Each year, the Blue Stars take time to honor those people who contributed and sacrificed tirelessly to make the organization what it is today – and who shape what it can and will be in the future – with induction into the Blue Stars Hall of Fame. Those honorees include our founders, administrators, instructors, members, volunteers, and supporters all of whom believed in the power of the Blue Stars' mission.
Nominations for the Blue Stars Hall of Fame are solicited each winter, with the inductees chosen by the current Hall of Fame members and Blue Stars Board of Directors. Three individuals have been selected as the class of 2019 to join the current members of the Blue Stars Hall of Fame.
Bruce Furlano
Alumnus, Board Member, Volunteer
Bruce was a member of the Blue Stars Cadets from 1983 to 1987 and was a member of the Blue Stars from 1988 to 1997. After aging out, he got his CDL license and spent time on the road with the corps as a bus driver before transitioning into his role on the board.
Bruce has served on the Blue Stars board from 2001-2010 and from 2013 until the present. He is a past president of the organization. During his time on the board, Bruce was an integral part of the team that planned and executed the drive back to DCI World Class status. His leadership during that time was invaluable and he helped build the foundation upon which today's organization is built.
Bruce leads an External Manufacturing Team for Cargill. He received his Bachelors of Science from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse with a degree in chemistry. He resides in Rogers, AR with his wife Stacie and their two sons.
Kevin Hanson
Alumnus, Board Member, Volunteer
Kevin Hanson has a long history with the Blue Stars, starting as a baritone member in 1977 and 1978 and continuing with the corps in 1979 as an equipment truck driver. In the early 80s he was the director of the Royal Knight Cadets Drum &; Bugle Corps from Manitowoc, WI.
After serving as the CFO for YEA!, Kevin moved back to Wisconsin in 2011 and became a member of the Board of Directors. He has served as President of the Board since 2016. He is Chief Financial Officer of the Forest County Potawatomi, Wisconsin Tribe, which owns and operates the famed Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in Milwaukee, WI.
In his nomination letter, Billy Happel said, "Kevin has been a substantial contributor to the corps in volunteer hours with his work on the Board, Oktoberfest, Wienerfest, camps and numerous other projects. He is also a great financial contributor to the corps' operations. Because of all that and more, Kevin deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."
Kevin graduated from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse with a bachelor of science in accounting, and is a Certified Public Accountant in Wisconsin. He resides in Whitelaw, WI, with his family of two children and one grandchild.
Greg Struve
Executive Director
Greg Struve joined the Blue Stars organization in the fall of 2003 as the Executive Director and immediately got to work on the organization's top goal: return the corps to World Class competition. Greg tirelessly criss-crossed the Midwest, recruiting members, and succeeded in increasing membership in the 2004 corps by almost 100 percent. Under Greg's leadership, for the 2005 season the corps reached a membership level of 128 - the maximum number of members a corps could march.
In addition to membership growth, Greg set the stage for growth and development of every aspect of the organization, from fundraising, to programming, to staffing, and sponsorship relationships. It is clear to the Hall of Fame committee that Greg was a key catalyst for the success we have enjoyed since our return to DCI's World Class in 2006.
Greg lives in Arizona with his wife and twin daughters. He is a therapist and life coach who specializes in addiction and trauma. He has been featured on the TV show "Intervention" four times.
