Mission Statement of IYAO:
IYAO (Impulse Youth Arts Organization) is a non-profit organization dedicated to growing young people into future leaders through the arts. We are committed to the education of our performers to develop the skills needed to entertain our audience and achieve new levels of competitive excellence cultivating social responsibility, strong ethics and the development of life skills through teamwork, entertainment and competition.
IYAO Executive Board
Robert Briggs - President, IYAO
Robert “Bob” Briggs has over 35 years experience in the marching and performing arts as an instructor, designer, and educator. Though he is a brass specialist, he has also been on staff of multiple top winterguards competing in the WGASC and WGI circuits. His first experience with drum corps came in the early 80s with the Velvet Knights. Marching parades, but never having been able to do a summer tour with VK, he knew he was missing out on an outstanding activity and was finally able to perform on the field with two different all-age corps. As a musician, Bob has performed in wind ensembles, orchestras, jazz bands, and in musical theater with numerous groups. He is also currently an assistant band director for a top division 1A high school in CSBC and recently served as the director of the UC Irvine Anteater band. This is in addition to owning and operating an independent insurance agency and marching arts design company. In 2014 and 2015, he was a brass instructor and staff coordinator for City Sound Drum & Bugle corps. He came to Impulse in 2016 and served two years as the assistant corps director while also performing the duties of staff and program coordinator. He then returned as a board member in late 2020 as a member at large, then served a year as treasurer, and has been the President of Impulse Youth Arts Organization since October 2022. |
Valiant Yan - Treasurer, IYAO
Valiant Yan has over 20 years of experience in the marching and performing arts as an educator, administrator, and designer, with a career spanning instruction, organizational leadership, and systems development. His work bridges the creative and operational sides of the activity, with a strong emphasis on building sustainable programs through thoughtful planning and modernized infrastructure. As an educator, Valiant has taught for two decades within the marching arts, working with ensembles across multiple competitive circuits and age groups. He is the founder of Elan Percussion and Velocity Independent, where he helped establish the organizations’ instructional philosophies, competitive direction, and operational foundations. His teaching experience is grounded in both musical excellence and performer development, with a focus on creating positive, structured learning environments. Valiant has been deeply involved with Impulse Drum & Bugle Corps and Impulse Youth Arts, contributing across a wide range of initiatives including digital transformation of member registration systems, staff and member credentialing, branding and visual assets, strategic planning, and internal process automation. His efforts have played a key role in modernizing organizational workflows, improving data management, and creating scalable systems to support the continued growth of the organization. In addition to his marching arts leadership, Valiant brings a strong background in information technology, security, and systems engineering. He regularly applies this expertise to nonprofit operations—bridging the gap between creative program needs and reliable technical execution. His combined experience in the arts, technology, and organizational strategy allows him to approach challenges with a solutions-oriented mindset focused on sustainability and long-term success. |
Justin Mitnik - Secretary, IYAO
Justin Mitnik is a freelance musician and educator originally from Boston, MA where he received his BM from UMass, a MM in Music Education from Boston University and his MBA from UMass Global. Justin has performed all over the world with various shows including being the soloist for the musical: Blast! A tony and award-winning Broadway musical, Shockwave, Cyberjam, and Music in eXtreme: Japan Tour. Justin enjoys sharing his talents and experience performing with the World Famous Disneyland Band, Seaworld’s Christmastown horns, Legoland Band, Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra, Reading Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Wind Symphony, and Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. Justin's experience with Drum Corps started as a performer and soloist with the Spartans (Nashua, NH), Crossmen (DCI). He continued to teach drum corps for over 15 years and held various positions including Brass caption head with the Connecticut Hurricaines (DCA). When not performing on the trombone, Justin can also be found teaching at Santa Ana College, arranging music, writing drill for marching band, or coaching private lessons. |
IYAO Members at Large
Donn Hallman
Michael Lopez
Lester Moore
David Natal
Vanessa Vendiola
Valiant Yan
Charlie Groh*
Larry Ford*
Charles Hargett*
A. William Hassing*
Chris Mathis*
J. David Meade*
Eric Morse*
Barbara Kauppi*
Omar Vidana*
Jenn Frank*
*ex officio
Michael Lopez
Lester Moore
David Natal
Vanessa Vendiola
Valiant Yan
Charlie Groh*
Larry Ford*
Charles Hargett*
A. William Hassing*
Chris Mathis*
J. David Meade*
Eric Morse*
Barbara Kauppi*
Omar Vidana*
Jenn Frank*
*ex officio
IYAO Calendar
IYAO board meetings are open to anyone who would like to bring ideas or discussions to the executive board. Please email [email protected] for more information
