Dear Friends, Family, and Fans of VMAPA,

I am writing this update on my 100th day as CEO of Vanguard Music and Performing Arts. More specifically, I am writing it from the corps hall. I just spent a few minutes walking around the office space, looking at the corps pictures, reading the details etched into the trophies, and thinking about how many lives this organization has positively impacted. The people working in and around this space understand we have the obligation and honor to make sure Vanguard returns to positively impacting lives, and we are working daily to guarantee that outcome. I am writing to provide updates on that pursuit, specifically around the areas of Drum Corps Progress, Finances and Compliance, Organizational Partnerships, and Alumni Affairs.

Drum Corps Progress

We have hosted a number of audition camps over the past few weeks. It has been great to get back to the business of drum corps! At this stage, the number of students who have come through the audition process is in line with what we had seen at a similar point heading into the 2022 season, and we are excited to host our callback camp January 12-14, 2024. To reiterate a point from my November email…We are so excited for the 2024 Santa Clara Vanguard! As the new guy in the room, I have marveled at the talent of our staff, many of whom I am meeting for the first time. Watching these elite educators guide student improvement over a short camp weekend has me excited to watch them work at Spring Training. I have also been impressed by the dedication of the corps admin team. The planning and logistics of each camp have been well executed, including everything from sleeping areas, to Miss Amana, to instructional spaces. We are going to be a well-run ship this summer, with great members and educators, supported by a great admin team.

Finances and Compliance

In my November 7th, 2023 update, I shared our intentions to have our 2021 and 2022 audits submitted to the state of California by the end of December. The good news is I have received the first draft of those audits. We are working to process these documents through multiple required reviews, thus we are beholden to the timeline (holiday season!) of our staff and our wonderfully diligent accountants. I still hope to meet the goal I articulated in November, and I am confident we will be on the other side of this process in January. 

A number of people responded to my last email with questions about the audit process, specifically asking why it is taking so long. That question is complicated to answer, but I will give it my best shot. Simply put, the organization experienced a number of changes between 2019 and 2022 that make the data collection process harder for this cycle of years than it should be (or will be going forward). In a relatively brief period of time, we changed bookkeepers, accounting systems, CFOs, and CEOs. In some cases, multiple turnovers occurred within each of those categories. A period of time with that many transitions would have been challenging under normal circumstances. Layer Covid into it, and you find us where we are today, working diligently to source data from a variety of systems that should be much more efficient and streamlined. Again, the good news is I am looking at a first draft of the audit, and I share the above information to simply help explain why the process has taken so long.

Organizational Partnerships

Vanguard Music and Performing Arts has a lot of partners. I have enjoyed getting to know these partners, and we are working to develop a better understanding of how we can increase the value of our partnerships for everyone involved. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Dynasty Percussion and PepWear. I left those meetings impressed by the commitment of each company, while simultaneously understanding the value our organization can bring to the companies we choose to work with. Today, we announced our new partnership with Demoulin. Over the next several months, I will be visiting all of our business partners in an effort to make sure we are maximizing those relationships, and I look forward to sharing the ways in which we are leveraging these partnerships for the betterment of our mission.

Alumni Affairs

Many of you reading this are alumni of a VMAPA program. I have enjoyed getting to know many of you over these first 100 days, and I look forward to getting to know many more of you over the next several months. I have specifically enjoyed getting to know the entities that serve you all, including the Vanguard Alumni Association, the Vanguard Historical Society, and the Vanguard Hall of Fame. I am in communication with representatives from each of those entities to get a better understanding of how they serve our alumni community, and I encourage all of our alumni to get involved in those communities. One of the concerns I have heard from alumni is that you don’t feel “looped in” to what is happening with the organization. It is my hope that emails like this, along with deeper engagement in our alumni communities, will elevate the dialogue between the current organization and its alumni. If those avenues are not convenient, always remember I am available at rgavin@scvanguard.org.

In closing, we are continuing to work hard to ensure both the immediate and long-term health of Vanguard Music and Performing Arts. Join us.

Gratefully,

Russ Gavin

CEO
VMAPA