About Us
Steve Simpson is the Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Alabama, and has had a lifelong career in music education. Steve lives in Tuscaloosa and Panama City Beach, and has been a partner in the Festival of Champions since 1985. He strives to provide professional, fair, and supportive adjudication for all performances at the Festival of Champions. Steve has been a high school band director and understands how a good festival experience can impact the recruitment and growth of a band program.
Buddy Wilkes is the General Manager of Shipwreck Island Waterpark, and he started the Festival of Champions in 1979. Wilkes is the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and has a thirty year history of nationally recognized hospitality and professionalism in the entertainment industry. Wilkes is ever-vigilant in providing the highest quality standards in lodging, entertainment, and meal service for all bands and orchestras participating in the Festival of Champions.
