Jeff Pearson has spent much of his life in the marching arts as a performer, educator, administrator, and organizational leader.
Jeff began his marching career playing baritone at Independence High School, where he was part of an MBA Summer National Championship ensemble. He went on to march with the Santa Clara Vanguard on euphonium and lead baritone before serving as Drum Major in his age-out season. During his time as a member, Vanguard earned a DCI World Championship and the Jim Ott Best Brass Performance award.
After aging out, Jeff joined the Spirit of Sunnyvale Marching Youth Band as a marching and music instructor. He later returned to Santa Clara Vanguard as Program Manager and A Corps Director. As Program Manager, he oversaw the Santa Clara Vanguard, Vanguard Cadets, Vanguard Winter Guard, and Children’s Adventures in Movement. During his tenure, the Vanguard Cadets earned a DCI Open Class World Championship.
Jeff later joined the Boston Crusaders as Operations Manager and subsequently served as Corps Director. He then joined Spirit of Atlanta as Operations Manager before becoming Executive Director of Spirit of Atlanta, Inc.
Outside the marching arts, Jeff began his corporate career with ADP and later served as Human Resources Manager for Syncro Vac in Milpitas, California. He left Syncro Vac to become an entrepreneur, eventually owning and operating five Papa Murphy’s pizza stores for more than eleven years.
The marching arts are an important part of the Pearson family’s life—and are where Jeff and his wife, Kathy, met at Santa Clara Vanguard. Kathy is currently the Color Guard Caption Supervisor for the Bluecoats and also teaches Origins Winterguard.
Their son, Derek, continued the family tradition, performing with the Blue Devils C Corps, Vanguard Cadets, Spirit of Atlanta, Blue Knights, and the Valley Christian High School WGI Winds program. Since 2024, he has been a member of the Mandarins Tour Management team.
Throughout his career, Jeff has combined the perspective of a performer and educator with the operational and organizational experience of an executive, human resources professional, and business owner. His leadership has extended well beyond managing the day-to-day needs of a drum corps, encompassing the people, programs, operations, and organizational structures required for an organization to thrive. From the rehearsal field to executive leadership, Jeff has consistently focused on building strong organizations and creating the support systems that allow performers, educators, and programs to succeed.