By MICHAEL BOO
DCI.org staff

This year’s Jim Jones Leadership Award, awarded to a Division I drum major nominated by his or her corps director, is being presented to Kara Hoeflinger of Phantom Regiment.

Hoeflinger is a senior majoring in music education at Baylor University. She is a second-year member of the corps and is aging out at the World Championships in Denver. Last year she played mellophone for the corps.

The award is named for the late Hall of Fame member Jim Jones, founder and longtime director of the Troopers.

This is the eighth year that the award has been presented by the DCI Hall of Fame members. The Hall of Fame members judge the submissions on three areas of criteria; their application, an interview and observation of their conducting at Quarterfinals.

Previous Phantom Regiment winners include Tommy Feagin in 2000 and David Simon in 2003.