2024 DCI Directors of the Year

As part of the 2024 DCI World Championships in Indianapolis a number of individuals were recognized for their outstanding leadership during the 2024 DCI Summer Tour.

Dr. Bernard Baggs Leadership Award

The Dr. Bernard Baggs Leadership Award annually recognizes the World Class corps director of the year as voted on and determined by World Class directors. 

After a memorable season that saw his corps return to the DCI World Championship Finals for the first time since 2017, Madison Scouts corps director David Lofy was honored with the Baggs award during the 2024 DCI World Championship Semifinals, August 9.

“It’s a huge honor,” Lofy said. “I’m very grateful. This season’s been amazing; I’d put it up there as one of my favorites, certainly. It’s been an incredible journey.”

David Lofy has served in his current role with the Madison Scouts since 2018; he previously held the position of assistant corps director from 2016-2018, and participated in the corps as a baritone player and drum major from 2012-14. He is the fourth Madison Scouts director to receive the award since the early 2000s. 

Lofy made a point to credit his entire organization for their role in the Madison Scouts’ success, and ultimately, his reception of director of the year honors.

“I’m honored to be accepting the award, but I feel like it’s more of an award for the growth the organization is showing,” he said. “Immediately, the things I think about are the people who played a part in that — our administrative team, our design team, our caption heads, our food crew, everyone across the board who’s been a part of making the organization as special and as powerful as it is.”

Dr. David Kampschroer Leadership Award

Receiving the 2024 Dr. David Kampschroer Leadership Award, which recognizes the Open Class Director of the Year, was Les Stentors’ Gabe Francouer.

Les Stentors have represented Canada year in and year out at Drum Corps International events, since first fielding a corps in the late 1980s. The Sherbrooke, Quebec corps has appeared at 20 seasons’ worth of DCI World Championships since its first such appearance in 1999. 

“It makes me happy,” Francouer said, regarding his selection for the award. “But it’s really the team we’ve built over the last three years. That team is incredible. I’m happy that I received the award this year, but it’s really a group effort.”

According to Francoeur, drum corps and marching band aren’t quite at the same popularity level in Canada as they are in the United States, and it’s been his mission to help grow the marching music activity in his home country.

“We spread the word and get drum corps known over all the towns around us,” Francoeur said. “The ones who choose to march with us, they’ve done a fantastic job.” 

All-Age Director of the Year

In the first of a two-year partnership with Drum Corps Associates, 2024 marked the first year of DCI’s All-Age Class competition. At the end of the inaugural DCI All-Age Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 10, Sunrisers director David Hobart was recognized as the DCI All-Age Director of the Year.

2024 marked Sunrisers’ return to competition for the first time since Drum Corps Associates’ “virtual” 2021 season, and its return to live competitive events for the first time since 2019. The New York corps landed in an impressive second in DCI All-Age Class A competition.

“In a nutshell, the Sunrisers had been dormant for the last two years, and Dave basically brought that organization back to life, very successfully,” DCI All-Age Class coordinator John Carr said. “He put together a great team, a great staff, recruited aggressively in the Long Island area, and was able to get the corps back competing again.”

George Bonfiglio Chairperson’s Award

Also awarded at the 2024 DCI World Championships was the George Bonfiglio Chairperson’s Award. Named for the former 27th Lancers director, the annual presentation is made to an individual within the drum corps community who has displayed unparalleled leadership, service and effort on behalf of Drum Corps International.
 
DCI board of directors chair Johnathan Powell presented the award this year to Madison Scouts executive director Chris Komnick, who also serves as chair of DCI’s voting membership.

Komnick has played an instrumental role not only in the success of the Madison Scouts, but in the overall health of the drum corps activity since its emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic and through a recent transition in leadership.

“It’s quite an honor to be recognized for this award,” Komnick said. “A lot of the work I’ve been able to do behind the scenes in developing this activity, to have it be recognized, I’m certainly humbled by all of that.”