Final Empire Statesmen Committee Seat Filled
Donna Duckett, manager of convention services at DePrez Travel Bureau, Inc. of Rochester, NY has accepted the final open seat on the Vince Bruni Executive Committee, the advisory group for the Empire Statesmen drum and bugle corps.
She is also serving on the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championships local planning committee, which is organizing the 2007 world championships to be held in Rochester on Labor Day weekend. She is in charge of arranging housing more than 30 groups from across the United States and Canada that will be visiting for the championships.
DePrez Travel Bureau is a full-service travel management firm offering extensive convention housing and meeting registration services. The company’s goal is to make various events successful in every way. Other DePrez divisions include: Group and Incentive, Leisure Travel, Corporate Travel, Wish Upon a Star-Disney specialists and a Cruise Department.
The late Vince Bruni founded the Empire Statesmen in 1983. The executive committee was established in early 2004, following his passing in August 2003, to support various activities of the Empire Statesmen organization. Since then, the group:
•helped develop and approve a mission statement for the organization
•developed information used for fund raising and publicity campaigns
•established a consistent media relations program
•gathered and reviewed information required to launch the current major capital fund raising campaign
Duckett joins Tim James, director of sales at the Greater Rochester Visitors’ Association (GRVA), as the most recently-appointed members of the Vince Bruni Executive Committee. His appointment was approved at the group’s November, 2006 meeting. The committee’s spring meeting will be held in Rochester on May 25.
Don and Pamela Rhoda, co-chairs of the Empire Statesmen’s capital campaign participate in executive committee meetings, although they are not official members. Former corps member Daniele Lyman also attends the quarterly committee meetings in her capacity as the capital campaign manager.
Other executive committee members are Kate Wahl, director of patron services with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra; Louise Slaughter, member of Congress, 28th District, New York State, represented on the committee by Jeff Rodgers; Mike Spang, Irondequoit Parks and Recreation Department; Roy and Anne Wilson of Vineland, Ontario, Empire Statesmen publicity; David Bruni, assistant corps director; Allen Buell, business manager; Ron Cheesbro, general manager; Laurie Cheesbro, chief financial officer.
The Statesmen, five time DCA world champions, also operate the Empire Cadets youth marching band for area boys and girls as a community outreach program. The major capital fund-raising campaign now underway aims to provide the long-term financial support required to maintain various programs of both the Statesmen and the Empire Cadets.
The Statesmen will be sponsoring the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) world championship tournament on Labor Day weekend for the second year in a row in 2007. The first in the series of monthly meetings of the local planning committee took place in January.
The Empire Statesmen drum and bugle corps is a self-supporting independent group that represents the city of Rochester across the United States and Canada and as far abroad as Europe, the Caribbean and South America.
To contribute to the Empire Statesmen’s capital campaign, or to obtain information about membership and volunteer opportunities, call (585) 266-2232 or visit the Empire Statesmen Web site at: www.statesmen.org
