MINUTES of Tele-Conferences

Board of Directors Meeting

Fall, 2002

Sunday, Sept. 22

Present: Sheri, Tong, Tim, Robert, Barney, Dennis, Jimmy, Hank, Tawny. Where are the other members? Li Ai, for whatever reason(s) has resigned from the Board. Any replacement for her forthcoming?

Two Topics: Atlanta Team Trials and Executive Director Search.

Atlanta Team Trials

McAfee is prepared to run them. O.K. with us? Finalization required…but not yet given. Topic immediately dropped in favor of pressing need to decide on an Executive Director. 

Executive Director Search

1. Withdraw Aly Salam’s name from consideration. As Jimmy points out, our E.D. is expected to live in Colorado Springs; Aly says he couldn’t do that and so asks not to be considered.

2. Tong emphasizes we need to hire an E.D. fast.

How should we narrow our choices? It’s noted that only three candidates—Allen Watson, Clark Mitchell, Gwynne Williams—have included, as directed, Letters of Reference. Perhaps only those three, then, are worthy of consideration? A discussion follows in which Board members share their opinions. Some question how important such Letters of Reference are, and emphasize how easy they are to come by, given the applicants, all high achievers, for this position. Don’t we want the best candidate for the job? Has he, in fact, already been found by some Board members?

It’s decided that, in addition to considering the merits of those three who’ve followed the letter of the law, each Board member has the right to nominate one other candidate of his/her choice. Directive: review the choices, 13 in all, and be prepared at the Teleconference on Wednesday, Sept. 25 to rank the order in which you prefer the selected candidates.

Wednesday, Sept. 25

Present: Sheri, Jiing, Tong, Tim, Barney, Jimmy. Where are the others? Robert and Dennis apologized, said they wanted to attend but couldn’t.

Executive Director Search

Sheri dutifully went down the list of 13 candidates—asked with regard to each whether any Board member wanted to consider him/her. Sometimes a short discussion followed; sometimes not. Four candidates were finally selected: Jim Vanden Heuvel, Eric Johnson, Clark Mitchell, and Kevin Shippy. It would be made clear to them that the base pay offered would be $50,000 a year (but it would be left to them to discover there would be fund-raising incentives). Sheri, with Tong’s help, would present three questions for the candidates to answer by Saturday so that these answers might be read by the Board members before the Teleconference on Sunday, Sept. 29. All four candidates were to be prepared for the Sunday phone interview.  

Sunday, Sept. 29

Present: Sheri, Jiing, Tong, Tim, Robert, Barney, Dennis, Jimmy, Hank, Tawny. 

Executive Director Search

As it happened, Jim Vanden Heuvel withdrew (the salary wasn’t enough), and Eric Johnson, though he professed interest in meeting the Saturday deadline for answering the questions, didn’t respond further. So we were left with two candidates: Kevin Shippy and Clark Mitchell.

Both give backgound information about themselves, then answered whatever questions Board members posed to them.

After thanking them both for their interest in the E.D. position, the Board voted, by acclamation, to hire Clark Mitchell, who would assume his duties as soon as possible.

ADDENDUM

Two issues have followed: one I understand is in abeyance, one not.

Atlanta, I presume, is going to hold the Team Trials, but I’ve not heard any result from the Motion that’s been made and seconded and that we’ve been asked to vote on.

With regard to Scott Gordon’s hardbat request, and the Motion made by Tong and seconded by Todd, Option 1 has been chosen—“Indefinitely and until rescinded, extend the two-color rule exemption for those using hard bats. This would be applicable to all events in USATT-sanctioned tournaments.” (Six votes for Option 1; three votes for Option 2 (extend for 2002 National’s only); and one vote for Option 3 (don’t extend the exemption).

Respectfully submitted.

USATT Secretary,

Tim Boggan