International Women’s Day Spotlight: An Interview With Vanguard’s First Female Corps Director

For Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we are shining a spotlight on Vanguard’s FIRST female corps director, Rebecca Compton-Allen, best known as RCA! VMAPA is proud to be a vehicle for RCA, and all of the women who presently work at Vanguard, to help pave the way for female leadership in the activity!

LeAnne Hlavka sat down with RCA to talk to her about her service in leadership, and about this year’s International Women’s Day theme, #BreakTheBias. Here’s what she had to say:

LH: Tell us about your background, both with drum corps and in your career field.

RCA: I performed in the front ensemble with an all-age drum corps called Minnesota Brass from 2002-2004 and 2010, and as a drum major in 2012. I earned my degree in Child Psychology and began working in the mental health field doing behavior analysis. At the same time, I was teaching band and wound up at Shadow Drum & Bugle Corps in 2013. There, I transitioned from technician to Assistant Director, to Corps Director, and ultimately to Executive Director in 2020. Additionally, I worked as the Director of Mobilization for the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development in 2020 and became immersed in DEI initiatives. I also joined DCI’s InStep Committee and was elected to the Open Class Advisory Committee that same year.

Read the rest of the article here.