Phantom Regiment is pleased to announce the addition of J.W. Koester to its management team. He will serve as tour director.

Koester, an educator, consultant, adjudicator pageantry professional and percussionist since 1971, has many years of management experience in the marching music activity.

“We’re extremely happy to be able to bring aboard a person the caliber of J.W. His experience and passion for the activity and our students is a perfect match for us,” Phantom Regiment executive director Rick Valenzuela said.

Last year’s tour directors, Brandon Stansbury and Brandt Crocker, will continue to be involved but in a more limited capacity.

Crocker, who also serves as “the voice of DCI,” is returning to his role as a DCI contest coordinator and will travel with the corps for a short period during the summer. Stansbury graduated from college in December and is working as a finance specialist in Indianapolis. Stansbury will remain involved with the very popular Phantom Regiment Drum Major Camp as well as help out where needed in his free time at winter camps and during the summer.

Koester previously had served as director of Santa Clara Vanguard and tour director of Glassmen. Most recently, he was the national coordinator for Drum Corps International Division II & III.

He has performed with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps (during which time the corps won three DCI World Championships & five Best Percussion Section Awards), the San José State University Marching Band, and the West Valley College Wind & Percussion Ensembles, as well a numerous community theater musical productions.

In his 27 years as a designer, instructor and consultant he has worked with several top drum and bugle corps as well as numerous marching bands, winter guards and winter percussion ensembles in California, Nevada and Hawaii. In addition, Koester has more than 20 years of experience as an adjudicator in the activity.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be a part of the management team of Phantom Regiment for 2007,” Koester said. “I hope that my drum corps experience will be a bonus for the organization, and I look forward to meeting all of the staff, management and corps members,”

Koester works for Symmorphix Inc. in Sunnyvale, Calif., as a senior electro/mechanical technician. He lives in San Jose, Calif., with wife Roxanne, 17-year-old daughter Laura and 5-year-old son Joshua.