John Chow began his 25+ years of volunteer service in 1986. All three of his sons marched in the Mandarins. John worked at Bingo, drove and maintained equipment trucks, served as the corps’ Auditor and Business Manager, and was Head Chef during many summer tours where he cooked his legendary meatloaf and stir-fry. In 2015, John was recognized as a DCI Volunteer of the Year. As Jim Tabuchi stated at the time, “John has given in every way possible and has asked for nothing in return. There has never been a volunteer as dedicated and versatile.”

Kevin Goings, a legendary figure of music and marching education in our region, was a percussion instructor for the Mandarins from 1989-2005 and helped launch the Mandarins Entertainment unit, including the Sacramento Kings Drumline, in 2013. Always student-centered, Kevin prioritized the needs of corps members regardless of their level of experience and endeared himself to everyone with his trademark smile, sense of humor and humanity. Countless alumni speak of Kevin as the mentor and friend who made a huge difference in their lives, with many recalling their favorite “Kevinisms,” such as “It’s champs week, not chumps week!” or “I didn’t eat breakfast today because I’m hungry for some clean beats!” Kevin taught everyone to be grateful for the good stuff, and Kevin, we ARE grateful for you.

Nanci Jan became part of the Mandarins in 1984 when her children joined the corps. She served as the color guard director for both the drum corps and winter guard programs for six years. Long after her children aged-out, Nanci continued volunteering with the Mandarins. For more than 30 years she has volunteered with our Bingo, food service at every Capitol Classic show, the Mushu kitchen crew, the recent Great Plates Delivered senior nutrition program and the annual Mandarins Alumni Association dinner for the corps members. She has continued to do all of this with the patience, kindness and compassion that made her an incredible elementary school teacher as well.

Ron Munekawa wore a variety of hats with the Mandarins for 26 years, both organizationally and educationally. From 1990 through 1996, Ron instructed the Mandarins winter guard. From 1997 through 2016, Ron fulfilled several different roles for the drum corps, including member of the visual staff, visual caption head, staff coordinator, and tour manager. His organizational skills combined with his passion for the marching arts and all the young people involved made him an invaluable force for the Mandarins and every other organization in which he participated. He has the unique quality of getting the absolute best performance out of everyone around him, and his energy is infectious. The Mandarins are a better organization because of Ron.