High School Judges

Mark Hoskins

Mark Hoskins (Marietta, Georgia) recently retired as Director of Bands at Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, after 19 years and his 25th year of service in the Cobb County (Georgia) School District. He oversaw the entire band program, consisting of three concert bands, marching band, jazz ensemble, jazz combo, woodwind and brass choirs, winter guard, and percussion ensembles. He was the founder and director of the District 12 Honor Jazz Ensemble, created in 2018. A graduate of East Tennessee State University (ETSU), he is in constant demand as an adjudicator, clinician, and conductor in the marching band, jazz, and concert band arena. His program at Wheeler was regionally and nationally recognized in those fields as well, consistently receiving superior ratings and best-in-class awards. While at ETSU, Hoskins had the opportunity to perform with many of the jazz greats of our time, including Jon Faddis, Ed Shaughnessy, Allen Vizzutti, Dick Oatts of Flim & The BB’s, and Ernie Watts. He is a music and brass adjudicator for both Bands of America and Drum Corps International, as well as a member of Phi Beta Mu Honor Music Society (2020), the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, Jazz Education Network, and a founding member of the Minority Band Directors National Association. He was born in Norton, Virginia, and grew up in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, attending Powell Valley High School.

John Phillips

John Phillips (Indianapolis, Indiana) recently served as an Adjunct Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University and was also the Artistic Coordinator for the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. Prior to moving to Florida, he was on staff at the University of Western Ontario where he conducted the Symphonic Band and taught conducting and music education classes. He has also been a faculty member at the University of Toronto and York University in the departments of music and education. In demand as an adjudicator and clinician, Phillips shares his unique brand of music education through workshops with State and Provincial Music Educators’ Associations, the National Association for Music Education, and as a presenter at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. Throughout his career, he has contributed to numerous initiatives with Music for All including the National Festival, the annual Summer Symposium, and the Bands of America Grand National Championships. Phillips regularly guest conducts honor bands across Canada and the United States. For twenty years, he conducted the Wind Ensemble at the National Music Camp of Canada, and has been a guest conductor at the International Music Camp. Phillips has served as Judge Administrator for Drum Corps International since 2000, and was inducted into the DCI Hall of Fame, Class of 2015.

Ivan De La Cruz

Ivan De La Cruz (Fort Worth, Texas) is a visual designer and educator. Renowned for his impactful work across the Southwest, De La Cruz's innovative designs have garnered acclaim at both local and state levels. He serves as a sought-after marching band designer, adjudicator, consultant, and clinician throughout the United States. De La Cruz’s career includes a tenure as Assistant Band Director at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, AZ, where he contributed to a top-three state finish in 2021 as well as 2 state Championships in 2022 and 2023. Prior to that, he was the Associate Director of Bands and Visual Program Director at Dublin Coffman High School in Columbus, OH, guiding the band to two Bands of America Outstanding Visual Performance Awards (2016 & 2017) and a class AAA Championship at the BOA Canton Regional in 2017. His earlier experience includes serving as an Assistant Director at The Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, Texas, where the program achieved consistent finalist status at the Bands of America Grand National Championships and won the 2013 Grand National Championship. De La Cruz’s performance background includes roles with the New Mexico State University Wind Ensemble and Pride Marching Band, as well as membership in the Blue Knights and Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps. As an educator, he has been a key member of the visual staff for The Cavaliers and Santa Clara Vanguard Drum & Bugle Corps, including a role as Corps Director for Santa Clara Vanguard from 2019 to 2021. He is currently a member of the Phantom Regiment's visual staff and provides clinics across Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and recently, for Impulso Marching Latino America in Puebla, Mexico.

College Judges

Jackie Gilley

Jackie Gilley (Midwest City, Oklahoma) is a native of Stratford, Texas, and was the band director at Monroney Middle School in Midwest City, Oklahoma, for 29 years. She also taught color guard for Midwest City High School for 18 years. Her first job was in Miami, Texas, teaching art and music. Gilley received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Ceramics and her Masters of Music Education degree from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. She also has accreditation in Secondary Education Administration from the University of Central Oklahoma. Gilley also earned accreditation in 2002 as a “National Board Certified Teacher” in Instrumental Music. She is past president of the Beta Chapter of Phi Beta Mu Bandmaster Fraternity. Gilley is also in the Hall of Fame for OkMEA and Oklahoma Bandmasters Association. She currently serves as president for the Stratford Education Foundation in her hometown. Gilley is well-known as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States. She has been an adjudicator for Winter Guard International, Drum Corps International, Bands of America, Texas Color Guard Circuit, and Oklahoma Music Adjudicators Association. She has also judged numerous state concert band and marching band championships and served as a mentor for the Judges Academy of Marching Roundtable.

W. Dale Warren

W. Dale Warren (Fayetteville, Arkansas) is Senior Wind Band Conductor and Professor of Music in the University of Arkansas’ Department of Music. During his three-plus decades of service at the university, Warren has conducted the Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, Chamber Winds, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Varsity Band, and Campus Band. He also teaches music education courses, supervises music education interns (student teachers), and is actively engaged in the graduate instrumental conducting program. From 1991-2000, Warren was the Director of the UA Razorback Marching Band. He is also the director of the highly successful UA Summer Music Camps. Warren taught at Kentucky high schools Bremen and North Hardin from 1980-1986. His bands received numerous awards and Division I ratings. He has guest conducted all-district, all-region, and all-state honor bands as well as university bands in 39 states. Warren has completed a faculty residency with the Kasetsart University Wind Symphony in Bangkok, Thailand. For 20 years he served as an adjudicator/clinician for Musicfest Orlando. During Warren’s affiliation with Music for All/Bands of America, he served as a member of the Educational Advisory Board and for the past 36 years as an adjudicator and chief judge. In addition to serving as chairman of the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Shield Award Committee, Warren is a John Philip Sousa Foundation Board Member, a Past President of the Southeastern Conference Band Directors Association, and for the past 21 years has been a member of the Institutional Review Board at Washington Regional Medical Center. Since Warren arrived at the University of Arkansas, the UA Wind Symphony has made six guest appearances at College Band Directors National Association Conventions. The UA Wind Symphony performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City and at the Arkansas Music Educators Convention/All-State Conference on two occasions under Warren’s baton. During his tenure as Director, the Razorback Marching Band performed numerous times for former President William Jefferson Clinton, including the 1992 Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington, D.C. Under Warren’s leadership, the Razorback Band performed at the SEC Championship, the Cotton Bowl, the Citrus Bowl, the Carquest Bowl, and the Independence Bowl. The Razorback Marching Band also appeared as the Grand Finale Band at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. Warren is a former marching member of the Guardsmen Drum and Bugle Corps of Schaumburg, Illinois, and a former brass and visual staff member for the Guardsmen and the Imperial Guard Drum and Bugle Corps of Evansville, Indiana. He has also served as a Drum Corps International (DCI) Adjudicator. He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Austin Peay State University and a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Kentucky. He also served on the music department faculty as Associate Director of Bands/Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Kentucky from 1986-1991.

Susan L. Smith

Susan L. Smith (Winter Park, Florida) has taught general, choral, and instrumental music at the elementary through collegiate levels in Florida, Virginia, and Alabama and has served as an author, clinician, conductor, and adjudicator across the United States. She is the Southern Division President of the National Association for Music Education and was formerly an Assistant Professor of Music Education at Troy University. She is the Past President of the Alabama Music Educators Association and the current faculty advisor for the Troy cNAfME Chapter. Smith is the current Chair of the NAfME Collegiate Advisory Council and a member of the Professional Development Committee. Her previous appointment was as Director of Bands at the Saint James School in Montgomery AL. The Saint James Band consistently received Superior ratings in Concert, Jazz and Marching Band events including the Alabama Music Performance Assessment, Smoky Mountain Music Festival, and Bands of America Super Regional and Grand National Championships. Currently Smith is the President/CEO of RWS Music Company - an educational music publisher created by her late husband, Robert W. Smith. Smith has presented clinics at many state, national, and regional NAfME conferences. Smith has presented at the Midwest Clinic multiple times and performed as a member of the Alabama Winds, an adult community band comprised of Alabama music educators. As its first coordinator, she launched the Chamber Music National Festival at the Music for All National Festival, presented by Yamaha, and is a co-founder of the Mind the Gap Webinar and Podcast for young and preservice music educators. Her professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, The National Association for Music Education, Alabama Music Educators Association, Florida Music Educators Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, Sigma Alpha Iota, Phi Beta Kappa, and the National Band Association. Smith is in demand as a clinician, conductor, and adjudicator throughout the country. She has conducted honor bands in multiple states including University of Alabama Honor Band, Samford University Honor Band, Marshall University Honor Band, and Midfest at UGA as well as District Honor Bands in Alabama, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, and Kentucky.