From a Seattle Cascades press release: The Northwest Youth Music Association, sponsors of the Seattle Cascades, hired Tom Peashey as director of operations. Peashey will work closely with executive director Sal Leone, while overseeing the daily operations of the organization. Tom's priorities will be to improve the long-term survival of the organization by improving its revenue sources, expanding its youth programs, and attracting new supporters of youth music. Peashey has spent 50 years in the drum corps activity. He started performing at the age of 7 in a parade corps, founded the Oswego Black Knights, taught and marched with both the Syracuse Brigadiers and Rochester Crusaders, and has been an adjudicator for drum corps, marching bands and color guard for several years. Peashey was the chief visual judge of New York State and Drum Corps Associates. In 1989, he came the director of the Rochester Crusaders and brought them back into the top five senior corps in the world. Currently, Tom has been acting as the director of marketing and public relations for Drum Corps Associates, a position that will end in September of this year so that he can concentrate on his new position in Seattle. Peashey has also been instrumental in developing financial support for many organizations. He was the chief financial officer to the Rochester Patriot organization at a time when they ran one of the most successful bingo games in the country and recently helped launch the bingo game for the Magic of Orlando. "Tom is a great asset to the drum corps world and we are so proud that he has accepted the position with our organization. Tom will bring daily professional management to our organization so that it can become the finest youth music organization in our region," said Sal Leone, executive director. "I am looking forward to working with Tom. Our organization has never had a full time executive to help guide our organization. With Toms experience and abilities, I expect some great things to happen in Seattle." "At the age of 58, Seattle will probably be my last swan song," Peashey said. "I am so proud to join such a prestigious organization with the high standards of the Seattle Cascade. Fasten you belts and get ready for the ride of your life, Seattle." The Northwest Youth Music Association recently changed its name from the Cascades Youth Music Association. "As the premier marching performance group in the pacific Northwest, we realized that we had an obligation to be the leader in our region and to provide a home for the hundreds of drum corps supporters who once marched for one of the many drums corps that once existed in the Pacific Norwest," according to Leone. "Although our primary goal is to support the Seattle Cascades, we want to open our doors to all Northwest Drum Corps fans so that we can keep the memory of all great Northwest drum corps alive."