World Drum Corps Hall of Fame will induct 11 new regular and associate members

The World Drum Corps Hall of Fame class of 2018 will include 11 new regular and associate members. The 2018 banquet and induction ceremony will take place in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Labor Day weekend, one of several special events to be held during the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championship tournament weekend on September 1, 2 and 3. There is no formal connection between the two organizations although the Hall of Fame induction banquet is traditionally held on the DCA championship weekend.

The six regular Hall of Fame inductees are: Gino Cipriani, brass: Danny McBride, visual; Jeff Prosperie, percussion; Jeff Sacktig, visual; Lou Tierno, administration; James Wedge, brass. The five associate member inductees and are: Rich Hammond, Bill Ives, Charles King, Peter Propfe, John Riley.

The new regular Hall of Fame members and their areas of specialization are:

Brass: Gino Cipriani of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Gino Cipriani’s brass sections have performed at the top of the scale for more than 25 years. In the years he has served as brass caption head his corps have won 20 top awards, including seven Drum Corps International (DCI) championships, eight Jim Ott high brass awards and Drum Corps Associates (DCA) world championships with Reading Buccaneers in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2017. His meticulous instruction technique, which demands a high level of performance consistency, has inspired a wide range of drum corps performers. His DCI titles were won with two corps: Blue Devils in 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999 and the Cadets in 2000, 2005 and 2011. High brass awards came with Blue Devils in 1991, 1994, 1997, 1999 and the Cadets in 2000, 2005 and 2015. His instructing career includes service with Syracuse Brigadiers, Magic of Orlando, Santa Clara Vanguard and Boston Crusaders. Before his instructing years, he played soprano horn with three junior corps: Florida Vanguard, Florida Wave and Blue Devils.

Visual: Danny McBride of Wilmington, Massachusetts
Danny McBride’s exceptional talents in visual design and instruction have made an enormous impact across the drum corps and competitive winter guard spectrum in North America and the United Kingdom. His visual design innovations were first put on display in the early 1980s, when he produced world-class silver and gold medal finalists in Winter Guard International (WGI) competitions. He was designer and instructor in 1984 when Hawthorne Caballeros won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) world championship to top off an undefeated season. In various years beginning in 1979, he was visual designer and instructor for several other top-level corps: Avant Garde, Garfield Cadets, 27th Lancers, Bayonne Bridgemen and Connecticut Hurricanes. His top achievements include winning five top visual scores in DCA finals. In nine different years, he designed the show of a corps that finished in the DCA top three. He was associated as a designer, instructor or member with corps that were Drum Corps International (DCI) finalists five times. He also designed the memorable 27th Lancers reunion performance for DCA. Over a ten year period beginning in 1968, he played soprano horn with four different corps: Wynanstkill Killmen, Speigletown Speiglearies, Avant Garde and 27th Lancers. He has also judged visual captions with DCA and several regional judging groups.

Percussion: Jeff Prosperie of West Point, New York
Jeff Prosperie is the only drummer to win individual snare championships with Drum Corps International (DCI) and Percussive Arts Society (PAS), both in 1988 as section leader of the Phantom Regiment drum line, and Drum Corps Associates (DCA) in 2007 as percussion section leader of the West Point Hellcats. His score of 98.5 is the highest ever recorded in PAS competition. He was instructor and arranger with the University of North Texas band in 1989 and 1990 when the percussion section won the PAS national championship. He has also taught Phantom Regiment, Louisiana Expressions, Louisiana State University and is currently section leader and principal drummer with West Point Hellcats. His percussion judging experience extends across the Pacific Ocean for participation in Drum Corps Japan events. He has also judged with DCI, Winter Guard International (WGI) and PAS. He has judged 15 DCI world championships and 13 DCI individual championships. He has been a percussion professor at the University of Louisiana,

instructor at Baylor University and principal percussionist with Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, Natchez Opera, Acadia Symphony Orchestra, Garland Symphony Orchestra and extra percussionist with Dallas Symphony Orchestra. His snare drumming experience includes time with Bayonne Bridgemen and Star of Indiana before joining Phantom Regiment.

Visual: Jeff Sacktig of Woodstock, Georgia
Jeff Sacktig has excelled as a performer and instructor with groups in both key North American drum and bugle corps associations: performing on soprano horn with 1983 Drum Corps Associates (DCA) champion Sunrisers then playing soprano when Garfield Cadets won the Drum Corps International (DCI) championship in 1987. As instructor and designer for the Cadets, he has been part of six more DCI world championships and several medalist placements. He was visual designer when Cadets 2 won the DCA championship in 2016. He was part of the design team that led Carolina Crown to a third straight DCI medalist finish. In his first season with Atlanta CV, the corps finished second in DCA finals. He was inducted into the Cadets Hall of Fame in 2008 and the DCI Hall of Fame in 2015. As a performing member of the Cadets he was featured soloist, horn sergeant and the first non-drum major to be named Cadet of the Year. In addition to designing drum corps shows, he has worked extensively with winter guards, indoor percussion groups and marching bands. His drum corps involvement began when he played soprano horn with St. Matthias Blue Max from 1977 to 1982.

Administration: Lou Tierno of Pottstown, Pennsylvania
After performing in the brass section of the Archer Epler Musketeers from 1980 to 1984 Lou Tierno moved to the Reading Buccaneers, still performing as he became a key administrator in the successful campaign to rescue a unit that was almost ready to close the doors. The Buccaneers horn line had dwindled to about 15 members when he and Hall of Fame administrator Jim Gruber began to turn the operation around. He served as business manager initially, with duties including loading and driving the equipment truck and lining the field. He was assistant director when the Buccaneers completed six consecutive Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championship seasons from 2005 to 2010. He has been director of the corps since 2017. He earlier served as DCA assistant treasurer in 2013 and treasurer from 2014 to 2016, converting the hand written bookkeeping method to an updated online system. He was elected to the Buccaneers Hall of Fame in 2005.

Brass: James Wedge of Rowley, Massachusetts
Jim Wedge is widely considered a pioneer in brass arranging. He was a major force from the first years of Drum Corps International (DCI) through his innovative arrangements for 27th Lancers of Revere, Massachusetts. Between 1967 and 1982, his work with 27th Lancers produced such drum corps standards as Crown Imperial, Danny Boy, Shenandoah and Rawhide. During many of those groundbreaking years with Lancers, he was also the arranger and instructor for other prominent Massachusetts corps including Dukes of Marlboro, Pembroke Imperials, Jeanettes of Lynn. In the 1980s, he also worked with Fitchburg Kingsmen and East Coast Jazz. Other drum corps he worked with reached high levels: multiple Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) championships, multiple World Open championships, champions with DCI North, DCI East, DCI Midwest, DCI West. His emphasis on quality of sound, a constant search for musicality and pursuit of new sounds and teaching methods had a major impact on those he taught. Four members of the Dukes of Marlboro horn line, with no training other than their drum corps background, all went on to become music teachers. He is a member of the DCI Hall of Fame and the Massachusetts Hall of Fame. His drum and bugle corps career began when he played baritone horn with St. Rose Scarlet Lancers of Chelsea from 1954 to 1962, alongside Chick Corea, inducted into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2018 for Distinguished Professional Achievement.

The 2018 World Drum Corps Hall of Fame associate member inductees are:

Rich Hammond of Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Rich Hammond has been a percussion caption/coordinator and arranger for many well known Pennsylvania drum and bugle corps for more than a quarter of century. During that period, he served as director of Cadets 2 and Cadets 2 winter percussion. He has also worked with Reading Buccaneers, Glassmen and North Penn Indoor Percussion. From 1989 to 1991 he was percussion tech for both Crossmen and the Westshoremen. During almost a decade of activity in the 1980s, he played snare drum with Crossmen, Reading Buccaneers and Hamilton Knights.

Bill Ives of Media, Pennsylvania
Bill Ives has been a key figure in the movement to preserve the history of drum and bugle corps activity. He has amassed a staggering 16,000 items: memorabilia, souvenirs, programs, newspaper and magazine articles, corps buttons and badges and more than 230 vintage uniforms. For the past 20 years he has displayed many of these items regularly at drum corps events in the United States and Canada. He has also created a detailed computerized listing of drum corps in the USA and Canada. He has served in various committee and management positions with groups including Jersey Surf and Archer Epler Musketeers. He has marched in various color guard positions with the Musketeers. He was named Musketeer of the year in 1982; received the Spirit of the Musketeer award in 1996; was named Drum Corps International (DCI) volunteer of the year in 2011. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

Charles (Charlie) King of West Palm Beach, Florida
Charlie King’s years of close involvement with Connecticut Hurricanes began in 1976 when he played baritone in the horn line. He was a corps member when Hurricanes won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) world championship in 1981. He has worn many hats during his years of involvement, including serving on the board of directors and the advisory board. He has also been president of the Hurricanes alumni association. He ran the corps souvenir table for 15 years and served as a volunteer on the DCA committee, assisting with vendor coordination. He has been a member of the team running the FanFare DCA contest for more than 25 years. He is a charter member of the Connecticut Hurricanes Hall of Fame.

Peter Propfe of New Hartford, Connecticut
Peter Propfe served as director of the Connecticut Hurricanes in 1998 and 2014 and has held other positions on the board of directors since 1995. Prior to this service with Hurricanes, he was director of Connecticut Vagabonds from 1980 to 1988. He began his drum corps activity playing first soprano horn with the Vagabonds in 1967. He then played soprano and mellophone with New York Skyliners, beginning in 1974. Since then, he also played mellophone with Connecticut Hurricanes, Connecticut Alumni and Skyliners alumni.

John Riley of Lansdale, Pennsylvania
John Riley began his long history of percussion activity as a performer, instructor and judge when he started playing snare drum with PAL Cadets in 1979. He has worked as instructor, consultant or caption head with such well known corps as Reilly Raiders alumni, Jersey Surf, Riptide indoor percussion group, Skyliners, Crossmen, Westshoremen, East Coast Jazz, Sunrisers, Archer Epler Junior drum corps. He also served terms as Westshoremen operations director and Westshore Cadets operations director. In earlier years, he played snare drum with Black Watch, Bridgemen and C

The World Drum Corps Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the new Associate Members for 2018:

• Rich Hammond
• William Ives
• Charles King
• Peter Propfe
• John Riley

Look for more information in the coming weeks concerning these great individuals as well as other special people who will be recognized on August 31st.

The World Drum Corps Hall of Fame is pleased to announce the outstanding Class of 2018:

• Gino Cipriani
• Danny McBride
• Jeff Prosperie
• Jeff Sacktig
• Lou Tierno
• James Wedge

Look for more information in the coming weeks concerning these great individuals as well as other special people who will be recognized on August 31st.

NEWS RELEASE: 

April 3, 2018

World Drum Corps Hall of Fame chooses two giants of the music world to be inducted this year for their Distinguished Professional Achievement

Diane Nicholeris, a former color guard captain who now performs with a major symphony orchestra, and iconic jazz pianist Chick Corea, who once played lead soprano on a single-valve bugle, will be inducted as members of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame class of 2018 at a banquet in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in late August.

Chick Corea, whose compositions such as Spain, My Spanish Heart, La Fiesta and dozens more have been covered by more than 50 competing drum corps since the early 1970s, and Diane Nicholeris, first violinist with the Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Symphony Orchestra under Michael Tilson Thomas, will be honored by the Hall of Fame for Distinguished Professional Achievement. They will join previous category inductees, astronaut Christopher Ferguson, actor John Ratzenberger, and fellow musicians Steve Gadd and Billy Cobham.

Both began their musical careers as members of local corps from small Massachusetts towns: Chick Corea in Chelsea with the St. Rose Scarlet Lancers, alongside the future arranging icon Jim Wedge, and Diane Nicholeris with the Sir Thomas Moore Squires of Braintree. Both artists credit their early drum corps experiences with providing the impetus for their highly successful careers. By recognizing their Distinguished Professional Achievement, the Hall of Fame acknowledges the inspiration they provide to all members of the drum corps community.

Chick Corea is the winner of 22 Grammy awards. With 63 nominations, he is the fourth most nominated artist in the history of the Grammys. He has also won three Latin Grammy Awards, the most of any artist in the Best Instrumental Album category. He is a DownBeat magazine Hall of Fame member and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master.

His father, a jazz trumpeter and Dixieland bandleader in Boston in the 1930s and 1940s, introduced him to the piano at the age of four. At eight he took up drums, which later influenced his use of the piano as a percussion instrument. His first major professional gig was with Cab Calloway, followed by early performances in Latin bands led by Mongo Santamaria and Willie Bobo.

In 1968, he joined Miles Davis’ band, appearing on several ground-breaking recordings pointing the way to a new direction in jazz. He was part of the electrified Davis ensemble that appeared in front of 600,000 people at the Isle of Wight Festival in England in 1970. In the early 1970s, he took a sharp turn from avant-garde to a crossover jazz/fusion style with the album Return to Forever, incorporating Latin jazz. His band of the same name relied on both acoustic and electronic instrumentation and drew upon Latin American styles more than rock music.

Professor Diane Nicholeris, who instructs students of violin and viola at San Jose University, began her violin lessons at the age of 10, hoping to inspire her father to take up the instrument again. One year after she began lessons, she broke her wrist riding an escalator and needed extensive surgery. Because of the range, motion, and use of the hand that violin playing required, practicing became a good form of physical therapy. Although doctors did not expect her to regain any wrist function she persisted for six years to regain about 70 per cent use of wrist motion.

She studied with Joseph Silverstein at Boston University and Sylvia Rosenberg at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, where she received her Bachelor of Music Degree. Studying at Tanglewood she met Jahja Ling, former Associate Conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, who suggested in 1984 that she audition for a violin vacancy. In addition to since providing more than 20 years of service to the orchestra, she has appeared as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic and the Music Academy of the West Orchestra in Santa Barbara, served as concertmaster for the Monterey County Symphony and enjoys performing chamber music concerts throughout the bay area.

She maintained her connection to drum and bugle corps over the years, occasionally judging contests.

Her childhood wrist injury influences her teaching and coaching techniques through empathizing with students’ problems to help them discover solutions that allow them to feel free to express their feelings through music.

The winner of the Hall of Fame’s 2018 President’s Lifetime Achievement Award will be announced shortly. During the first half of April, Hall of Fame members will vote electronically to select new regular members to be inducted in August.

Regular World Drum Corps Hall of Fame members are honored for their dedication, contributions and achievements over a long period of time in categories including administration, arranging, adjudication, instruction, innovation and design. Associate members have dedicated at least five consecutive years of service to any drum and bugle corps as a performer or in a support role.

The World Drum Corps Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization founded in 1976 by the late Vince Bruni, who served as director of national championship corps in two different eras: the Rochester Crusaders and the Empire Statesmen of Rochester.

The Hall of Fame honors individuals who have contributed significantly over many years to the development and continuing excellence of drum and bugle corps activity. The organization also seeks to preserve the history of the drum and bugle corps movement in North America by selecting a noteworthy junior and all age (senior) corps of each decade since the 1940s.

Voting for Regular Members for the 2018 World Drum Corps Hall of Fame is now open and will remain open until midnight on April 15.  If your a Regular voting member and did not receive your email request to vote from Bob Zarfoss, please contact Bob directly at bobpatz1@comcast.net.

The 2019 World Drum Corps Hall of Fame cruise information has been posted to website.

Link to 2019 Cruise page

Canadian Hall of Fame member Vince Macciocchi passes away Christmas Day

World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member Vince Macciocchi, who served as music director and brass instructor for many of Ontario’s top drum bugle corps for more than three decades, passed away peacefully at home on Christmas Day at age 88. He had been a Hall of Fame member since 2003.

Visitation took place at the Steckley-Gooderham Funeral Home, 30 Worsley St., Barrie, Ontario on Friday, December 29 with a funeral mass at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, 28 Amelia St., Barrie on Saturday, December 30. In lieu of flowers, his family asked that donations be directed to Gilda’s Club of Simcoe Muskoka.

His lengthy involvement in marching music activities began when he performed with St. Mary’s, of Toronto, from 1939 to 1944, then served as director and music instructor of the band until 1962. During this time he obtained two music degrees: one from the Ontario Conservatory of Music and one from De La Salle Senior College in Toronto. He founded and was director of two of Canada’s best-known senior corps, the Jolly Jesters of Toronto and the Canadian Commanders, formed when the Jesters and Hamilton Viscounts amalgamated in the early 1960s.

He was also horn instructor for several of Canada’s top corps from 1950 to 1975, including De La Salle of Toronto, Preston Scout House and Guelph Royalaires. He served as brass caption judge for Drum Corps International (DCI) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA), and was chief brass judge for the Canadian Judges Association from 1962 to 1990.

He and his wife Eleanor had been married for almost 66 years. He is survived by four children,10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He had retired from a long career with Canadian National Railway (Toronto Terminals) and participated on the board of directors in many organizations where he remained active, including the Franklin Fishing Club, and the Sand Pebble Resort and Isla del Sol clubs in Florida.

November 23, 2017

Dick Burns passes away in Florida following heart attack

Dick Burns, a World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member inducted in 2003, passed away November 19 in Palm Coast, Florida after suffering a heart attack. A celebration of his life will be presented following the holiday season.

His drum and bugle corps activity began in the early 1950s. He was a lead soprano and soloist with the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights from 1953 until 1963, and with Ballantine Brewers in 1964 and 1965.

He began arranging and instructing in 1962, and over the following 11 years taught six junior and two senior corps, including such well-known units as Golden Knights, Garfield Cadets, Stardusters of New Orleans, the Brewers and Stratford Connecticut Yankees. He began serving as the Golden Knights Alumni musical director in 1991.

He was one of the top three finishers in Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) solo soprano contests four years in a row; won 80 per cent of the individual contests he entered from 1959 to 1963 and won 70 per cent of the brass quartet contests he participated in during the same period.

He also served as brass judge with All American Judges Association, All States Judges Association and the American Legion Congress from 1965 to 1974. He graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor’s degree in music.

November 12, 2017

Hall of Fame’s Irene McGrath passes away at age 97 with family at her side

World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member Irene McGrath passed away at age 97 at the Episcopal Home in Rochester, New York at 4:15 am, Friday November 10, from complications of pneumonia and heart failure, with children Patricia, William, Thomas and Shirley at her side. In 2000, she became the third member of her family inducted into the Hall of Fame. Her late husband Bill McGrath, Sr. was inducted in 1985 and son Bill McGrath, Jr. was inducted in 1994.

Visitation will be held Monday November 13 and Tuesday November 14 from 4 to 8 at Vay-Schleich & Meeson Funeral Home, 1075 Long Pond Road, Rochester. Her funeral mass will be celebrated Wednesday, November 15 at St. Thomas The Apostle Church, 4536 St. Paul Boulevard, Rochester. Internment will follow in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame scholarship fund may be made in her memory. For more information or to sigh the guestbook, visit meesonfamily.com

Her involvement in drum corps activity started by supporting her husband’s service in the United States Army Air Corps Drum and Bugle Corps. He was the Acting Commander and Drum Major of the 344th Training Division, Army Air Corps Drum and Bugle Corps of Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma in 1943 and ‘44.

After World War II, her efforts turned to helping her husband in his position as director of the Barnard Blue Devils of Greece, New York from 1949 to 1961. She was the secretary and assistant business manager of that competitive field unit and business manager of the Tournament of Champions, sponsored by the Barnard Blue Devils, in 1956 and ‘57 and the 1958 North American Open, sponsored by Rochester Crusaders. In 1955, she was recording secretary and vice president in the organizing and implementing of the Western New York Judges Association.

Later, she turned her efforts to helping the Point Pleasant Cadets/Emerald Cadets and Emerald Statesmen. Husband Bill was director of this unit: she was business manager and publicity director: all five of her children were in this junior corps. As business manager, she represented this competition corps in Penn-York and New-York-Canadian Association circuit meetings. She was also the business manager, publicity director and tabulator for the annual Sound-Off shows sponsored by the Emerald Cadets from 1960 to 1969. She was the assistant chairman of the Emerald Cadet Bingo Games from 1962 to 1969 and was the banquet chairman for the Emerald Cadets from 1958 to 1969.

She was also a staff writer for Drum Corps World from 1958 to 1965. She was a tabulator for the All American Judges Association from 1961 to 1973, the New York Canadian Association from 1962 to 1971 and the Penn–York Circuit from 1962 to 1968. She served as a secretary, tabulator and business manager for the color guard judges’ chapter known as Competitive Instructors Association from 1970 to 1974. She was the commander of the International Color Guard Circuit from 1965 to 1975 and chaired all the circuit meetings, coordinated the business for the organization and organized its annual championship competition.

When her husband succumbed to blindness in 1994 she assisted him as treasurer of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame from 1994 to 2001. She was treasurer for two of the Hall of Fame cruises. She was one of the original members and organizers of the Empire Statesmen Senior Drum and Bugle Corps of Rochester, New York in 1983.

November 2, 2017

Hall of Fame’s Jim Allen passes away unexpectedly at home

World Drum Corps Hall of Fame member Jim Allen, 68, unexpectedly passed away at his home in East Amherst, New York on October 31.  He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2011 and most recently served as chair of the visual screening committee as part of the new inductee selection process.

He had retired from the Amherst Industrial Development Agency (ID) in early 2016 after serving as executive director for 36 years.  He had suffered from congestive heart failure in the past few years.  He is survived by his wife Linda, daughters Jamie Allen-Powers and Lindsay, son Michael, sisters Karen McCoy and Nancy Fiorino and two brothers with many years of involvement in the drum corps community Tom and Donny, also a member of World Drum Corps Hall of Fame, inducted in 1995.

Visitation will take place Sunday, November 5 from 1-5 pm at the Amherst Chapel of Amigone Funeral Home, Inc., 5200 Sheridan Drive.  A funeral service will take place at 5 pm, followed by private interment.

Jim Allen excelled as an instructor and performer with a number of junior and all-age drum and bugle corps that consistently finished at the top in state and national championship contests.  He was visual designer for Syracuse Brigadiers from 1997 to 2007.  In that period, the Brigs won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) title five times: in 1997 and four years in a row from 1999 to 2002.  He was also responsible for visual design with both of Rochester’s national-caliber corps: Empire Statesmen in 2008 and 2009 and the Crusaders in 1971 and 1973 and again from 1980 to 1983.

In the 1970s, he was visual designer at various times for Empire State Express of Elmira, Rochester Patriots and St. Joseph’s of Batavia when they won the Canadian Open Championship title.  He was also the brass instructor with St. Joe’s and Bayonne Bridgemen during that decade.

His lifelong involvement with drum and bugle corps activity began in 1956, when he played soprano bugle with the Dutchtown Ramblers.  He played soprano with Rochester’s Ridge Culver Statesmen for three years then was a soprano soloist with St. Joe’s from 1963 to 1970.  During that time, St. Joe’s won eight New York State American Legion titles and made the finals in the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) national championships four times.

He served as assistant director and director with St. Joe’s and assistant director of American Patrol of Batavia.  He judged marching for the New York Chapter of the All-American Judging Association from 1971 to 1974 and with the New York Federation of Contest Judges since 1974.

He was the chair of the local organizing committee when the Drum Corps International (DCI) championships were held in Buffalo, New York in 1990 and 1995.

When he retired, he was one of the longest-tenured IDA directors in New York State.  As executive director of the Amherst IDA he strongly supported the concept of encouraging local business growth by offering tax benefits to projects that met qualification standards.    During his years of service, tax breaks to 370 local companies helped Amherst increase its tax base by about $570 million while creating more than 25,000 jobs paying considerably more salary than typical jobs in the region.

He graduated from St. John Fisher College in the Rochester area with a bachelor’s degree in political science, returning to school later to earn a master’s degree in urban planning from University of Buffalo.  Graduating in 1999, he immediately began teaching graduate students in UB’s department of urban and regional planning.  He also taught at Canisius College.