Executive Board of Directors

Zakia Ruffin has been part of the marching and indoor performance activity for over 25 years. She found her passion for Colorguard in high school, performing with Concord High School's Colorguard & winter guard programs. After graduating from Concord High School, she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ms. Ruffin continued to grow in the Colorguard activity by performing with Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps and Independent Winterguards around the Raleigh area. These groups included Carolina Visual Productions, The Study, Croatan World, and First Flight World.

Zakia has continued her involvement in the activity by being a Colorguard Instructor, working with many programs in North Carolina and South Carolina since 2005. She has enjoyed working with remarkable organizations, including South Mecklenburg High School, East Lincoln High School, Northwest Cabarrus High School, the University of South Carolina Band, and Étude.

Zakia was honored to participate in the CWEA Advisory Council from 2019 to 2022 and be on the WGI Advisory Board for 2019 & 2020. She has served on the CWEA board as the Advisory Council Chair 2019-2021 and has served as the Classifications Chair for the 2022 winter season. Ms. Ruffin was appointed as President of CWEA in July 2023, and she hopes to use her knowledge and experience to help support all groups in this outstanding organization. Bringing out the best in performers and creating an environment where all feel welcome and encouraged to succeed.

Originally from Queens, NY, and currently resides in Charlotte, NC. Zakia enjoys spending time with her Chow Chow mix, Zeke, and continues her training for her next marathon.

Clayton Parker has continuously been an active instructor/designer/adjudicator/consultant for over thirty years. He has worked with color guards/marching bands/winter guards in North Carolina, Georgia and South Carolina. His bands have won numerous South Carolina Band Directors Association (SCBDA) lower state and upper state championships and three SCBDA State Championships. Currently, Mr. Parker is the Visual Coordinator at North Augusta High School and clinician/consultant for several well-known marching bands.

Currently Mr. Parker is on the Board of Directors of the Carolina Winter Ensembles Association (CWEA) where he serves as Vice President. CWEA, an indoor performance organization that includes winter guards, indoor percussion and indoor wind units serves units from North and South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. He has served many roles in CWEA which includes as a member of the Advisory Board, Circuit President, Judges Liaison and contest director. He has been awarded the CWEA Sport of the Arts Award and has been inducted into the esteemed CWEA Hall of Fame.

Mr. Parker has judged as a member of the Florida Federation Judges Association judging General Effect and Design Analysis. He has also been an adjudicator for Fiesta-Val of Richmond, Virginia, the South Carolina Odyssey of The Mind competition as well as several local marching band competitions. Mr. Parker currently is a Timing and Penalties judge for SCBDA and CWEA.

Mr. Parker is a proud graduate of W. J. Keenan High School and credits his band director, Mr. Willie E. Lyles for his encouragement in the color guard activity. Mr. Parker attended South Carolina State University which is when began his career as an instructor/designer at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School under the direction of Mr. Dwight McMillan. Mr. Parker graduated from South Carolina State University with a B.S. Degree in Marketing. Mr. Parker resides in Columbia, S.C. where he is an Information Resource Coordinator, for the South Carolina Department of Social Services.

Cody Crawford is a nonprofit arts administrator and event operations leader with more than a decade of experience supporting live performance organizations. He has served the marching and pageantry arts coast to coast in roles spanning event administration, financial management, and executive leadership, helping organizations strengthen operations, produce large-scale events, and support continued growth at both the regional and national levels.

Cody currently serves as Senior Ticketing Manager for Drum Corps International, where he oversees all ticketing operations and the customer experience, supporting more than 60 events throughout DCI’s annual Summer Tour.

Previously, Cody spent over a decade with Carolina Crown, where he held senior leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. During his tenure, he led business operations across finance, ticketing, events, business development, and fundraising, while helping develop the systems and infrastructure necessary to support the organization’s continued growth and national presence.

Beyond his professional roles, Cody has remained actively involved in service to the performing arts through governance, financial leadership, and event administration. He has served the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association (CWEA) for more than a decade, including as President and currently as Treasurer; serves as Director of Finance for the Winter Guard Association of Southern California (WGASC); and is Treasurer for Civitas Independent, a South Carolina-based performing arts organization. His involvement also includes serving as a Contest Administrator and current volunteer for Winter Guard International (WGI).

Across his work, Cody is particularly passionate about organizational management, financial stewardship, and building sustainable systems that allow performing arts organizations to grow and thrive.

Victoria Rivera serves as the Colorguard Director at Hickory Ridge High School, bringing over a decade of instructional experience to the program that she was once a part of. Originally from Long Island, New York, and now residing in Charlotte, North Carolina, Victoria’s deep-rooted passion for the pageantry arts began in 2012 when she first entered the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association (CWEA) circuit. Her performing career includes marching Etude (IW) during their 2016 and 2017 seasons. Transitioning seamlessly from performer to educator, Victoria spent seven impactful seasons shaping talent at Mount Pleasant High School from 2015 to 2021. Today, she actively collaborates with multiple programs as a movement choreographer and consultant, seeking to enhance other programs' vocabulary and skills.

Beyond the field and floor, Victoria holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. While her academic background may seem distinct from her artistic pursuits, it has paved the way for her professional career. She currently works within the Intellectual Property department at one of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the country. This professional background grants her a rare, highly specialized understanding of copyright, licensing, and legal protections—an invaluable asset in the modern marching arts landscape where intellectual property and design intersect.

When she isn't teaching or working, Victoria loves exploring the vibrant Charlotte culture. On Wednesday nights, you can reliably find her putting her history and trivia skills to the test with friends at Heist, specifically the NoDa location - 7 PM every week! Additionally, she loves spending time with her family and niece Gabby and taking long vacations to somewhere with large coastlines and good food! 

David Shives is the Assistant Band Director at Catawba Ridge High School in Fort Mill, SC. During his time at Catawba Ridge the marching band has won two South Carolina Marching Band State Championships and the 2022 Bands of America Carolina Regional Championship. Under his direction the indoor winds program was the 2024 WGI Open Class World Champion. Mr. Shives also currently serves on the WGI Steering Committee for the Winds division.

Prior to coming to Catawba Ridge, Mr. Shives was the Associate Director of Bands at Ardrey Kell High School in Charlotte, NC, where he served as director of the Ardrey Kell indoor winds program for the 3 seasons. In 2019, the Ardrey Kell Indoor Winds were silver medalist in Scholastic A competition at the WGI Winds World Championships. Mr. Shives is also an active judge, clinician and designer for several indoor and outdoor programs across the southeast.

Mr. Shives is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a B.A. in Music Education and a B.A. in Euphonium Performance. Mr. Shives is also a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a M.M. in Music Education. He holds professional memberships in National Education Association, National Association for Music Education, Society for Music Teacher Education and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He lives in Fort Mill with his wife Kati, their daughter Maggie, and their dogs Lily and Grace.

Zane Franco-Winn, a Western New York native, moved to Charleston, South Carolina in 2021 where he is a current Band Director in Charleston County Public Schools. Zane marched in the North Eastern Color Guard Circuit from 2009 to 2017, at Paramount Winter Guard in 2019, and The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from 2014 to 2016.

Zane is on the instructional and design team for Étude Winter Guard, Tampa Independent Winter Guard, The Wando High School Marching Band and Color Guard, Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, and a handful of other programs.

Zane’s professional career has been in building brand-new band programs in schools where music education has been non-existent. He has built vital programs that are not only student-driven but deeply connected with the school communities.

Benjamin Henley is originally from Charlotte, NC, and now resides in Fort Mill, SC. He is currently the Colorguard Director at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill, SC.

Benjamin is a choreographer and a member of the design team for Etude Independent World from Rock Hill, SC, who were the 2024 WGI World Class Silver Medalists. He was also a movement choreographer for Tampa Independent World. Benjamin is on staff with the Carolina Crown Colorguard, serving as a choreographer for the Colorguard and  Crown Brass. In addition, he choreographs for James F. Byrnes HS and Catawba Ridge HS.

He has an extensive background in dance and musical theater, having been on The North American Tour of Dirty Dancing and the 2nd National Tour of Finding Neverland, where he served as Dance Captain and Swing. He is an alumni of the Phantom Regiment Colorguard, First Flight (IW), The Cast (IO), and Etude (IO). His love for teaching comes from giving back to an activity that gave him the confidence to pursue all facets of his dreams.

Benjamin is excited to continue contributing to CWEA’s continued success! 

Brian Turner boasts a distinguished and diverse career in percussion education and leadership. He is the Director of Percussion at Fort Mill High School and Gold Hill Middle School in Fort Mill, South Carolina. Beyond his educational duties, Brian is the CEO and Founder of Civitas Independent, based in Rock Hill, SC. His influence within the percussion community is further evidenced by his membership on the Winter Guard International Percussion Advisory Board and his position as Chair of the Carolina Winter Ensemble Percussion Advisory Board.

Brian's tenure with Carolina Crown, a renowned drum corps, spanned from 1991 to 1993, a period during which the corps achieved notable success, including winning the Division 2 (Open Class) World Championships and High Drums in 1993. Over the past 27 years, Brian has devoted himself to enhancing high school percussion programs across South Carolina and North Carolina, contributing as an instructor, designer, and composer. Among the numerous programs he has impacted are Aiken High School, Silver Bluff High School, North Augusta High School, White Knoll High School, and South Pointe High School.

Professionally, Brian has held various roles with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps and has continued to contribute to Carolina Crown in several capacities, including Director of Operations and Tour Director from 1999 to 2008. His endorsements from industry leaders such as Vic Firth, Zildjian, Remo, and Pearl/Adams Percussion underscore his prominence in the field.

Outside of his professional achievements, Brian is an avid shag dancer and has competed at the professional level. He resides in Rock Hill with his wife, Anne, her daughter, Emily, and their pets, a dog named Rudi, and a cat named Riffiki.