John Meissner Named Executive Director of River City Rhythm

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve this organization and for the trust placed in me. There is much to look forward to, and I cannot wait to see what we accomplish together."

MONTICELLO, MN – SEPTEMBER 8, 2026

River City Rhythm, Inc. is pleased to announce the appointment of John Meissner as the next Executive Director of the organization. John succeeds Beau Hansen in the role, who will be returning as Director of Operations for the 2027 season.

“While it has been my pleasure to serve as the Executive Director of River City Rhythm for the past several years, I am thrilled and honored that John will be stepping in to fill this role,” says Beau. “I have the utmost confidence in John—we've worked together first with the Corps and more recently with the Winds program, going back more than a decade. I've seen firsthand the kind of qualities that John has and the work he puts into everything he does, from teaching up to design, and I have the utmost respect for his approach—not only in providing a quality education to our members, but also his professionalism with overseeing staff to ensure that they are following suit. He is also someone who knows and values RCR's history and traditions, and is clearly someone who cares about the marching arts as a whole.”

John’s tenure with RCR began in 2015 when he served as an instructional staff member for the RCR Drum & Bugle Corps. Over the years, John has taken on additional responsibilities within both the ensemble and organization, including Visual Caption Head, Staff Coordinator, and Creative Director for the corps. He was also instrumental in building the RCR Winds ensemble, which will be entering its third year of competition in 2027. 

As the organization continues to grow, the Board of Directors is confident that John’s years of experience within RCR—as well as the greater Minnesota marching arts community—have afforded him a deep understanding of the needs of the organization and opportunities for growth. 

“I am beyond honored and thrilled to be appointed to this role,” says John. “This organization presents a rare opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the lives of members across eight ensembles, year round.” 

“While I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve RCR in this capacity, I would be remiss not to recognize the leaders whose vision, dedication, and hard work have helped shape RCR into the organization it is today,” he adds. “I am excited to work alongside the incredible staff, leaders, members, volunteers, and supporters who make RCR what it is. Together, I hope we can build on the organization’s strong foundation and continue to make RCR a place where people feel inspired, connected, challenged, and truly at home for years to come.”