INDIANAPOLIS — As part of conducting its regular business at the 2026 DCI Annual Meeting in Indianapolis on Thursday, January 8, the voting membership of Drum Corps International elected members for open positions on its board of directors.
Each year, three representatives are elected to rotating three-year terms for the nine-member board.
The DCI Board of Directors establishes the strategic vision of the organization as well as its business operations on behalf of voting member organizations. Board members offer unique insights, qualifications, and perspectives for organizational governance, business efficiency and effectiveness of execution against the corporate mission.
Newly-elected board members include:
DON RAWLINS (Elected Director, three-year term)
Rawlins is an attorney with more than 30 years of experience in corporate law and governance. He has served on the DCI Board of Directors for six years as well as a member of the board of directors of the Carolina Crown organization.
At DCI, Rawlins has served as the board secretary and on the policy, succession, visioning, governance, tour restart task force, and membership affairs committees.
PATRICK SWEENEY, Ed.D. (At-Large Director, three-year term)
Sweeney has a career in public education as a teacher, administrator, and superintendent, with experience managing budgets, developing policy, and fostering positive environments. He also co-owns Doc Sweeney Drums.
He holds a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa, an M.A. from the University of Phoenix, and a doctorate in education from Arizona State University. An alum of the Colt Cadets and the Colts, he has served on the DCI Board of Directors since 2020.
RUSS GAVIN, Ph.D (Elected Director, three-year term)
Gavin is the CEO of Vanguard Music & Performing Arts. He was previously the corps director of the Blue Stars and has been involved in drum corps administration professionally since 2007.
He is currently the director of bands at Stanford University and was previously associate professor of music education at Baylor University. 2026 marks Gavin’s first term serving on the DCI Board of Directors.
These individuals will join fellow board members Jonathan Powell, Vicki MacFarlane, Emily Neuendorf, Roni Plousis, Stuart Pompel and Brandon Stansbury on Sunday, January 11, beginning a new year of work and oversight.
