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About Up Pageantry
Who We Are * Why Choose Up * Mission, Vision, etc.

Who We Are
(our All-Volunteer Staff)

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Tami Uhler, Esq., Executive Director, C.E.O. & Founder

Tami has been a Placer County resident for almost 45 years, graduating from Franklin Elementary and Del Oro High School.  Tami has a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, with a minor in Psychology from U.S.C., and a law degree from McGeorge School of Law. A former Placer County Deputy D.A., with substantial trial experience, Tami is currently Assistant Director of Placer County Child Support Services. She has been involved in pageants for over 40 years, holding multiple titles, and has competed in categories from Pre-Teen through Mrs.  She has experience in all aspects of the industry, having served as hostess, emcee, judge, director, choreographer, competitor, and mom of a queen as well.  She is a former Board member on KidsFirst, and is a current voting VIP PRO member of the Global Beauty Awards (GBA).  A 2022 GBA nominee for Best (Forever) Titleholder, Best Director, Legacy, and Coach (with her Up Team), she is also a Global Beauty Awards WINNER for Brand Ambassador 2021, and BEST DIRECTOR, 2020, and an "Official Nominee" for  2021 in Best Coach (with all Up coaches), Brand Ambassador, and Best Director, and has been a past nominee for Choreographer (2018), Director (2019 & 2020) and for Coach (2020). She was awarded the "Woman of the Year" in 2020 from the Placer Charter of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), and in 2019, Up was given an award for their continuing support of the Tommy Apostolos Fund.  She lives in Granite Bay with her husband Kirk and is the mother to two amazing children, daughter Jacy (a former multiple title holder) and son Jaden.

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Alora Martin​, Director

Alora has been involved in pageants since the age of two. She has held most roles involved in pageantry including: contestant, titleholder, judge, choreographer, director, assistant director, MC, and coach. Alora became a director at age 17 and later established her pageant coaching business “Sashay the Stage”, coaching many of her clients to the crown in local and state pageants. She's held several titles, most notably: Miss Folsom, Miss Placer County, Miss Sacramento County (MAO), Miss Northern Sierra, Miss California International, and Miss West Coast. She was honored to be awarded the "Best Titleholder" award by the Global Beauty Awards in 2022. Alora is passionate about making her community a better place and received the Presidential Gold Service Award for over 500 hours of community service in a calendar year. She coordinates an annual "Boot Drive" for the Firefighters Burn Institute and has raised over half a million dollars for burn survivors in California. Professionally, she works as the Director of Compliance for Urban Services, a non-profit organization working to eliminate poverty and revitalize low-income communities. 

Kirk Uhler, Co-Master of Ceremonies

Kirk has been a Granite Bay resident since 1975. He served on the Placer County Board of Supervisors for over 18 years.  He is an entrepreneur, and co-founder of Casting Calls America.  He is currently the CEO of Placer Business Alliance and has a leadership role with the National Tax Limitation Committee. Has over 20 years’ experience in hosting and emceeing pageants. His latest business venture is Athlyt, connecting college NCAA level competitors with business in the "Name, Image, Likeness" space.  Kirk's family moved to Granite Bay in 1970 when his father was appointed to a position by then-Governor Ronald Reagan. Kirk attended Franklin Elementary and obtained his Political Science degree from U.C. Berkeley.  An Eagle Scout, Kirk has coached youth in skiing, softball, baseball, and more.  A lifelong athlete, Kirk enjoys coaching in any sport and has a knack with young adults, having coached ski, softball, baseball, and soccer teams for decades. He is also a finisher in multiple Ironman competitions. Kirk is a 2021 Fellow with Club for Growth, and is a two-time Official Nominee for a Global Beauty Award for "Best Talent".

​Ryan Ronco, Co-Master of Ceremonies

Ryan has over 15 years’ experience in hosting and emceeing pageants. Ryan has been a Placer County resident since elementary school at Franklin Elementary (where he met Kirk and Tami).  An Eagle Scout with years of experience coaching youth  sports teams, he is the Placer County Clerk/Registrar of Voters, and has worked in the elections field for over 25 years.  He is a collector of comic books and enjoys playing ice hockey for a competitive adult team, and enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons. He lives in Roseville and is the father of two amazing children, Samantha and Jack.

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Rachel Bailey, Assistant Director

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Rachel has held many state pageant title, most recently Mrs. Regency California. She is a 2022 GBA winner for "Best Content" for her podcasts of "Life Coach In Your Pocket", and 2022 GBA winner for "Best Titleholder" , and a nominee for  Best Coach (with Up), in 2021 and 2020. As a certified life coach,  Time Line Therapy practitioner, and hypnotherapist, Rachel is an advocate for mental health awareness. Creator of the After School Program, The Happy Heart Club Society, Rachel teaches social and emotional awareness to elementary school children. An experienced pageant competitor, Rachel began her pageant journey with the Miss Placer County pageants. . She is also a sponsor of queens, offering her services as a  life coach.  Rachel mentors entrepreneurs to help them focus on their target audience and upscale their business. She also has a coaching practice focused on pageantry mental preparation. Her accomplishments include taking fourth place at the United States Figure Skating National Competition, and placing in the top 10 at IJM Internationals in 2019 as Mrs. California. Rachel plans to change the world with her exceptional life coaching by helping others reach for their biggest dreams and fulfill their potential. Listen to her podcast "Life Coach in Your Pocket" wherever you listen to your podcasts!

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​Jacy Uhler, Assistant Director

Jacy, is the 2022 GBA winner for for "Best Volunteer", and was also a 2021 Global Beauty Award for "Congeniality", and also Best Coach (with Up) in the 2020 Global Beauty Awards, was Miss Idaho Teen USA 2018 and had the honor of representing that state at the 2018 Miss Teen USA pageant in Shreveport, Louisiana.  She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Boise State University's Honors College with a 3.98 GPA, with dual degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice, with a Certificate in Spanish. She graduated from Franklin Elementary and Del Oro High School in Loomis.  She is a former Young Miss Roseville, Jr. Miss Placer County, Jr. Teen Placer County, and Miss Teen Sacramento.  A former member of Boise State Women's Club Soccer travel team, she enjoys softball, skiing, and art, and her co-ed intramural football team won the university championship on the blue turf recently! She is a member of Tri Delta sorority and works to support St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. A former intern in the Placer County District Attorney's office serving victims of crime, she is a Certified Nursing Assistant working at St. Luke's Hospital in Boise, in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Why Choose Up?

Different pageants offer some of these benefits, but ONLY Up PAGEANTRY combines ALL of the best possible experiences of pageantry to the benefit of our contestants. 

 

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​WE ARE GOOD AT WHAT WE DO

  • The Miss Placer County Pageant was established in 1937, and has been part of the fair for over 80 years!  We are extremely proud to be the producer.

  • We focus on ONE pageant a year, not dividing our time, sponsor support, or competitors. And we focus on our royalty ALL year.

  • The staff has over 120 years of combined experience in all areas of pageantry (title-holders, emcees, coaches, assistant directors, set-building & designing, choreographers, queen parent(s), hostesses, and judges).

  • Up coaches have coached our royalty to state, national, or international level titles in EIGHT prestigious pagenat systems.

  • We focus on developing leaders and enhancing marketable skills like public speaking and interviewing.

  • We have EXCELLENT SPONSOR and community support.

  • We are professional, communicative, and organized.

  • Our contestants, their families, our volunteers, our sponsors, and the community LOVE to work with Up and our Royalty ~ see what they are saying on our website at “Testimonials” http://www.uppageantry.org/testimonials

 

WE PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY

  • We set our line-up with a public, random drawing by the contestants.

  • Contestants see blank score sheets before the pageant, so they KNOW what the judges are scoring.

  • We don’t handle the scores before the envelope is passed to the stage.

  • We will provide scores to the contestants, along with the high score in each category, while maintaining confidentiality of other contestants. 

  • We will meet with contestants to discuss strengths and areas for improvement.

  • Contestants can obtain the judges written comments about a contestant’s Personal Interview performance.

  • Subjective areas or awards do not impact the scores for the royal court.

  • We do NOT score or detract for attendance (i.e. “reliability” points).

 

WHAT WE OFFER

  • Our Queens have the option to compete at a statewide pageant and possibly a national level pageant.

  • We continually emphasize leadership, sound judgment, and courage, in a fun, engaging way.

  • The Essay competition is optional.

  • Since Up Pageantry has been producing the Miss Placer County Pageant in 2015, we have awarded over $6,000 annually in prizes, gifts, and scholarships. Our prize package is unmatched for a local pageant and has included state pageant entry fees, personal trainer sessions, fitness & meal planning, gym memberships, modeling contracts, beauty products, pageant consultation and coaching from multiple trainers, casting agency support, use of a convertible for parades, rhinestone-trimmed sashes, stunning contoured crowns, and valuable scholarships. 

  • Contestants are coached in public speaking by a former Deputy District Attorney with extensive jury trial experience.

  • Contestants have access to a private FB page where we post opportunities like modeling, workshops, and castings.

  • We work throughout the year with all contestants who choose to compete at a state level.

  • We are invited to over 40 events a year, and have supported military veterans, chambers of commerce, the business community, anti-human-trafficking initiatives, not-for-profits, the Honor Group, Gold Star Families, first responders, Toys for Tots, KidsFirst, Stand Up Placer, Tommy Apostolos, Keaton Raphael Fund, Walk in her Shoes, Relay for Life, William Jessup University, the Placer County Fair, the Gold County Fair, the Roseville Schools Association, the Placer County Fair Association, the Placer County Speedway, Santa letter writing events, other pageants and contestants, and local schools, with all types of events and parades and ribbon cuttings.

  • Our high-quality crowns ROCK!

  • We provide advice with hair/makeup, poise, wardrobe, and more. We even have relationships with local dress vendors who carry hundreds of gowns and work with us regularly.

  • Several discounts are available.

BEFORE YOU SIGN UP FOR ANY PAGEANT,

SEE HOW MUCH INFORMATION THEY PROVIDE PUBLICLY.

TRANSPARENCY IS IMPORTANT TO US, AND SHOULD BE TO YOU.

Mission, Vision, Values,
Commitment & Expectations

Vision

That through pageantry, young women experience a camaraderie built on the common interests of enhancing interpersonal skills, increasing confidence, heightening societal awareness, and aspiring to excellence, while inspiring others through their example.

​Mission

To provide positive experiences and personal growth for young women through the opportunities that pageantry can provide, and to educate, enrich, and motivate young women to attain their goals.

​Values

Up Pageantry values fairness, integrity, professionalism, kindness, scholarship, fun, generosity, societal awareness, hard work, personal accountability, personal growth, and humor.  These values guide us in all that we do.

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