As voted on by their peers, one World and one Open Class director is recognized annually during Drum Corps International’s World Championships Week for their outstanding leadership qualities.
Stuart Pompel
Despite the cancellation of the DCI Tour due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Dr. Bernard Baggs (World Class) and Dr. Kampschroer (Open Class) Leadership Awards lived-on in 2020, presented to Stuart Pompel of Pacific Crest and Tim Heasley of Golden Empire during August 8th’s MarchOn! Telethon event.
Involved with Pacific Crest since the corps’ inception in 1993, Pompel took on the role of executive director beginning in 1996, a position he held until 2018 when he was named the southern California-based organization’s first-ever CEO.
Outside of his duties with Pacific Crest, Pompel has served in the role of DCI membership chair since 2019, facilitating engagement from the participating corps on a variety of operational and governance issues as a liaison between the DCI board of directors and the member organizations.
Pacific Crest's Stuart Pompel on the future of drum corps
His voice has also been prominent in recent months as part of DCI’s MarchOn! Task Force which has been meeting weekly during the pandemic to evaluate and ensure the longevity of the Drum Corps International Tour in 2021 and beyond.
“Each (corps director) has been working tirelessly to plan for their own organizations as well as for DCI during this environment of uncertainty,” Pompel said. “For them to honor me with this leadership award means more than any of them know. To be honest, though, this award belongs to all of them collectively.”
Tim Heasley
After his days as a performer with the Freelancers and Crossmen and as a cast member of the Tony-winning musical “Blast,” Tim Heasley has been at the helm of Golden Empire since the Bakersfield, California corps first joined the Drum Corps International Tour as an Open Class unit in 2014.
Following a slow and steady plan of growth, Golden Empire realized a five-year goal of attending the DCI World Championships in 2018, finishing as an Open Class finalist in both ’18 and ’19.
Commitment to Excellence: Building the Golden Empire
Assuming the role of chair of the Open Class Advisory Committee in 2019, Heasley is recognized in 2020 for the significant leadership he has shown in keeping Open Class corps directors engaged, involved, and informed as they work to bring their organizations through the pandemic.
“It's truly an honor to receive this recognition from my amazing colleagues,” Heasley said. “It's been a unique season to say the least, and all of the directors have been working hard in their organizations to lead their teams through these challenging times. They are all deserving of this award in 2020.
“Drum corps is a team effort, and it's important to note that I would not be in a position to accept this honor if it weren't for the support of so many people. I can't thank them enough for what they do on behalf of the students who we all serve!”
Wayne Leide
Also presented each summer is the George Bonfiglio Chairperson’s Award.
The honor, named for the founder and longtime director of the 27th Lancers, is given to a person who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership, service and effort on behalf of Drum Corps International.
Current DCI board of directors chair Kathy Black presented the 2020 award during the MarchOn! Telethon to Wayne Leide, chief financial officer of Drum Corps International.
During the telethon segment Black commended the tireless efforts of Leide since the cancelation of the 2020 DCI Tour as he’s worked to ensure that Drum Corps International can survive this past summer’s hiatus and continue to set the stage for marching musicians worldwide for years to come.
“I have watched Wayne for many years while he’s been working through the financial issues of DCI,” Black said to a live online audience on August 8th. “He has helped us survive through recessions, changes in technology, and changes of law. He’s seen board members come and go, and corps directors come and go, and he is infinitely patient when people ask him questions for the 1,000th time.
“He’s an amazing contributor to our activity and I definitely wanted to recognize him this year because of the importance of you knowing that your donation is going to be very well received, protected, and very carefully used to advance DCI’s mission.”
Leide, a former member of the Guardsmen Drum & Bugle Corps, is one of the longest tenured members of Drum Corps International’s professional staff.