Deb New congratulated by Indy Mayor Greg Ballard.
On Wednesday evening, Drum Corps International staff members gathered in downtown Indianapolis to celebrate one of its key World Championship volunteers, Deb New, who was honored at the 19th ROSE (Recognition Of Service Excellence ) Awards, a program of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (ICVA). According to the ICVA, the annual ROSE Awards "honor non-managerial hospitality employees who exemplify excellent customer service. These industry champions, through one-on-one or behind-the-scenes contact, positively influence a visitor's experience in Indianapolis." Since 2008, New has served as part of the DCI Advance Resource Team (ART), a local organizing committee of volunteers in the Indianapolis area that assists the DCI staff in planning, organizing and executing initiatives and events, most notably the World Championships. "Deb represents the pinnacle of volunteerism to our activity and is the archetype of the hundreds of incredible volunteers who give their talents and time each summer to make the DCI Tour and World Championships possible," said Susan Kuehnhold, DCI Director of Events and Corps Relations. Serving as chair of the committee in 2009, New helped to lead the ART as well as more than 160 volunteers who assisted during the week of the inaugural World Championships in Indianapolis. "Deb has introduced DCI to community leaders, assisted its management in developing its local reach and impact, and strategically led the various event committees for the World Championships," said Ruthie Purcell-Jones, director of the Indianapolis non-profit Leadership Ventures and a fellow ART committee member. "She's given her time and talent to assure that both the organization and the musician athletes that it serves are given the best opportunities for success." New was one of 87 nominees for the 2010 ROSE Awards. Keynote speakers at the ceremony, which was attended by some 600 people, included Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard along with ICVA President Don Welsh. The two spoke of the importance of the more than 66,000 service industry employees and the thousands of volunteers who make Indianapolis one of the few cities that continues to grow in the events market, bringing in the "best of the best" to a unique downtown environment. Along with the Advance Resource Team, Drum Corps International is already making preparations for the 2010 World Championships and volunteer recruitment for its Premier Events across the United States. Kuehnhold says that each year the continued success of the DCI Tour is dependent on the hundreds of volunteers who step forward with their energy and efforts. "Less than 20 people make up the full-time DCI professional staff and are spread out to the various events across the nation, many occurring simultaneously every summer," Kuehnhold explained. "This means that when you see individuals working at an event, there's a good chance that they are volunteers. Please take the time to say thank you at the next show you attend!" Learn more about volunteer opportunities with Drum Corps International by e-mailing volunteer@dci.org.