The longtime leader of local bands was bestowed another impressive honor.

Vern Fosket, who led Sequim school bands for more than three decades, received honors and induction into the Northwest Bandmasters Association at the group’s fall banquet on Oct. 27 at the Kalama Harbor Lodge in Kalama, Washington.

Fosket was introduced by Brad McDavid, a longtime friend and recently retired from the University of Washington band program.

Other inductees included David Baldock, Marcellus Brown, Phil Hartman, Randy Hubbs, G. Cart Nelsen, Ken Peckham, Dr. Eric Wiltshire.

Fosket worked at Snohomish and Port Orchard schools before taking over the Sequim Middle School and Sequim high school programs from 1989-1992 before moving exclusively to the SHS band to lead the band, jazz band and Advanced Placement music theory from 1992 until his retirement in 2022.

Inducted into the Washington Music Educators Hall of Fame in 2012, Fosket was the Washington Music Educators Association’s All-State and All-Northwest site manager and assistant manager for conferences from 2008-2023. He was also bestowed the North Olympic Music Educators Outstanding Music Educator Award in 2000.

Fosket has also performed with numerous community groups, including Stardust Big Band, Locos Only, Port Angeles Symphony, Bremerton Symphony, Pierce College Jazz Ensemble, Tacoma Wind Ensemble, Everett Symphony and Seattle Pacific University ensembles. He has also served substitute conductor for Sequim City Band,

He was nominated for Sequim Citizen of the Year in 2016, by the Sequim-Dungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce, and served as Grand Marshal for Sequim Irrigation Festival in 2017.

For more about the Northwest Bandmasters Association, visit nwbandmasters.com.