leadership

Mike marched in the Cascades from 1972 to 1978. At various times, totaling ten years, he has served on the organization’s Board of Directors and on the Oregon Crusaders Board for four seasons.

 

Mike holds a Doctorate in Business from Temple University, an MBA from the UW Foster School of Business, a Bachelor's in Landscape Architecture from the UW, and a BS in Business Finance from Central Washington University. Mike is the Director of Special Projects for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, was the co-founder and COO of Reliance Network, and in past positions, served as a Technology and Operations VP.

Suzanne joined the Seattle Cascades Winterguard program in 1980-81 season and was a member of both Winterguard and Summer Corps through 1985. She was on the Instructional staff from 1986-1988, teaching M&M and the Colorguard. Suzanne marched her age-out year of Summer corps with the Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps of Vancouver, WA in 1989 and two Winterguard age-out years in 1989 and 1990, thanks to a rule change in 1989, with the Emerald City Revue. She joined the NYMA board in 2004 for one season, then ran off and got married. Returning to the board in 2012, Suzanne served as Treasurer 2012 to 2016, Secretary 2017 to 2019, and is currently Secretary/Treasurer.

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Suzanne readily acknowledges the many life lessons drum corps has taught her including; perseverance, self-reliance, the importance of sunscreen and how to do her laundry. She would also like to thank her mom for not letting her quit halfway through her rookie Winterguard season. Her mom, years later, jokingly admitted to regretting teaching that life lesson as Suzanne’s passion for Winterguard and drum corps would continue through high school, college and beyond.

 

Suzanne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History and a Graduate Certificate in Accounting from the University of Washington. She has worked for Seattle Children’s Research Institute since 2004, currently as Senior Accountant in the Immunotherapy program. She lives with her husband, Eric, and their two cats, Ink and Ebony, in North Seattle.

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suzanne.sexton@seattlecascades.org

Jonathon has worked with and designed for many PNW programs. He was the Director of Guards at Kamiak High School (Mukilteo, WA) for 12 years as well as designing for Glencoe HS (Hillsboro, OR) for 5 years. In 2005 he helped found Rhapsody Performing Arts Winter Guards out of Seattle, WA which included two gold medal seasons at WGI in A and Open class. Recently he was a founding staff member of Cascadia Winterguard in Portland, OR in 2017.

 

As an adjudicator he’s worked with the NWPA, PPA, NWAPA, UCGC, MCCGA, WGAZ, CWEA, TCGC and various fall marching band competitions around the PNW, California, and Arizona. As a performer he was a member of the Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps (Seattle, WA), Northern Lights Winterguard (Portland, OR), and the Blue Devils Drum & Bugle Corps (Concord, CA), as well as still actively dancing at numerous studios, festivals, and programs in Seattle. Jonathon also served as the President of the NWPA winterguard circuit from Seattle, WA for 7 years (‘08-‘14) and still diligently works to increase, improve, and support the colorguard activity all over the PNW.

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Jonathon lives in Seattle, WA with his husband Bill and works at Amazon, Inc. as a Senior Learning Experience Designer focusing on Leadership Development.

Letha has served as an active volunteer with the Cascades Drum Corps since 2009 when her son began marching with the corps. Letha also continues to support her local high school program in Ferndale, Washington where she lives with her husband, Rod. Letha attended business college in Seattle and is a certified human resources professional.  She currently works as the office manager of a construction company and manages several property associations in Whatcom County.

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letha.nelson@seattlecascades.org

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Doctor Reddicks became involved with drum corps in 2008 as a parent of snare drum playing boys. Within the next couple of years, Jeff joined the Board of Directors of the Oregon Crusaders. He toured with the Oregon Crusaders for four seasons as a driver and food preparer. Way back in high school, he played the tuba.

Jeff loves the challenge of running a drum corps, watching the membership grow and mature as young adults, and of course there is the dance and music! Jeff earned his Bachelor of Science degree at U.C. Irvine in California, his DMD Doctorate degree from OHSU in Portland, OR, and his specialty certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York
City.

As a confirmed volunteer, Jeff has participated in organized dentistry, booster clubs, and sports associations. Recently he has worked with Medical Teams International and Lions Club International. As a retired Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, he also keeps busy with running triathlons, gardening, home theater entertainment, and living with his wife of 40 years and their two dogs in Vancouver, Washington.

Jeff is dedicated to supporting the Cascades’ Mission Statement and the overall well being of the Corps.

Garth Stubbs brings a lifelong connection to the marching arts and a deep understanding of the history and traditions of drum corps to the NYMA Board of Directors. His involvement with the Seattle Cascades dates back to the organization’s earliest days. Garth is the son of Rod Stubbs, a key figure in the development of Seattle’s early drum corps community, and was closely involved with the formation and early years of the Cascade Cadets, which became the Seattle Cascades in 1970.

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As a longtime participant, historian, and steward of that legacy, Garth has helped preserve the stories, artifacts, and traditions of Pacific Northwest drum corps. His firsthand knowledge of the Cascades’ origins, combined with his decades of engagement with the broader performing arts community, gives him a unique perspective on the value of youth music organizations and the lasting impact they can have on students, educators, and communities. He brings that experience and commitment to the NYMA Board of Directors.