Award Recipients - Concert in the Park

2025 Champion Award Recipient: Michael Woodall

Inspire Arts & Music is proud to announce Concert in the Park founder Michael Woodall as our 2025 Champion Award Recipient! Established in 2017, the Champion Award honors individuals who have been extraordinary leaders for their communities. Previous Champion Award Recipients include community leaders such as former Mayor Marty Walsh and Mayor Michelle Wu.

Under Michael’s leadership, Concert in the Park has raised more than $5 million for the arts in the last 12 years while featuring the city’s best youth performers. As the driving force behind arts initiatives around the city, we are thrilled to formally recognize Michael Woodall as a champion for the arts!

Mr. Woodall is the Chief Growth Officer for Altimetrik, a global transformation company. He plays a crucial role in driving growth strategies, particularly within the financial services sector. Prior to joining Altimetrik he was Chief of Operations at Putnam Investments and President of the Putnam Fiduciary Trust Company. Mr. Woodall is a recognized Financial Services Executive, Civic and Community leader. Mr. Woodall has significant leadership experience which includes working closely with the Putnam Funds Board of Directors, Chairing the Board of Directors for NICSA, an active member with the SEC and NYSE Euronext working committees, ICI Operations Committee, DTCC Wealth Management Services Senior Advisory Board and Board of Visitors at Northeastern University D’Amore-McKim School of Business.

Mr. Woodall has been deeply involved with the Boston Crusaders for over 40 years. He has served on the Board of Directors for more than 20 years and is on the Executive Committee. He was a member, previously served as head of the visual program, staﬀ coordinator, and on the management team. Mr. Woodall is a member of the Crusaders Hall of Fame as well as the Massachusetts Drum Corps and Music Educators Hall of Fame.

Mr. Woodall is a graduate of Northeastern University with distinction as a member of the Sigma EpsilonRho Honor Society. His awards include receiving the Putnam Investments 2022 Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award for Accountability, the 2020 NOVA Outstanding Service to the Fund Industry Robert L. Gould Award, the Boston-based PINCH Foundation Jack Leary Quiet Leadership Award and the Putnam Investments Board of Trustees Outstanding Service Award. Mr. Woodall is a Founding Board member of Inspire Arts and Music, an organization dedicated to enriching the area’s youth with leadership and performing arts programs including the Boston Crusaders Drum & Bugle Corps. He resides in Boston.

2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Honorees

The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the Arts. Special attention is given to those who have spent their lives influencing and impacting youth through the arts. Inspire Arts & Music values the selfless giving of heart and mind of the tremendous individuals who are recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award. This year, we are proud to recognize George Iacono, Jim and Linda O’Brien, and Bob and Peggy Grandbois as our 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients!

George Iacono – Retired Chief Executive, A.J. Wright

George Iacono has been a steadfast supporter of the arts since the 1980s. While serving as a President for A.J. Wright, Iacono provided musical ensembles with access to rehearsal spaces, sponsorships, and advertising opportunities. In turn, changing the trajectory of many ensembles and local shows.

Over the course of four decades, he supported numerous drum and bugle corps including North Star, The Cadets, the Hawthorne Caballeros, and Orlando Magic. Between the support from A.J. Wright, his network, and personal generosity, Iacono supported performance opportunities for Drum Corps Associates (DCA), Drum Corps International (DCI), and local marching bands throughout Ohio, Eastern Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, as well as other circuit shows throughout the country. Most notably, he arranged A.J. Wright’s sponsorship of DCA, valued at more than $300,000 which supported five shows, 10 trucks, and world championships. His support helped make DCA’s all-age expansion a reality.

To help promote the activity and support local youth, George made drum and bugle corps the featured entertainment for many of his store openings across the country. George’s contributions earned him a spot in the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2009.

Jim and Linda O’Brien – Founders and Directors of North Star Drum and Bugle Corps

The O’Brien’s drum corps background began in 1954 when Jim joined the St. Mary’s Cardinals. After ten years as a performer, Jim moved through the ranks on staff before becoming director of the recently merged Beverly Cardinals alongside his wife Linda O’Brien in 1972.

Linda and Jim took leadership in a challenging climate for drum and bugle corps as many ensembles faced dwindling recruitment and financial strain. In 1975, the O’Briens met with local leaders to form a new drum and bugle corps, North Star. With a new image and attitude, North Star was an immediate success, quickly rising in competitive rankings before winning the coveted CYO Nationals in 1979. After North Star ceased operations in the 80s, Jim and Linda spent the next 30+ years coordinating shows for DCI, Drum Corps East, Eastern Mass Association, WGI, Tournament of Drums, and Beanpot Invitational shows. In 2014, Jim and Linda were instrumental in the formation of the North Star All Age Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps. The corps has become a staple on the East Coast with appearances across Massachusetts and Pennsylvania.

Today, Jim is a member of the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame, Co-founder and Secretary of Drum Corps East, President of the Massachusetts Bay Managers Association. Linda is a member of the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame and was the first female to sit on the DCI Board of Directors. She also was the first female President of Eastern Mass Drum Corps Association. Between Jim and Linda, they have had 120 years of continuous involvement supporting the drum corps/color guard activity.

Bob and Peggy Grandbois – Founding Sponsors of Concert in the Park

Bob Grandbois

Bob Grandbois grew up in local drum and bugle corps, first marching with the Berkshire Pom-Poms and Avant Garde. Bob joined the United States Coast Guard in 1980 where he was a member of the United States Coast Guard Marching Band. During his service, he received the Humanitarian Award during the Cuban Refugee Crisis. Bob achieved Honorable Discharge and a Good Conduct Medal from the U.S. Coast Guard and served 2 years in the reserves.

Bob’s military career brought him to Boston where he joined the Boston Crusaders on the famed “Waldo” bass drum. Bob went on to serve on the percussion staff and serve as a volunteer alongside his wife Peggy, before moving to Ohio.

In Ohio, Bob volunteered with The Arts Partnership of Greater Hancock County, having the opportunity to work with many nationally-renowned celebrities and groups and local youth productions. Bob joined the staff of the Shockwave Middle School Drumline to support his son and remained involved for nearly 20 years. Bob also served as a photographer for Drum Corps News.

In the meantime, Bob continued his personal marching career, as a 33-year member of the Findlay Commandery No. 49 Drill Team, a perennial State champion, and capturing National tiles in St. Louis in the A Division and Houston in the B Division.

Peggy Grandbois

Peggy is currently the Hancock County (Ohio) Family and Children First Council Coordinator, where she manages services and supports for multi-system youth and their families. Previously Peggy served as the Executive and Education Director of The Arts Partnership of Greater Hancock County. As Executive Director, Peggy was responsible for the programming and budgeting for the organization, as well as human resources, sponsorships, grants, and community and public relations. As Education Director, she was responsible for all arts education programming, such as Youtheatre, School Day Performances, Arts in the Schools Programming, and Professional Development for Educators.

Peggy was a member of the Inspire Board of Directors from 2015 to 2022. She previously provided PR and marketing for the Boston Crusaders in the 1980s, PR for the Drum Corps East Performance Circuit, and was a writer/photographer for Drum Corps News. She was an instructor for Shockwave Indoor Drumline and member, instructor, and a previous member, instructor, and PR Director for General Putnam’s Men Drum and Bugle Corps in Ohio.

Peggy has been active with youth activities such as Music Boosters, Gliding Stars, Cub Scouts, 4-H and OSU Extension, Hancock Youth Leadership, YouthREAD, Junior Achievement, Sunday and Bible School, and was a recipient of the Camp Fire of Northwest Ohio “On Behalf of Youth Award.”