2011 DCI Directors of the Year

Voted on by all Open Class directors before the end of the season, the 2011 Open Class Director of the Year is Mike Quillen of the Oregon Crusaders. As director of the Oregon Crusaders since 2009, Quillen says that in 2011 the corps saw its largest growth in membership and talent. With a sixth-place finish his first year on the job, the corps jumped to second place in 2010, and just missed capturing a gold medal by three tenths of a point this past August. “We have a solid program here in Oregon,” Quillen said after his corps received the silver medal at the Open Class Finals on Aug. 9 in Michigan City, Ind. “At almost 60 percent, we have a good return of membership from year to year which is really good in this activity.” Quillen, who previously served on Oregon’s brass staff two years after his oldest daughter Jennifer joined the corps, says he has had a lot of help from others within the organization to help him lead the corps to where it is today. “As the only drum corps in Oregon right now, I didn’t see [this recognition] coming,” said Quillen. “We’re kind of isolated and in our own little bubble here, so I was pleasantly surprised to be nominated.” Outside of his involvement with the drum corps, Quillen works for IBM as a senior program manager in storage development. He and his wife LuAnn have three children. Quillen’s youngest daughter Jessica is currently the baritone section leader and a five-year member of the Oregon Crusaders. The 2010 Directors of the Year were Dann Petersen of the Madison Scouts and Rick Odello of Blue Devils B.