Spirit of Atlanta outlines organizational changes and safety policy development at annual leadership meeting

(Atlanta, GA, May 11, 2022) – Leaders from Spirit of Atlanta, board members, and staff met on Saturday, May 7, to receive an update on the progress of the corps reorganization efforts. The group heard presentations on new policy development, risk management processes and procedures, SafeSport administration, and plans to implement the new policies and training programs before the 2023 season. Dan Acheson, Drum Corps International Executive Director and CEO was also on hand.

 “While this has been a difficult journey, I’m proud of the organization and the commitment from leadership and staff,” said George Dickinson, President of the Board of Directors for Spirit of Atlanta. “We’ve had amazing support from inside and outside the activity. We’re focused on safety and organizational values, how we communicate those values, and how they can impact positive change for many years to come. Our goal is to provide a safe and memorable educational experience for our students, and we are confident in our ability to do that.”

The group heard presentations from consultants in the SafeSport movement, human resources, risk management, and communications. They also received progress reports on the work-in-progress and set timelines for having these policies and procedures in place before the 2023 season, including analyzing and developing new risk compliance policies, processes, and training.

The new policies will include extensive training requirements for all staff, board members, and volunteers. In addition, all students will be given comprehensive training on recognizing and reporting misconduct, grooming, harassment, and managing interpersonal relationships. The Policies will also include mandatory reporting, recognition and responding to misconduct, setting professional boundaries, and demonstrating that each staff member can competently act on their training while adhering to and upholding the newly defined organization values.

Spirit of Atlanta is committed to being transparent about the reorganization effort and will share regular updates on the organization's website (www.spiritofatlanta.org) as well as the Spirit of Atlanta social media channels.