President's Report

By Sheri Soderberg Pittman

One of the most pressing goals that I have dedicated myself to accomplishing as president is the implementation of a staff-driven association. Due to the day-to-day needs of an organization that has traditionally been out of step with that reality, it’s been a challenge to direct attention to the big picture when the need to resolve daily crises consumes so much energy.

Little by little, day by day, step by step, USATT is emerging from our troubles and transforming our association. We are fortunate to benefit from the intensive restructuring that the United States Olympic Committee itself is undergoing. As the USOC redesigns its modus operandi, I have and will continue to initiate similar reforms to improve our own systems.

As we move forward, I want to thank Doru Gheorghe for his steadfast resolution to making this vision a reality. The headway that’s been made over the past several months has been phenomenal. As executive director, he is the point person on all matters affecting business operations.

Richard Lee and all of the NATT staff, as well as all of the volunteers at the U.S. Open, deserve all of the credit for the well-run U.S. Open. Like most of you, the Board would like to see the ITTF Pro Tour return, and we are working on that now.

It was great to see Homer Brown continue his annual record-breaking treks to the U.S. Open (35 years in a row). As a business executive, Homer always steered sponsorship money toward table tennis events. Several years ago, he decided to make a go of promoting table tennis. Homer is the owner of BumperNets. Last year I had the opportunity to visit his store, which features a variety of fun recreational games. I developed a quick addiction to playing against the robot and enjoyed watching the steady stream of "ping-pong" customers get an orientation of table tennis the sport. Homer tells me that business is good. It’s great to see him succeed in what was once a risky business venture.

USATT is excited to forge ahead on one of our own new ventures, our USATT League program. Thanks to the generosity of Paddle Palace, teamed with Escalade Sports & Stiga, we have a sponsorship package in place. Larry Hodges, in addition to the great job he does as the magazine editor and webmaster, has tirelessly assembled the infrastructure of the program.

To succeed as an organization, one of the most critical areas that needs to be properly overseen is our finances. USATT Treasurer Tong Lee has expended thousands of hours over the past several years to ensure USATT’s financial solvency and oversees all of USATT’s fiscal policies. He plans to write a series of articles to provide the membership with a better understanding of the budget and financial affairs of USATT. Below is his first article.