Executive Leadership Team | 2023 Organizational Update

The Battalion Drum and Bugle Corps would like to announce a new executive leadership team for the 2023 season. The Board of Directors has selected former Board Chairman Kenton Nielson, to head the organization as CEO/Executive Director. In addition, Board Member and Co-Founder Alyssa McCollum has been elected to maintain her previously held role as COO/Operations Director; and Katherine Steinacker, who was awarded the 2022 DCI Open Class Corps Director of the Year award, has been selected to continue in her role as the Corps Director. These changes come as co-founder and previous CEO/Executive Director Luke McCollum announced that he would be stepping down from his current role. Luke has served as the CEO/Executive Director since 2017 and will continue to serve as a member of the Board of Directors and will consult the executive team as needed.

With Kenton Nielson assuming the role of CEO/Executive Director, he will also step down as Chairman of the Board of Directors; a position in which he has served since 2017. Kenton will be succeeded by Julia Coleman who has served as a member of the Battalion Board since 2020. Julia will be joined as a member of the board leadership team by Board Vice-Chair Chris Nelson, Treasurer Charles Wolfersberger and Board Secretary Cameron Payne.

"I'm so excited for Kenton to join an already strong Executive Team with Alyssa and Katherine,” said McCollum “These three will lead The Battalion into the next phase of growth with a renewed energy and broader focus on how this organization impacts all we interact with, from fans, to alumni, and always with member experience at the heart of everything we do. What a privilege to have such strong leaders to guide us to the next big thing!"

New CEO/Executive Director Kenton Nielson says he is “excited to work with such an outstanding team. Having completed our first appearance at DCI Championships in Indianapolis, the corps is in a perfect position to move forward and fundamentally rise to the next level of how we perform, operate, and communicate. I’m honored to be invited to participate in building this next portion of our organization’s history. Luke has been an exceptional CEO. We thank him for his selfless service, and hope to honor that service through the Corps’ continued success.”

The Battalion was founded in 2014 by a local team of business professionals and educators that came together to create Utah’s first DCI corps. The founders spent the next two years building the operational, financial, and educational pillars of the organization, all while hosting educational events throughout the state. In 2016, the corps fielded its first touring ensemble and was approved to compete as part of DCI’s Open Class. Most recently the Battalion completed their 2022 national tour of more than 7,500 miles culminating with the corps highest ever competitive placement finishing in 6th place for Open Class Corps at DCI World Championship Prelims in Lucas Oil Stadium on August 11th, 2022.

The mission of The Battalion Drum & Bugle Corps is to provide learning and performance opportunities for young adults that develop their character, leadership skills, artistry, selflessness, and spirituality in a Christian-values-based environment.