Tournament of Roses President Richard Jackson Q&A

A volunteer of the parade since 1975, Richard Jackson now leads the organization that manages one of the largest televised parades in the U.S. and that is considered one of the most prestigious for a band to march and perform in.

He was elected to the executive committee of the parade seven years ago, not long before Mercer Island first marched in the Rose Parade (in 2006). Now Jackson is paying a visit here — his third stop on a tour of all the communities who are taking part in the 2012 Rose Parade.

Mercer Island Patch sat down with Jackson to find out more about the 's invitation.

Q. What is your impression of Mercer Island?

A. There's just an unbelievable sense of community here. A real "one for all, and all for one," spirit. And it's incredibly beautiful.

Q. Why is the Mercer Island High School Marching Band good enough to take part in the Rose Parade?

A. Well, they were good enough to be in the parade before. Given where the organization is in 2011 and 2012, we are focused on finding performers that possess a certain musicality, a high level of showmanship and an ability to march and be entertaining at the same time.

Q. What is the selection process for the Rose Parade like?

A. The selection process truly begins with the review of DVDs the bands have submitted that demonstrate their skills and ability to march and stay synchronized and in formation. ... Some of what we saw with the Mercer Island Marching Band was some great marching skills and an entertaining style. What we saw were some great musicians.

Q. How many bands were invited to perform at the 2012 Rose Parade and will you visit them all?

A. There are 21 bands — a few a local bands from the L.A. area — and then we have 15 or 16 trips planned where we head out of town and are dropped off into the community. We meet these wonderful people who are taking part in the parade in their home.

Q. How did you become president of the Tournament of Roses organization?

A. It's a one-year term that rotates among all members elected to the executive committee. It's a position that you serve in on your seventh year as an executive committee member, so you have a lot of time to be exposed to how the management of the organization works. 

Q. What is your full-time profession?

A. I'm a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) in Pasadena, California. The Tournament of Roses is basically run by 935 volunteers. We have a small paid staff, but most of the work is unpaid. I began volunteering for the parade 36 years ago in 1975 and worked my way up from clean-up crews to this.

Q. Do you remember the last time Mercer Island took part in the Rose Parade?

A. I do, in 2006. It rained like the dickens that year. It had been 51 years since it rained during the parade. It's funny, you know, our grand marshal that year was a sitting Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O'Connor. The last time it rained was when we invited another sitting Supreme Court judge, Warren Burger ... That will probably be the last time we do that. We can do a parade during the rain, but it's not as much fun. 

Q. Where are all of these marching bands from this year?

A. Canada, Puerto Rico, Japan, Sweden, (and the U.S.). The Music Committee does the initial screening, and then the executive committee makes the ultimate decision. Around 70-80 bands applied last year.