too growing up! The Verner family found a lovely home at CYT with friendly, supportive, safe community who balance striving for excellence with grace. Over the course of 11 shows at the Roseville Chapter, Bonny learned "all things CYT" by serving as Greenroom lead and then Show Chair where she worked alongside the Area Coordinator to support all the production teams. Bonny could not be happier that CYT is coming to Folsom and is honored to bring the blessing of wholesome theater-arts to a new group of CYT-ers!
Micky Velebit
Box Office Coordinator
Roseville Class Coordinator
Micky Velebit has been a part of the CYT family since 2013 when her oldest kids stepped onto the stage in Aladdin, Jr. As a former public educator, she holds a BS in Human Development with a minor in Education from UC Davis. For the last 15 years, she has been educating her own children at home, and reports that she loves being a part of the "a-ha" moments and the experiences where her kids step out and grow. She is very involved in her local church where she teaches Sunday School, organizes Bible Day Camp, and serves on the Children’s Ministry team. In her free time you will find her running the trails and streets of Roseville, cheering on her 5 active children in their sports and theater endeavors, or curled up reading a good book. Micky began working for CYT in 2019 as the Box Office Coordinator, scheduling school, senior and community groups for our amazing productions. She is excited to add Roseville’s Class Coordinator to her roles, where she can partner with families and children ensuring they experience quality theater arts classes in a wholesome and safe environment.
Shelly Tuck
Roseville Show Coordinator
Carissa Shrum
Rocklin Show Coordinator
Carissa Shrum began acting at a young age in community theatre and her passion for theatre grew both on and off stage. In high school you would often find Carissa onstage at her local community theatre in the Central Valley, singing with her school choir or leading worship onstage at her home church. Her love for theatre remained strong and she now holds a Bachelor of Arts in both Theatre and Communication Studies. In college she experienced stage management and fell in love with being able to support everyone involved in each production. Since graduation she has worked in wonderful community theatres as stage manager, director, actor and so much more. Carissa believes that theatre is a great way to understand oneself and grow God given gifts. She is incredibly excited to be working at CYT and ready to support each student, parent, and CYT teacher in the journey that theatre offers each of us.