By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Phantom Regiment has named a new chief executive who brings a wealth of leadership experience from outside the world of drum corps to the role.
Amanda Hamaker, who previously led Winnebago County government’s daily operations as the county administrator, was announced Monday as the drum and bugle corps new CEO. Hamaker also previously worked as chief operating officer of Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois and held other product strategy positions for Girl Scouts USA.
“Amanda Hamaker joining our team is a bold move for Phantom Regiment,” Jeff Hassan, president of the organization’s board of directors, said in a news release.
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“This hire tells our constituents that the organization is serious about accelerating our momentum forward. Under Amanda’s direction, we will look to make significant gains on opportunities on which Phantom Regiment has been eager to embark,” Hassan said. “Next-level engagement with the city of Rockford, (Phantom Regiment) Academy expansion, greater community outreach and grant opportunities, stronger corporate partnerships, and new business ventures will all be on deck with this dynamic leader in place.”
Hamaker was named the county administrator in 2017 after working as chief operating officer for the Rockford Housing Authority. She left that role less than a year later during a contentious time in county government and moved back to her native Southern California.
However, she was looking for an opportunity to return to the area, where her husband grew up, to be closer to family and friends. She accepted the role in June and returned to Rockford last month in time to see the annual Show of Shows at Boylan Catholic High School.
“When I accepted the CEO role, Jeff Hassan told me my first priority was to fall in love with Phantom Regiment,” Hamaker said. “I was already hooked thanks to a solid, nationwide cadre of YouTube videographers, but nothing compares to seeing the corps live. After seeing Rockford’s Show of Shows in July, I’m totally in love.”
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Members of Phantom Regiment’s board of directors say Hamaker showed the ability to quickly understand the organization and pivot in numerous directions.
“We’ve never seriously looked at a candidate outside of the activity. Winter guard, yes. Marching band, yes. But never someone with absolutely no affiliation to drum corps,” said Kelly Couvelaire, treasurer of the board of directors. “Amanda brings a unique skill set, rarely found in most in the marching arts community, even those with decades in the activity. We are really excited to see where she takes this organization.”
Hamaker will lead a team that includes programs director Todd Snead, operations director Tim Farrell and merchandise director Robert Cawthorne, among numerous others.
“Without the foundation set by our previous leaders, this type of move wouldn’t have been possible,” Hassan said. “Because of their work, our organization is firing on all cylinders. As a result, we can look beyond our conventional drum corps model and begin to explore the types of ideas we’ve been discussing for years.”
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Phantom Regiment’s primary program, its drum and bugle corps, is now on tour across the country. It’s ranked among the top seven heading into the world championships next week in Indianapolis. The corps finished eighth in 2022.
The Regiment, which was founded in Rockford in 1956, also runs brass, percussion, color guard, drum major and leadership camps in several states under its Phantom Regiment Academy umbrella, drum corps shows in Rockford and DeKalb, a high school marching band competition in DeKalb, a concert band festival at Northern Illinois University, and the Rockford Rhythm percussion ensemble for youth in Rockford.
“Phantom Regiment is a Rockford institution. I’m excited and humbled to steward our community’s relationship with such an important youth arts organization,” Hamaker said. “My goal is to build even more excitement locally, and to create more opportunities and partnerships in support of the organization to ultimately get more kids involved.”
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on Twitter at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas