Palm Springs, Calif.—– Dec. 12, 2016 —– Today, the USHJA Board of Directors elected three new at-large board members, a national vice president, and treasurer, and ratified Hunter and Jumper Working Group appointments for chairs and discipline directors. They will assume their duties on the Board of Directors beginning at the close of the 2016 USHJA Annual Meeting, presented by HITS, on Thursday.
David Distler, of Norwalk, Conn., was elected national vice president, a four-year term. Shelley Campf, of Canby, Ore., was elected treasurer, a two-year term. Katharine Benson, of Whitehouse Station, N.J., and Sissy Wickes, of Unionville, Pa., were elected as at-large directors, four-year terms. Following an unprecedented run-off election in the at-large directors’ election between Joe Dotoli, of Chepachet, R.I., and Britt McCormick, of Allen, Texas, Joe Dotoli was elected as an at-large director.
The following individuals were appointed to the Board of Directors for two-year terms during their working group meetings and ratified by the Board as follows:
Hunter Working Group Chair (Hunter Vice President) – Dianne Johnson, Kirkland, Wash.
Hunter Discipline Director – Betty Oare, Warrenton, Va.
Jumper Working Group Chair (Jumper Vice President) – Charlotte Skinner-Robson, North Hollywood, Calif.
Jumper Discipline Directors – Jimmy Torano, Wellington, Fla., and DiAnn Langer, Johnston, S.C.
Additionally, Jennifer Burger of Buffalo, N.Y., Cheryl Rubenstein, Memphis, Tenn., and Robin Fairclough, Morriston, Fla., were elected to represent USHJA on the USEF National Breeds and Disciplines Council
Candidates for the Board of Directors election were determined through a multi-step process. USHJA members submitted nominations for USHJA Board of Director positions, which were then reviewed by the USHJA Nominating Committee. The committee members interviewed candidates before submitting to the USHJA Board of Directors their recommended nominee for each position for inclusion on the ballot. Upon receipt of the Nominating Committee’s recommended candidates, the Board of Directors had 10 days within which to name additional qualified nominations to the ballot for each of the positions from the floor, if they chose to do so.
All elected and appointed members of the Board of Directors, including President-Elect Mary Babick, will assume their duties immediately following the close of this year’s Annual Meeting, taking place this week in Palm Springs, California