2018 Board of Directors Election Process Underway with Call for Candidates

Election Timeline Announced



Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sept. 6, 2017) – The 2018 USA Ultimate Board of Directors election process is currently underway with the search for interested candidates to fill four available seats next year.

Up for election are two At-Large seats and one Elite Athlete position, while a fourth vacancy will be filled by the appointment of an independent candidate.

The first step in USA Ultimate’s annual election process is a public call for candidates, inviting individuals to formally express their interest in serving on the board, where responsibilities include providing the organization with high-level strategic direction and setting long-term objectives while representing the interests of the ultimate community.

Well-qualified board members shall possess the highest personal values, judgment and integrity consistent with the organization’s mission and vision while exhibiting an understanding of athletic competition, Olympic ideals, and familiarity with the business, financial and other challenges inherent to national governing bodies of sport. Often, they have strong professional backgrounds in fields such as finance, fundraising, governance, strategic planning, marketing, audit, management, communications, law or sport-related issues.

For a comprehensive description of the board’s scope of responsibilities and eligibility requirements, read Article V of the USA Ultimate Bylaws.

To be considered, interested and eligible candidates should express their interest by sending a brief letter to nominating committee chair Henry Thorne at henry.thorne@usaultimate.org by 5:00 p.m. EDT on Sunday, Sept. 24. Expressions of interest must include:

Full name

Current USA Ultimate member number

Contact information (phone, email address)

Outline of relevant experience

Statement explaining your interest in running for the board of directors

Which seat interested in pursuing: At Large or Elite Athlete

Following this initial step, the nominating committee will send any interested parties documentation outlining the requirements and expectations for serving on the USA Ultimate Board of Directors, allowing potential candidates to evaluate the necessary commitments and responsibilities. Once interested individuals have agreed to meet these requirements, the nominating committee will conduct a formal review of the applicants and determine a final list of candidates to be put forward based on areas of expertise, qualifications, conflicts of interest and other potentially disqualifying factors.

Approved candidates invited to be included on the official ballot will then be required to draft and submit a formal candidate statement for publication by 5:00 p.m. E.D.T on Sunday, Oct. 1.

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A complete timeline of the 2018 USA Ultimate Board of Directors election process is as follows:

Sunday, Sept. 24, 5:00 p.m. EDT: Expressions of interest due to nominating committee chair Henry Thorne. Please email henry.thorne@usaultimate.org.

Sunday, Oct. 1, 5:00 p.m. EDT: Candidate statements due from approved candidates.

TBD: USA Ultimate announces final slate of At-Large and Elite Athlete candidates; candidate statements published.

TBD: Virtual debate #1, details TBA.

TBD: Polls open for voting to eligible USA Ultimate members.

TBD: Polls close, preliminary results announced pending verification of voter eligibility and minimum voter requirements.

Board members whose current terms expire on Dec. 31, 2017 are Mike Eck (Independent) Ness Fajardo (Elite Athlete), Kathy Hendrickson (At-Large) and Josh Seamon (At-Large).

EDIT (10/4/17): Timeline is being revised and will be updated here as soon as possible.

Have any questions or comments? We welcome community feedback and discussion made in a respectful manner. Please refrain from profanity or personal attacks, as such public comments negatively reflect on our sport and community.