Newly elected board members gather for a brief meeting following the conclusion of the DCI annual meeting.
Elected to one-year terms:
David Gibbs, Voting Membership Representative Executive Director, Blue Devils
David Gibbs performed in the Blue Devils from 1974 through 1977. In 1978, he became the drum major, a position that he held until his age-out year of 1980. Gibbs joined the "A" corps and winter guard staffs when he aged out, and over the next 10 years he was a part of the visual staff as an instructor and visual designer. In addition to his work with the Blue Devils over that 10-year span, Gibbs worked with Live Oak High School, Valley Fever Drum and Bugle Corps, and many other bands, corps and winter guards across the country. He also traveled throughout the country and the world presenting educational clinics. During the early years on the staff, Gibbs attended San Jose State earning a degree in Business Finance. In 1991, Gibbs became the third director of the Blue Devils and is currently the Executive Director of the organization. He served for three years as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Drum Corps International and has been a member of the Executive and Finance committees for DCI. He was elected to the DCI Hall of Fame in 2002.Fred Morrison, Voting Membership Representative Executive Director, Crossmen
Fred Morrison brings to the DCI board more than 30 years of experience as owner of a for-profit manufacturing and marketing company—the last 20 as CEO, President and Chairman. Morrison has a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education from West Chester University. Additionally, he is active in the San Antonio community where he serves on several committees, organizations and foundations. Morrison started his drum corps experience as a volunteer for Carolina Crown and was instrumental in assisting the Crossmen with their relocation to San Antonio. He has been the Crossmen executive director since 2007 and corps director since 2010, and has been a member of the DCI Board of Directors since 2010. Morrison has served as Chairman of the DCI Finance and Combined Purchasing committees, and also serves on the Governance and Business Development committees.Tom French, At-Large Representative Founder, Supply Chain Coach Inc.
Tom French spent 35 years in a variety of senior sales and management roles in the electronics industry. Through his experience within the electronics realm, French began his career in the supply chain industry. By identifying the potential for increased profit margins through negotiating the lowest cost to delivery, he unintentionally unlocked the pathway to a bright future in supply chain management. Having been in the industry for several years, French had experienced first-hand the transformation in logistical management from old manual systems to the impressive progression of supply chain management technology. In 2007 he started his existing company Supply Chain Coach Inc. with the mission to teach corporations how to better manage their supply chain using innovative cloud technology. French was elected to the DCI Board of Directors in January of 2004. From 2004 through 2010 he provided fresh perspective on the business side of Drum Corps International by auditing office procedures and flow-charting operations. He dedicated a full year to working once a month with CEO Dan Acheson to develop and implement a detailed business plan. French chaired the DCI Governance Committee in 2009 and established board documents such as the Governance Committee Overview, board nominations and evaluation policies. He was also the chairman of the corps supply program for various food items purchased cooperatively. French graduated with BA degree from University of Northern Colorado—Greeley.Elected to two-year terms:
Jeff Fiedler, Voting Membership Representative Executive Director/CEO, Santa Clara Vanguard
Jeff Fiedler was appointed to the position of CEO with the Santa Clara Vanguard in 2008. He is responsible for oversight of the performing groups, as well as the institutional advancement of the organization, which pertains to marketing, community relations, alumni relations and development. He also has oversight responsibility for special projects and initiatives. Fiedler's drum corps experience was with the Cavaliers where he participated for 35 consecutive years as a performing member, instructional staff member and finally as director from the fall of 1990 through the end of 2007, a time during which the Cavaliers won all seven of their DCI World Championships. For the past several seasons, Fiedler has served as chairman of the DCI Board of Directors. He was inducted into the DCI Hall of Fame in 2005. From 1987 to 2006 he was a faculty member and eventually the development administrator at St. Francis de Sales High School in Chicago. He is a past chairman of the High School Marketing Association within the Chicago Archdiocese, from 2003-2006.Chris Komnick, Voting Membership Representative Executive Director, Madison Scouts
Chris Komnick is an innovative business strategist with more than 20 years of experience and a track record of success with technology and marketing companies. His skill at identifying and building market value for products and services led to many senior level assignments directing activities including executive strategy, business development, product management, operations, and software engineering. Komnick has a Bachelor of Science, Technology from Purdue University, a Masters of Business Administration, Marketing from Miami University, and a Post Graduate Studies – University of Chicago – Certification in E-Business Strategy. He held senior management roles in the strategic positioning, divestiture, definition and implementation of operational strategies for several highly successful businesses and business units. Additionally, Komnick has been an analyst on technology acquisition opportunities in order to simultaneously expand a product portfolio and increase top-line revenues. Komnick joined the Madison Scouts Board of Directors in 2007 and assumed the position of Executive Director of the organization in the fall of 2008. He has served on the DCI Board of Directors since 2012 and also served on the Finance and Business Development committees.Fran Kick, At-Large Representative Professional Speaker, Author, Consultant; KICK IT IN
Over the past two decades, Fran Kick has served as an educational consultant and leadership coordinator for the Bands of America/Music for All Summer Symposium. Having been involved as an instructor with the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps in the mid-1980s and a band director through the late 1980s to the early 1990s, Kick continues to advocate and evangelize for the power of participating in music across the country. He has spearheaded the "Kick Start Your Season With DCI" leadership workshops for students as part of the Drum Corps International Tour since 2012. Since taking an educational leave of absence from teaching in 1991, Kick developed his part-time speaking adventure into a full-time mission. He is an author, professional speaker and leadership consultant, inspiring people with presentations, programs and publishing for students, adults and associations.Elected to three-year terms:
John Masterson, Voting Membership Representative Board of Directors, Troopers
John Masterson graduated with a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in 1983, and from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1986. During 28 years as an attorney, he has been a public defender, a state prosecutor, an Assistant United States Attorney, counsel to one Wyoming governor, and an advisor and legislative liaison to the current governor. He is now a partner in a western regional law firm, with a practice focusing on litigation, contract and transactional matters, corporate and non-profit work, and governmental relations. Masterson is heavily involved in the administration and management of non-profits through active service on boards, and by providing them with training and pro-bono legal services. He currently sits on the boards of, among others, the Natrona County Public Library Foundation, the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps, Court Appointed Special Advocates, the Tate Foundation and the Wyoming Medical Center. He is also the Chairman of the Wyoming Board of Law Examiners and the Vice President of the Wyoming State Bar. Masterson's drum corps experience comes from the Troopers, and consists of three years as a marching member, three years as drum major, and three years as a marching instructor. On the retirement of Jim Jones in 1987, he became director of the Troopers for the next four years. Masterson has several years of service on the DCI Board of Directors.Rick Valenzuela, Voting Membership Representative Executive Director, Phantom Regiment
Rick Valenzuela started his involvement in the drum and bugle corps activity as a member of the Santa Clara Vanguard in 1983. After aging out in 1989, he joined the Vanguard visual staff the following year, eventually working his way up to assistant visual caption head in 1998. During this time, Valenzuela was under the guidance and direction of his mentor and Vanguard founder Gail Royer for eight years. In 2000, Valenzuela became only the fourth director of the Santa Clara Vanguard in its 35-year history where he stayed until 2005 when he stepped down to concentrate on his fulltime job. During his tenure, he served on the DCI Board of Directors from 2000-2005, and the DCI Executive Committee from 2001-2005. In 2002, Valenzuela was named the DCI Director of the Year by his peers. Valenzuela earned his bachelor's degree in marketing and a minor in advertising from San Jose State University in 1991. While he was teaching and directing the Vanguard, he worked fulltime for LLT, Inc. as the Controller and MIS Manager. In 2005, Valenzuela joined the Phantom Regiment as the Director of Development and Special Projects and worked fulltime for the organization. In November of 2006, he was appointed Executive Director. In 2008, Valenzuela was elected to the newly formed DCI Board of Directors.Jim Doyle, At-Large Representative Vice President, HP Enterprise Services
James M. Doyle was named Vice President of HP's Enterprise Services in November of 2013. Prior to joining HP, Doyle was Global Vice President of sales for Unisys Global Managed Services business and was the Vice President of Sales for Xerox/ACS Information Technology Business. Prior to joining Xerox/ACS, Doyle was the Vice President of CSC's Americas outsourcing mid-size business group. Previous assignments at CSC include Vice President in America's business development, vice president of the Healthcare Group's global life sciences division, and managing director of the national life sciences practice with CSC Consulting. In addition to his strong development background, he also held positions with CSC in the areas of operational management, client management and technology consulting services. Doyle started his career with Peat, Marwick and Mitchell as a senior consultant before joining the General Electric Company (GE). At GE, he was responsible for technology assessment and integration in support of the corporation's M&A activities and held management positions in GE's Information Services business unit. Doyle's education includes Business Administration from Widener University, Strategic Planning and Scenario Planning, Cornell University and GE Leadership Development Program. He is an alum of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps, where he marched in the contrabass line from 1975-1977. Doyle was instrumental in assisting the Crossmen during the corps' relocation from the Delaware Valley to San Antonio, Texas.In a meeting of the new board following the election, the following officers were selected: Chairman: Fred Morrison (Crossmen) Vice Chairman: Chris Komnick (Madison Scouts) Treasurer: Jim Doyle (At-Large) Secretary: Jeff Fiedler (Santa Clara Vanguard)