Staff

Mr. Eric Mohlis joined DCG High School in August 2015. He serves as Director of Vocal Music/Choral Activities and Director of Jazz Choirs. He is the head coordinator for all contests and festivals held for the vocal department.

He completed his Master's of Music in Choral Conducting at Western Illinois University in 2015. He is a 2008 graduate of Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) where he earned a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music Performance and K-12 Music Education. He studied conducting under Dr. James Stegall and Dr. Craig Arnold. He studied voice under Dr. Kristen Wunderlich and Dr. Jessica Paul.

Under his leadership, the DCG High School Vocal Music program has expanded in offerings and numbers. The program boasts of 5 curricular choirs, 5 jazz choirs, and one show choir along with numerous musical theater opportunities. DCG Singers, the flagship 32-voice ensemble of the program, has collaborated with several college choirs throughout the area and most recently was selected as one of three choral ensembles to perform at the Morningside University Choral Invitational, an event recognizing choral excellence throughout the Midwest.

Previously, he served as 6-12 Vocal Music Director at Underwood Community Schools (Underwood, Iowa) from 2008-2010 and as Director of Choral Activities at Vinton-Shellsburg High School (Vinton, Iowa) from 2010-2013. While at Vinton-Shellsburg, Mohlis conducted the VSHS Chamber Singers, the premier 24-voice ensemble of the district and was selected as one of four outstanding groups for the Luther College Dorian Choral Invitational, an event to recognize the top ensembles throughout the Midwest.

He is a member of the American Choral Director’s Association. He has served as Facility Chair for the Opus Honor Choir and served as District Chair for the South Central ICDA. He currently co-chairs the Iowa All-State Jazz Choir. He also serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Des Moines Vocal Arts Ensemble.

In 2021, Mohlis was selected by the Grimes Chamber and Economic Development as Teacher of the Year.

Mrs. Becca Cassel joined the DCG Staff in August 2024.

Prior joining DCG, Cassel spent eight years as Vocal Music Director at ADM High School in Adel, Iowa. She directed two curricular choirs with weekly voice lessons, three extra-curricular jazz choirs, music director for the annual school musical, taught AP Music Theory, and served as the Auditorium Manager for the ADM school district.  Under her direction, the ADM vocal music program has been competitive in the Iowa Vocal Jazz Championships and the Iowa High School Musical Theater Awards, students have received honors as soloists, and most importantly, they have developed their singing and musicianship through positive learning and performance experiences.  She taught previously at Southeast Polk High School in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, and at Central High School in La Crosse, Wisconsin, as well as spending two years as a private voice teacher and piano accompanist in Waukee, Iowa.  Mrs. Cassel also taught instrumental music at Northfield Public Schools in Northfield, Minnesota, and has choreographed and directed musicals and operas at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels.

A graduate of Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, Mrs. Cassel received her Bachelor of Music degree magna cum laude in 2008 after studying choral, general, and instrumental music education. She is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching degree in Teacher Leadership at Morningside University.  She was a guest soloist with the Madison Symphony Orchestra as well as the Fox River Opera, received an Encouragement Award at the Wisconsin District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2008, and spent a summer in Bruges, Belgium performing with the Elardo Young Artist Program. From 2011 to 2013, Mrs. Cassel sang in the Des Moines Choral Society, and in 2012, helped form the Mirandola Ensemble in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Becca and her husband Trevor are parents to Rowan (9) and Eleanor (7).  

Renée Davenport joined DCG High School in August 2021. She serves as the Director of Show Choirs and is the director of Momentum, the Varsity Show Choir at DCG.

She holds her Bachelor's of Music in Vocal Performance from Coe College (Cedar Rapids, IA), and her Master's of Music in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH). She has studied voice under Leanne Freeman-Miller, Myra Merritt, Mark Elliott, and Rosanne Elliott and participated in masterclasses with artists such as Marilyn Horne, Thomas Pasatieri, and Todd Thomas. She has been a prize winner at many regional competitions and has performed with the Des Moines Symphony, Cedar Rapids Opera, StageWest, Des Moines Community Playhouse, and most recently as The Witch in Into The Woods  and Francesca in The Bridges of Madison County with Tallgrass Theater. 

Prior to her appointment at DCG, she served as an assistant director of show choirs at Southeast Polk High School from 2011-2021. Her students have been selected for participation in the Iowa All-State Choir, ISU Honor Choir, Iowa High School Musical Theatre Awards Triple-Threat competition, National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) finals, and earn superior ratings at solo contest. Renee also serves as an IHSSA Speech Coach for Des Moines Roosevelt High School, where her musical theatre groups have been routinely awarded All-State Honors and have received the Critic's Choice award. 

Outside of her duties at DCG, she is the Development Manager for the Des Moines Symphony.

Whitney Erredge joined DCG High School in August 2024. She serves as the Assistant Director of Show Choirs. 

She completed her Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2019. After college, Mrs. Erredge worked for STARBASE Minnesota in the Twin Cities where she created and taught STEM curriculum to 5th graders. In 2022, she moved home and started teaching elementary for Ankeny Public Schools. 

Prior to becoming the Assistant Director of Show Choir at DCG, she served as a volunteer for show choirs at Dallas Center Grimes from 2022-2024. Mrs. Erredge has a dedication to nurturing students' talents and fostering a love for music.

Mr. Peitzman joined the DCG High School Vocal Music Staff in November 2023 as director of Harmonization & Suspension.

He is a 2023 graduate of Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. He studied conducting under Dr. Mark Potvin and Dr. Andrew Last, and studied voice under Dr. Gary Moss and Dr. Jill Phillips. He additionally studied electronic music composition under Dr. Brooke Joyce.

Currently, he serves as the PK-5 Grade General Music Teacher at Madrid Community Schools (Madrid, Iowa).

Mrs. Kim Field joined the DCG High School in August 2021 as an accompanist.