Nominating Committee Candidate Bios and Statements of Purpose

Lainie DeMore – Midwestern and First Vice President:

Bio: Lainie DeMore started skating as a toddler and continued to skate through high school. She summer skated in Lake Placid, NY for four summers passing her 7th Figure Test and Pre-Gold dances before she stopped actively skating. Returning to the skating community after college and graduate school, she became a National Accountant and a Level 3 Technical Accountant. She has officiated at numerous qualifying and international competitions and was the Chief Accountant for the 2000 U.S. Championships in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

In the Cleveland area, Lainie has served on the Board of the Winterhurst Figure Skating Club as well as Chair of the Greater Cleveland Council of Figure Skating Clubs. Previously, she served as an At-Large Board Member of U. S. Figure Skating, on various committees and as Membership Development Group Coordinator. She is completing her third year as Midwestern Vice President.

Lainie is married to Harry Gleeson (USFS Announcer), whom she met at a figure skating competition. Prior to her retirement, she worked in the non-profit sector as the Information Technology manager at a multi-theatre entertainment complex in downtown Cleveland and as a project manager in the Information Technology area for a large multi-state financial institution.

Statement of Purpose: It is an honor to be asked to continue to serve as Midwest and First Vice President.

Communication to clubs and members as well as listening to their concerns is of highest importance. It’s critical that we maintain strong, healthy and sustainable clubs to attract and retain our membership. Clubs are the foundation of the organization and their members provide a substantial portion of the annual revenue that allows for funding of programs at all levels, which in turn benefit the skaters, the clubs and all facets of the organization.

In addition, the Vice President must provide a complimentary role for the committees and especially for the Membership Committee, being a resource for members and clubs to assist them in navigating through the skating community, the sport, and the U. S. Figure Skating organizational structure.

The association needs to continue on the current path of financial steadiness. The business plan has proved to be an excellent planning tool and provides a financial structure that is reviewed and updated by the Board every year for the coming 4-year period. It allows committees to plan tactically and strategically, but permits flexibility when appropriate.

The success of the Learn to Skate USA rollout as well as the Get Up initiative reflect the Board’s commitment to member retention and the need to keep the sport growing to ensure the future health of the organization on all levels and perspectives. These two most visible initiatives will continue through the Olympic cycle and beyond and provide momentum to expand the membership horizon and bring skating to new places and people.

The 2016 ISU Congress was very successful for the Association and it’s important that the organization continue to provide a leading presence, both formally and informally, in the ISU leadership and committee structure.

I look forward to collaborating with the Board, Headquarters staff, clubs and members in the coming Olympic year.

Anne Cammett – Eastern and Second Vice President:

Bio: From a young age, Anne has been actively involved in figure skating. She is a gold medalist in Figures & Freestyle, competed in both Singles & Dance and has been a U.S. Figure Skating judge for over 30 years. She is a Singles & Pairs National and ISU Judge and Referee. Highlights from her career as an official include serving as Chief Referee at the 2011 U.S. Nationals (Greensboro, NC) and as the U.S. Pair Judge at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. Anne has served the past two years as the Eastern Vice President; prior roles include chair of the Judges, the International Judges & Officials, and the International committees as well as serving on numerous other committees in a various capacities. Anne enjoys judging and refereeing many non-qualifying competitions and local test sessions throughout the year. She has co-chaired non-qualifying competitions and served on two club boards (currently as a board member of the Genesee Figure Skating Club and previously as a board member of the Skating Club of Northern Virginia). She has attended numerous Governing Councils as a club delegate. She looks forward to continuing to leverage her vast experience in this role.

Anne works for a global manufacturing company and resides in Rush, a small town near Rochester, New York with her husband, Greg, and their daughter; their son currently attends college in nearby Buffalo. Anne enjoys skating recreationally as time permits.

Statement of Purpose: It is an honor to be nominated to continue serving as Eastern Vice President for the 2017-18 season. In this role I will continue to communicate the interests of the Eastern section to the national membership via participation on the board and conversely, communicate national initiatives to the Eastern section so local clubs are fully informed and aware regarding activities, initiatives and objectives of our association. I will continue using various avenues such as sectional conference calls and email to communicate information to member clubs and as a means of soliciting feedback, as well as reaching out and talking with members in-person when participating in events as a judge/referee. My desire is to be accessible to the Eastern community which I represent.

I will be fully engaged supporting current board initiatives toward their path to successful implementation, pursuing the next set of tasks associated with our strategic initiatives and continuing to focus on projects which translate into membership retention, growth and renewed interest and enthusiasm in figure skating.

Sharon Watson – Pacific Coast and Third Vice President:

Bio: Sharon fell in love with the sport of figure skating when she skated as a child in Buffalo, and has thoroughly enjoyed contributing to its well-being, in a variety of ways, ever since. She has served as an official for 30 years and is a national judge in singles, pairs and synchronized skating, a national data/video operator, a regional technical controller and referee, and international team leader. She has held many leadership positions in U.S. Figure Skating, including Vice President these past 2 years, Secretary, Board of Directors member, Chair of the Strategic Planning, Membership, and Sanctions & Eligibility Committees, Chair of the Harassment and Abuse Task Force, Sectional Vice Chair of the Judges Committee and Regional Vice Chair of the Competitions Committee. She has served on many other committees, including Nominating, International, International Judges & Officials, Selections, Synchronized Skating, Finance, Audit, Rules, Marketing/Sponsorship and the SafeSport Subcommittee and was a member of the Tonya Harding Disciplinary Hearing Panel. She has also been a club delegate to Governing Council for the past 26 years. On the local level, Sharon has served as Chair of the Southern California Inter-Club Association and President of the Pasadena FSC and has been a club board member since 1983. She also served on the LOC for the 2016 Southwest Pacific Regional Championships, 2013 Adult Sectional Championships, 2011 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, a U.S. Olympic Festival and several other events.

Professionally, until she recently retired, Dr. Watson was the Executive Director of several nonprofit organizations and helped create a host of countywide policies that have improved the lives of Los Angeles foster and probation youth and the child welfare system that serves them. Her daughter, Carrie, is also a National judge and the Assistant Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Office of Child Protection.

Statement of Purpose: It is a tremendous honor to be nominated to serve another term as Pacific Coast Vice President of U.S. Figure Skating and I look forward to continuing to fulfill the responsibilities of that office.

As vice president these past two years, I’ve greatly appreciated getting to know and work with many club leaders throughout the Pacific Coast section through our monthly conference calls, local competitions, and other ways of connecting. I plan to build on and extend current efforts to share information, listen to each other’s concerns, learn about resources and practices that help clubs function optimally and explore fresh opportunities to grow and strengthen participation in every facet of skating.

During this coming year, I will continue to work with the Board and staff on the Learn to Skate USA rollout and Get Up marketing campaign. I believe that, together, these initiatives are already having and will continue to have a huge impact on our sport by attracting hundreds--maybe even thousands--of new skaters and fans. They should also very positively affect our athletes, parents, coaches, clubs and rinks by generating a much greater understanding of figure skating and its many benefits. I will do everything I can to help make both of these initiatives as successful as possible.

In addition, I think the governance projects the Board launched this year--the Nominating Committee Assessment and Committee Realignment--are going to lead to enhanced communication, decision-making and improved functioning. The ideas generated so far are thoughtful and insightful and should be even further enhanced as they are considered by our membership during this next year. I have every confidence that they will lead to positive change.

I am very proud of our Association and its many accomplishments and I look forward to being a part of its continuing achievements during 2017-18.

Heather Nemier – Secretary:

Bio: Heather Nemier is currently serving her fourth term as secretary of U.S. Figure Skating. She also serves as the liaison for the Technical Group of U.S. Figure Skating where she works with the technical group coordinator, committee chairs and headquarters staff to manage the “Technical Info” pages on the website. Previously, Heather served as chair of the Rules Committee for four years, completing her term in May 2012. She has also previously served as the at-large member of the Board of Directors from the North Atlantic region, as both regional and sectional vice chair of the Competitions Committee, regional vice chair of the Judges Committee and she was a founding trustee of the U.S. Figure Skating Foundation.

Nemier is a national singles/pairs judge and referee and a bronze dance test judge. She has refereed and judged numerous regional, sectional and national competitions including serving as chief referee of the 2013 U.S. Adult Championships and assistant referee at the 2017, 2015 and 2014 South Atlantic Regional Championships, the 2016 North Atlantic Regional Championships and the 2014 Eastern Sectional Championships and judged the 2016 Eastern Sectional Championships. Nemier chaired the 1996 U.S. Precision (now Synchronized) Skating Championships in Syracuse, N.Y. She also previously served as secretary and vice president of the Skating Club of Central New York. Since she relocated to suburban Washington, D.C. in 2003, Nemier has been an active member and delegate for the Washington FSC and has been involved in organizing many local qualifying and nonqualifying competitions. Most recently, she served as co-chair and consultant to the 2017 South Atlantic Regional Championships in her hometown of Ashburn, Virginia. She has also assisted the LOCs of the 2014 Eastern Sectional Championships, the 2012

Eastern Adult Championships and the 2010 South Atlantic Regional Championships. Since 2012, Nemier has been the chief referee of the Potomac Open, which is held each August at the Ashburn Ice House. In 2010, Nemier was elected a trustee of the Capitol Skating Fund, a charitable foundation supporting the capital region figure skating community, where she continues an active role.

Nemier resides in Ashburn, Virginia with her husband and two teenage sons. She participates in their schools and activities, including volunteer roles with local Little League International tournaments and her son’s baseball teams, and teaches part-time in a local elementary school.

Statement of Purpose: If re-elected to the position of secretary, I pledge to continue to support the mission of U.S. Figure Skating and the directives of the Board of Directors. I will take an active role in the meetings and participate in strategic planning and other board initiatives. I will ensure the minutes are produced in a prompt and useful manner for the board and the association. I will work with staff to produce minutes and reports of action for publication to the website. I will actively prepare for and participate in board of directors meetings. I will keep current with the activities of the association and bring forward items of interest to the board of directors, as well as disseminate information to the membership as needed. I will support and communicate with the president and vice presidents as needed. I will continue to positively promote figure skating and the U.S. Figure Skating Association when attending related events throughout the country.

I believe the strategic planning initiatives are leading us toward positive progress to ensure our future and I will continue to contribute as much as possible to promote its success. I will continue to assist in ensuring the rules of the association support the goals and programs appropriately. My philosophy includes having free and open communication during board meetings, while supporting the consensus of the group when decisions or conclusions have been made. I will make myself available to headquarters staff and the members of the board of directors to produce correspondence and sign materials as needed to fulfill the duties of the secretary of the association. Supporting the president and parliamentarian in order to gain the most productivity possible from Governing Council would continue to be a priority. I will continue to strive to promote the sport of figure skating in the most positive light possible and to assist in meeting the goals of the association as expressed in the mission statement and business plan.

Bob Anderson – Treasurer:

Bio: I am currently employed as President-Treasurer of the Pioneer Fund (Denver, Colorado), a private charitable family foundation. In addition, I currently provide accounting and financial consulting services to several smaller family owned oil and gas investment companies in four states as I have done during the past thirty years. I was originally employed as a registered C.P.A. in the tax department of Arthur Andersen & Co in Chicago upon undergraduate degree in accounting from University of Illinois (graduated 1977). My involvement in skating includes handling current administration of various skater financial assistance and collegiate scholarship skater assistance programs.

Statement of Purpose: The ongoing significant issues to be addressed by the next Treasurer of US Figure Skating will be to continue to support the financial stability of the ongoing four year U.S. Figure Skating Strategic Plan for 2018-2021 in terms of maintaining a stable four year budget plan that has been achieved through the Board leadership of the past seven years and financial oversight of the three significant Strategic Planning Initiatives currently in progress (Learn to Skate USA, Image & Branding, and Event Management System). In addition, ongoing communication with the Board surrounding review of the upcoming media contract renewal options/opportunities which will involve significant revenue and expense cash outlays in future years will have important economic implications for the term of any upcoming media renewal agreements.

The ongoing four year cash flow planning is also addressed through ongoing attempts to identify new and/or increased revenue streams from diverse sources and careful attention to expense detail outlays. Increased revenue streams are possible through membership growth supporting financially viable programs to attract new members, promotion of the sport through increased and strengthened media platform opportunities, and supporting USFS development department opportunities identifying potential new sources of support. It will be important to monitor and develop the potential increased revenue streams which are created by the three significant Strategic Planning Initiatives in progress. In addition, it will be important to consider appropriate amounts of present and future financial support that will be available from the United States Figure Skating Foundation to support both the annual operating budget plus support of any proposed strategic initiative or special projects within USFS. It is also important to have a positive outlook and team support mentality in working with any group of individuals to achieve stated mission goals identified by the U.S. Figure Skating Strategic Plan. In the past three years, I have had a productive working relationship with current USFS Chief Financial Officer, Mario Rede, as well as rest of the headquarters staff and look forward to working with all for the upcoming year if elected.

Steve Wolkin – Administrative/Legal Group Coordinator:

Bio: Steve Wolkin has served as Administrative/Legal Group Coordinator for two years. Previously, he served as Chairman of the Grievance Committee for three years. Steve is currently a trustee of the Shaker Figure Skating Club and is the President of the Board of Directors of the Greater Cleveland Council of Figure Skating Clubs. He has been an officer of the Shaker Figure Skating Club, the Garfield Figure Skating Club, Tri-States Council of Figure Skating Clubs, and the Greater Cleveland Council of Figure Skating Clubs. Steve is currently the Vice President of the Tri- States Council of Figure Skating Clubs for Ohio.

Steve has two daughters who have been actively involved in figure skating since they were young children. They both are involved in synchronized skating. The oldest is a coach in San Francisco and will attend Synchronized Skating Nationals with her teams this year. Steve’s youngest daughter skates on an Adult level synchronized skating team and will also attend Nationals this year.

Steve is a test judge and a senior level synchronized skating competition judge. He is a Sectional Referee for Synchronized Skating. He has been an attorney practicing in the family law area for 40 years in Cleveland, Ohio. Steve resides in Fairview Park, Ohio with his wife Connie to whom he has been married since 1976.

Statement of Purpose: The purpose of the Administrative/Legal Group Coordinator of U.S. Figure Skating is to oversee the Group 4 Committee Groups and provide feedback to the Board of Directors concerning those Committees and also to provide feedback from the Board of Directors to the Committees. The Administrative/Legal Group Coordinator provides direction to the Committees and consolidates budget requests to the Treasurer and assists Committee Chairs in selecting Members of the Committees.

All Group Coordinators provide input to the Vice Presidents to allow them to communicate major activities and issues to their respective Sections. The Admin/Legal Group Coordinator supports the transition to the successor when their term is completed. Annual evaluations are provided by the Admin/Legal Group Coordinator and they develop annual goals and objectives. The Admin/Legal Group Coordinator assists in standardizing the activities and communications of Group 4 Committees and provides input and suggestions to the Board of Directors, other Group Coordinators and Committees of U.S. Figure Skating.

Lorrie Parker – Athlete Services Group Coordinator:

Bio: Lorrie Parker is a double gold medalist and a former competitor in both singles and pairs. She has been a U.S. Figure Skating judge for more than 30 years, currently serving as an ISU singles/pairs judge, a regional technical controller and a sectional data/video operator. She was the team manager and technical advisor for singles and pairs at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and has served as team leader for many international competitions, including the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships, World Figure Skating Championships and the inaugural World Team Trophy. She was also the technical representative for the 2005 North American Challenge Skate in Overland Park, Kansas. Parker has served on numerous U.S. Figure Skating committees. She is the outgoing chair of Selections and a past chair of the International Committee. She has been a judge education trainer (JET) at national, junior national, sectional, regional and non-qualifying competitions and has participated with the Team 2006, 2010 and 2014 novice training programs at the U.S. Championships. She has also served as an official at many Champs Camps and Pair Camps. Parker has served on the Kansas City FSC (KCFSC) Board of Directors for many years and was vice president for quite a few. As a member of the KCFSC board, Parker helped start and has been involved each year with Skate Kansas City. Parker has a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Oklahoma State University, is married and has two grown children. She relocated to the East five years ago due to her husband’s job and currently resides in New Jersey.

Statement of Purpose: As Athlete Services Group Coordinator, I will have the pleasure of working with the chairs of the Athlete Development, Athletes’ Advisory, Coaches, International, Memorial Fund, and Sport Science and Medicine Committees. Communication is key to this role and establishing a good working relationship with each of them is a top priority. It is my responsibility to mentor the Chairs to help them achieve their goals and objectives as well as listen to their needs. I will relay each committee’s activities and requests to the board and provide the committee chairs with feedback from the board. I plan to work diligently alongside these chairs to stay within our approved budgets and help build our athletes from the grass roots up to those winning the most medals internationally to achieve the goals of US Figure Skating.

Alan Wolf– Membership Development Group Coordinator:

Bio: Alan Wolf is honored to have been selected to serve on the Board of Directors as the Membership Development Group Coordinator. Wolf was a long time club Board Member, having served as a club President from 1999-2014. Wolf became involved in figure skating as a skating parent of his daughter, Chloe Wolf, who along with her partner Rhys Ainsworth were the 2008 Novice Ice Dance Champions. He was co-chair of the 2005 New England Regional Figure Skating Championships in Falmouth, Maine and the 2009 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Portland, Maine. Wolf has served four terms as the chair of the Membership Committee and served two terms as the Eastern Sectional Vice Chair of Membership. He also served as a member of the Safesport Subcommittee and the Strategic Planning Committee. During the past year, he has worked with the Business Development Specialists to roll out Learn To Skate USA. Wolf has presented at several USFS Club Education Seminars and Webinars in topics ranging from Club Governance to Financial Oversight to Parent Education. He has also been involved with many non-profit organizations and is currently a Board Member of the Family Ice Center and President/Director of the Linda Tallen and David Paul Kane Educational and Research (cancer) Foundation in Beverly Hills, CA. Wolf is an attorney in private practice in Maine.

Statement of Purpose: Membership is the foundation of every organization and a strong foundation is the key to the success of US Figure Skating. As an organization we must continue to build a strong membership base. In order to build this base we

must work with our clubs to help them increase membership, retain members and run a successful business. We must also work to expand and build our various programs. The critical issue that always needs to be addressed by the Membership Development Group Coordinator is how to increase membership, both at the club level and at the Learn To Skate USA level. Intertwined in this issue is how to work with the committees in the Membership Development Group in order to help them meet their mission and goals while supporting the overall goals of the organization.

As the Group Coordinator, I envision working on the following areas to address the critical issues and help strengthen our organization:

1. In order to increase membership at the club level, we need to educate the leadership and develop new tools for clubs to use. We need to work with the committees in order to reach out to our clubs and develop materials and programs to address their needs. We have done a great job the last few years using committee members as our eyes and ears on the ground, but we should strive to be even more visible. 2. In order to keep the positive momentum and continue to grow membership, we need to continue to utilize the business development specialists who travelled across the country to roll out Learn To Skate USA. The Learn To Skate USA program is incredible and has increased our membership numbers. The business development specialists are members of the Learn To Skate subcommittee and are invested in growing the program. We must continue to use the information provided to us by the specialists to work with headquarters and the committees to make sure that the Learn To Skate USA program continues to address the needs of the clubs, programs and rinks. 3. In order to utilize the committees and the members to the best of our ability, we need to let members know that they are an important part of the. We need to encourage our committee chairs to reach out to their members and get their opinions. Having members participate in decision making is important for the organization and also strengthens our volunteer base, which in turn develops future leaders at the local and national level. 4. In order to strengthen and grow our organization, we need to have our committees work together. Our committees all have each have at least one of the same goals – increase membership and program numbers. There is an untapped opportunity for the committee chairs under the Membership Development Group to work together. We can all learn from each other and we need to increase the collaboration among the committees.

Rick Perez – Technical Group Coordinator:

Bio: Rick serves on the following committees for US Figure Skating: Technical Panel Committee as Chair; International Judges & Officials Committee as Member; Referees Education Subcommittee as Member; Competition Committee Regional Vice Chair of Central Pacific; Synchronized Skating Competition Subcommittee as Member; and Synchronized Skating Competition Sectional Vice Chair of Pacific Coast. Rick has served as the Technical Panel Committee Sectional Vice Chair of Pacific Coast for four years until four years ago, then later became the Chair. He’s the current President of the Peninsula Skating Club in San Jose, CA which is first club he joined (through mergers) 49 years ago. In the past 12 months, he as officiated at 34 skating competitions in various capacities including as chief referee. He can serve as a judge, referee, and any of technical panel positions for Singles, Pairs, or Synchro. He is an ISU Synchro judge. He has judged over 3,000 figure skating tests. He started skating in the late 60’s in a little ice rink in Sunnyvale, CA, where Brian Boitano also started shortly after. Rick trained with Alex McGowan, then later with Evy and Mary Scotvold at the Wagon Wheel, in Rockton, IL. He competed in three US Nationals from 1974 to 1978 and was the 1972 Intermediate Pacific Coast Champion. Rick skated primarily in singles, and skated a couple years in pairs. In the early 80’s Rick skated on an Adult Precision Team for fun where one of the members of the team, a skating judge, encouraged him to become a judge for US Figure Skating. Rick has been judging for 31 years and has been a referee for 28 years.

Statement of Purpose: I’ve been involved with figure skating for almost 50 years starting as a competitive skater then later as a skating official. I have served on many US Figure Skating committees and have officiated at competitions within every region of the country including Alaska and Hawaii. I believe my past experience in serving on many positions within the Judges, Competitions, and Technical Panel Committees will be beneficial to serving as the Technical Group Coordinator. I’m currently the Chair of the Technical Panel Committee and work with an excellent group of knowledgeable and talented people who share my passion for our sport. I’m fortunate to be involved with multiple disciplines, singles, pairs, and synchronized team skating. I enjoy being involved at all levels of competition from this year judging at a Basic Skills competition to serving as a technical team captain at US Nationals in Kansas City and serving as a referee at US Synchro Nationals in Rockford, Il. I know how much work goes into a club hosting competitions and skating events as a current president of a skating club. A decade ago, after 24 years, I took advantage of an early retirement from Hewlett-Packard Company where I worked as an Operations Manager in a data center, allowing me the opportunity to be more involved in figure skating. I’m involved with figure skating to promote and encourage others to be involved in our sport for as long as possible and in any capacity. My involvement with so many committees will be helpful in our efforts for a more productive realignment moving forward. Thank you for your consideration to serve on the Board of Directors of US Figure Skating as Technical Group Coordinator. Also on my agenda for 2017 is to examine what changes need to take place for our synchronized skating calendar in anticipation for this discipline to be accepted as an Olympic event in 2022.

I am excited to be able to continue with this position and look forward to new projects and sharing ideas with others.

Kirsten Miller-Zisholz – Coaching Member:

Bio: Kirsten Miller-Zisholz has been a figure skating coach in Lansing, Michigan since 1990. She has coached skaters through their Gold Medals in the USFS test structure in figures, freestyle and dance. She holds her own Gold medal in Figures, Freestyle and Dance. Currently her coaching focus is on singles. Kirsten has her Professional Skating Association (PSA) Master Rating in Moves in the Field and Freestyle, as well as her Level V Ranking. She has coached medalists at the Regional, Sectional, National, and International levels. Kirsten currently serves on the PSA Board of Directors and the USFS Coaches Committee. As a former Skating Director, mother of a skater, and a coach of all levels from beginner through Senior, she brings knowledge and experience from many different points of view to the USFS Board.

Statement of Purpose: As coaching member to the Board of the USFS, I would like to help increase the popularity of figure skating across the United States. To do this, I believe we need to find ways to get our youth interested in skating at an earlier age. It is important to hook young skaters as early as possible in our sport. Learn to Skate can be a great starting point but often the skater does not progress quickly enough or with good enough instruction to retain their interest. We need to foster the love of the sport by making it fun while they learn and getting them involved in shows and competitions early in their development. Creative coaching, affordability, quality rental skates, and better communication of the long-term benefits of figure skating will help the future of the sport. Parental support is key at this level. They need to see the skater improve and be educated early and often in the progression progress. They need to understand the steps involved in moving from recreational to private instruction and we need to make this transition easier and more affordable. Reaching out to news organizations in all areas regarding the success of their local skaters at the Learn to Skate, Regional, Sectional and National level. We need to make figure skating more visible in the communities through newspapers (sports page), social media, TV, etc. Encourage facilities to use their private skaters to exhibition and make appearances at Learn to Skate classes in costume as well as malls, other sporting events, etc. Another important issue facing the sport of figure skating is finding ways to keep skaters in the sport longer. As a current coach, former skater, mother of a skater, and skating director, I see a large number of skaters quit early in

their careers before attaining all of their skating goals, such as senior level tests. When the skater/parent believe they do not have the ability to become a national level or elite skater, they leave the sport to start focusing on other activities. Parents often question continuing in a sport that they believe has no future for their child. As skaters reach middle school/high school, they begin to focus on increasing the extracurricular activities needed for college acceptance. It would be beneficial to advocate for college Admission offices to weigh the time commitment, dedication, and value of figure skating when considering college applications. It would also be important to continue to develop the high school and college programs with the hopes of being able to offer scholarship opportunities in the future.

Tammy Gambill – Coaching Member:

Bio: It is an honor to be nominated for coach representative for the Board of Directors . I have been a coach in California for over 30 years. I have developed skaters from beginners to National, Jr. World, World and Olympic level. I have previously served on the Board of Directors and also as Coaches Chair. I currently serve on many committees for USFigure Skating. I am also Master Rated in Freestyle through PSA.

Statement of Purpose: I hope to use my knowledge and experience to help USFS and our coaches to reach it's highest potential. I believe we can make our organization stronger from grass roots to elite athletes.

Nominating Committee Committee Chair Bios and Statements of Purpose

Lori Fussell – Adult Skating Chair:

Bio: Lori Fussell fell in love with figure skating as an adult over 25 years ago. Since then, she has actively pursued her passion both on and off the ice. On the ice, she has passed the Adult Gold FS, Novice MIF and Bronze Dance tests, has competed at the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships eleven times, National Showcase three times and the ISU International Adult Competition once. Active in leadership locally and nationally, she is completing her first term as Adult Skating Committee Chair and has served on the committee for a total of 9 years. She holds judging appointments for National Showcase, Regional S/P (competition), Gold S/P (test), and Bronze dance (test). Locally, Fussell has served her clubs as Chairman of the Board, Competition Vice-Chair (including four qualifying competitions), Referee, Secretary, Membership Chair, Webmaster, Show Director, Trial Judge Chair, Skating School Director, Grant Writer and Fundraising Chair. Outside of skating, Fussell is a retired engineer and maintains an Airline Transport Pilot’s License, volunteering as a pilot for several charitable organizations.

Statement of Purpose: I am honored to be selected to serve a second term as Chair of the Adult Skating Committee. In this role, I will continue to nurture and support the expansion of our vibrant and diverse family of adult figure skaters in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating population. I will function as an advocate for our community while aiming to provide meaningful on-ice events for a lifetime.

I will continue to work with focus on the following goals: • Maintain the unique culture of the U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships as both the premier competitive event and annual ‘family’ reunion. • Create and encourage the creation of programs to increase participation in the Adult Sectional Figure Skating Championships and to increase their financial viability. • Generate and encourage the development of programs and policies that will help to facilitate a cultural shift that places a high value on longevity in the sport of figure skating. • Create and encourage the creation of new events and program opportunities focused on former standard track skaters, lower/non-test level adult skaters, recreational adult skaters, and non-skating adults who will enjoy skating for fitness. • Support U.S. Figure Skating’s Strategic Plan and its goals for membership growth and retention. • Standardize adult rules with the other U.S. Figure Skating disciplines and programs, when applicable. • Encourage the advancement of programs designed to help adult skaters prevent, reduce, and recover from injuries. I look forward to working together with U.S. Figure Skating’s staff, volunteer leaders, committees, clubs and members to foster the bright future ahead of us all. Adults Skate Too!

Stefanie Mathewson – Athlete Development Chair:

Bio: Stefanie Mathewson has been involved in figure skating since 1978. She has served the sport in a number of capacities. Most recently, she served as Chair of the Athlete Development Committee. She also sits on the Referee Education and Training Sub-Committee and collaborated to draft the handbook for non-qualifying referees. Stefanie is the current president of the All Year FSC and is the SafeSport Compliance Chair of the Club. She is an International Singles and Pairs Judge, National Singles and Pairs Referee, National Singles Technical Controller, National Singles Technical Specialist, National Data Operator and National Video Replay Operator. Additionally, she is a Sectional Technical Controller in Pairs. Stefanie also serves US Figure Skating as a Team Leader for Junior and Senior Grand Prix events as well as for the Novice and Junior Challenge Skate. She has served as faculty for numerous athlete, parent, coaches and judges seminars. As a competitor, she was Swiss National Champion in 1987 and 1988. She competed at the International, European, World and Olympic levels. She is a public school teacher in Santa Monica and a professor at California State University at Northridge. She lives in Northridge with her husband and two children. Stefanie looks forward to enthusiastically continuing to serve the sport of figure skating and is honored that she is being considered to continue as Chair of the Athlete Development Committee. She is grateful for your support!

Statement of Purpose: I am honored to be considered to continue in the position of Chair of Athlete Development. The Athlete Development Committee is fortunate to have positive working relationships with US Figure Skating and other committees that result in programs that have meaningful and lasting impact on developing athletes in the United States, as well as their coaches and parents. Many programs will continue in the coming years and these programs will be evaluated and refined each season as new initiatives are developed as well. Much was accomplished this year in educating our athletes with respect to off-ice warm-up routines. ADC will work to continue to develop awareness and expand this program to include cool-down routines and assist the athletes and coaches to personalize their warm-ups and cool-downs to meet the athlete’s specific training and body styles. We will continue to research effective methods for off-ice training programs to augment on-ice work. These are critical pieces for our developmental athletes. If our athletes maintain consistent off-ice training programs, the effect of limited ice time overseas may be diminished. ADC, in collaboration with US Figure Skating, works hard to develop a number of camps for our developing athletes across all the disciplines. We reflect on each program and strive to refine each camp annually to increase its effectiveness, relevance and rigor.

In collaboration with the Singles and Pairs discipline groups, ADC has examined the Program Components at the developmental levels and has proposed changes to target the specific objectives of increasing speed and power in young athletes during critical growth and developmental windows. If this initiative is approved at this year’s Governing Council, we are positioned to work closely with the Coaches, Competitions and Judges Committees to streamline education and implementation. Athlete education will take place at our various camps and we continue to explore the feasibility of using social media to educate and involve our athletes in such initiatives. As Chair, trust that I will work tirelessly on behalf of athletes and their education in the sport of figure skating. Thank you for considering the above.

Suna Murray – Coaches Chair:

Bio: Suna Murray is a dedicated skating coach with over 40 years of experience. She has worked with students of all levels, including World and International competitors, adult skaters, beginners, and even hockey players hoping to improve their basic skating skills. Suna is also a mother of two former skaters—Kylie Gleason, a National Pair and Singles Competitor, and Hadley Gleason, a varsity college hockey player.

In addition to her extensive coaching experience, Suna has been a Board Member of The Skating Club of Boston , during which time she served as a delegate at the USFS Governing Council and Co-Chaired “The Skaters Ball”, a 100th Anniversary Celebration of the Club. She is also a National Singles Technical Specialist, a former member of the USFS Singles Committee and presently a member of USFS Coaches Committee.

Before turning to coaching, Suna was a successful competitor and student athlete. She was a member of the 1972 US Olympic Team and served as the Representative to the US Olympic Committee for the Athletes Advisory Council Figure Skating from 1973-1980. During this time, she participated in formulating USOC policy on organization and allocation of development funds, and alternative game plans for the boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics. She was the US Ladies Bronze Medalist and US World Team Member in 1971-72.

She earned a B.A. in Government and Economics from Harvard College, where she Chaired Harvard’s annual “An Evening with Champions” to raise money for the Jimmy Fund Cancer Center.

Statement of Purpose: The purpose of the coaches committee should be to have information easily accessible to all members of PSA. The PSA Area Reps have done an incredible job keeping members up to date with new USFS and IJS rule changes.

Keeping these lines of communication open as well as discussing ideas on how to grow our business is the key to success in our sport.

Suzanne Schlecht – Collegiate Program Chair:

Bio: Since starting as a club-level volunteer in 1999, Suzanne Schlecht now holds appointments as a National Accountant, a Level II Technical Accountant, and a NQ SyS data/video operator. She is the current Chair of the Collegiate Program. She served as National Vice Chair for Intercollegiate Skating, and a member of the Basic Skills Subcommittee. Within the Fond du Lac FSC — her home club — Suzanne has held positions on the board as vice president, test chair and board member. She has also chaired the Foot of the Lake Synchronized Skating Classic for the past eleven years, which includes three Junior World Selection Competitions. She is currently co-chair of the Wisconsin Basic Skills Series and maintains the website for the Wisconsin Figure Skating Council.

Suzanne is a certified public accountant who holds a bachelor degree in business administration from Mundelein College and a master of accounting science from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She is currently employed as an accountant at the University of Wisconsin –Madison in Auxiliary Operations Analysis. She is the parent of a skater who competed through college and is a strong proponent of the Collegiate Program.

Statement of Purpose: My goal is to work with various USFS committees and Membership Development to continue the growth of our Collegiate Program. I plan to promote awareness of collegiate skating to assist member retention past high school. My vision is to promote the positive aspects of continued participation in figure skating at the collegiate level as they relate to health, social and support benefits, academic success and a strong foundation for the skaters’ future careers. By encouraging skaters to continue through college, I believe they are more likely to stay involved as adults, not only at the grass roots level but represent a pool from which to recruit future officials. I plan on working to increase participation at Collegiate Championships by implementing a more robust promotional campaign.

Hal Marron – Competitions Chair:

Bio: Hal Marron has been proposed to serve as the chair of the Competitions Committee for 2017 -2018. Hal has had a lifelong experience with US Figure Skating competitive events through his participation as a skater, parent, judge, referee, technical panel member, organizer or club official. Hal currently serves as the Chair of the Competitions Committee. His past service has included serving as the Technical Group Coordinator, Singles Committee Chair, Athletes Advisory Committee Chair, and Pacific Coast Vice President. He has also served in leadership roles for the organization and execution of international, national, sectional, regional, and non-qualifying competitive events.

Statement of Purpose: The Competitions Committee is currently made up of over 125 individual volunteers who oversee the conduct of competitive events in the United States. This is one of the largest and most diverse committees within the Association. However, in addition to the committee members there is also a required interaction with other programs such as Basic Skills, Collegiate Skating, Therapeutic Skating, Solo Dance, and Theatrical Skating to incorporate these program guidelines into the competitive fabric across the nation. In addition, this committee requires a large amount of resources from headquarters to coordinate the officials, program guidelines, equipment, and software necessary to conduct all of our events. The chair of the committee is responsible for facilitating a framework of communication between the various disciplines and programs. During the past year the Committee has worked diligently to review aspects of our competition structure and formulate adjustments to that structure to better serve our clubs and athletes.

Philipp Rey – Dance Chair:

Bio: Philipp Rey is the current Midwestern Sectional Vice Chair of the Dance Committee. He is a former national and international competitor in ice dance. He completed his gold medal tests in moves in the field and dance. Rey has been an official since 2007 and is an international dance technical specialist, a national video operator, a regional data operator, a sectional dance judge and a non-qual singles and pairs judge.

At the grassroots level he is very active in judging club competitions and test sessions. Rey is a gold test judge in all disciplines (ice dance with international certification, singles and pairs, and moves in the field). Since 2012 he has been on the faculty for the National Dance Camp held in Laurel, Maryland during the Chesapeake Open in cooperation with the Dance Development Subcommittee, the Dance Committee, and the Athlete Development

Committee. The camp is an integral part to the ice dance program and usually has fifty to sixty competitive ice dance couples in attendance.

He coached competitive figure skaters (USFSA) and recreational skaters (ISI) for fifteen years. Rey started university in Fort Worth, Texas at TCU and finished in Newark, Delaware at UD, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He lives with his wife, Danielle Rey, in Colleyville, Texas.

Statement of Purpose: It is an honor to be nominated as Dance Chair. I look to build on the success that our junior and senior teams have brought. I will monitor the requirements for all of our dance levels to prepare the young ice dancers for international competitions at the junior and senior level. The key point requirements for juvenile and intermediate have really provided a boost to the ice dancers’ technique and I will explore other avenues to further develop this. Our juvenile dance teams are very strong and will provide a pipeline of future champions. This season at the Midwestern Sectional Championships in Strongsville, Ohio there were 14 dance teams competing!

As Dance Chair I will continue to build on our strong foundation that has been developed over many years. I look forward to working with my committee to overcome any and all obstacles and strengthen our ice dance program.

Alison Hershberger Filo – Ethics Chair:

Bio: Alison is a National Singles and Pairs judge and a non-qualifying technical controller. In her non-skating life, she is a Deputy District Attorney in Northern California. Although she has worked in many divisions within the office, she spent seven years on the child sexual assault team and successfully prosecuted the first “failure to report child abuse” case in the State of California.

Statement of Purpose: The goal of this Chair is to resolve conflicts short of a formal complaint whenever possible. When it is not possible, formal complaints should continue to be processed according to the procedures described in the Rules. To date, those processes and procedures have proved efficient.

As the Chair of the Ethics Committee, I have questioned the need for an actual “committee.” I can find nothing in the Rulebook that suggests that the committee members serve any function other than to be used as panelists in the event of a hearing on a formal complaint. Although the Chair of the Committee may (and has) been called on to serve as the grievant in a formal complaint, the committee members play no role and members of the grievance committee could easily serve as the panelists for all formal hearings. It is something to consider as the organization looks for ways to streamline. Partly because there is no real interaction between the committee members and the Chair, as well as my short time in the position, I have yet to identify a potential successor. I will look for suitable replacements if my tenure is to continue.

Karen Perreault – Grievance Chair:

Bio: Karen Perreault is a National Singles and Pairs judge, a Sectional Singles Technical Controller and Specialist, and an International Team Leader. She has held several administrative positions within U.S. Figure Skating, including: Chair of the Grievance Committee, Chair of the Ethics Committee, Chair of the SafeSport SubCommittee, Vice Chair of JETs, RVC (Competitions) and SVC (Judges). In her own skating career, Karen was a triple gold medalist (figures, freestyle and moves in the field) and was three-time U.S. National Competitor. Professionally, Karen is a Professor in the Department Criminal Justice at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. She holds a

doctorate in Criminology from Cambridge University and conducts extensive research on sexual offending and victimization, particularly abuse of children in an institutional setting.

Statement of Purpose: The purpose of the Grievance Committee is to promote the prompt and effective resolution of grievances involving members of U.S. Figure Skating. In order to accomplish this purpose, the Chair of the Grievance Committee must be in constant communication with various Committee and Club Chairs including (but not limited to): The Administrative/Legal Group Coordinator; the Ethics Committee Chair; the SafeSport Subcommittee Chair; and Club representatives, especially those serving in a SafeSport capacity. Additionally, the Grievance Committee should work in cooperation with the PSA to ensure a safe, appropriate resolution to grievances involving individuals who hold joint membership in both organizations. Together, these individuals can help to determine whether formal actions should be taken, or whether matters can be resolved through informal conflict resolution processes. The Chair of the Grievance Committee should be able to guide club officers and other individuals on both the informal and formal processes.

Having held the positions of Grievance Chair (2016-2017), Ethics Chair (2009 – 2013) and SafeSport Chair (2013 – 2016), I am familiar with the ethical guidelines of U.S. Figure Skating, the grievance process, the importance of a timely resolution to grievances, and the sensitive nature of many grievances. I would welcome the opportunity to serve as the Chair of the Grievance Committee for a second year, which I view as a critical role in this organization.

Robbie Rosenbluth – International Committee Chair:

Bio: Over the last 15 years, Robbie has been very active with our international skaters, having judged two World Championships, one Jr. Worlds and four Four Continents and three Grand Prix Finals, culminating with Judging the Ladies Event at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. He has also served as Referee at one Jr. Worlds, three Four Continents and the Grand Prix Final. He has been on the International Committee for four years as a member, and most recently, Midwestern Representative for Singles.

Statement of Purpose: The overall purpose of the International Committee will be to utilize the resources available to the committee in the manner most likely to increase the medal count of Team USA. The committee will work in discipline groups, each lead by a chair, to allow for a thorough and detailed approach to determining which skaters are admitted into the ISP. These groups will also determine which skaters will be assigned to which international competition. The key is determining the best use of our resources for the long term success of Team USA.

Peggy Graham – International Judges & Officials Chair:

Bio: Peggy Graham is a double gold medalist in Figures and Free Skating and a former singles competitor at regionals and sectionals. She began judging over 35 years ago and is currently an ISU judge for singles and pairs, a National Referee and a regional technical controller. She served as the Chief Referee for the US Championships in St. Paul in 2016.

Peggy has served on numerous committees for US Figure Skating over the years and is presently the Vice Chair of the Singles Discipline Group of the International Committee and the Vice Chair for Domestic Selections of the Selections Committee, as well as being a member of several other committees.

Peggy graduated from Smith College with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and received her law degree from The Boston University School of Law. She practiced civil litigation with Gibson Dunn and Crutcher for many years and then became a Senior Attorney for AT&T. She happily “retired” from law upon the birth of her first child. She has served on many non-profit boards primarily related to education. She is married and has three teenage daughters and lives in Denver, Colorado.

Statement of Purpose: This position requires exceptional organizational skills, interpersonal skills and an ability to listen and balance the input of the various members. I will keep records required to maintain, evaluate and recommend appointments, promotions, demotions and removals of International and ISU officials. This will require closely monitoring officials' activity ensuring they have the assignments necessary to maintain and pursue International and ISU appointments where appropriate. I will also communicate with International/ISU officials regarding rule updates, feedback and evaluations and facilitate training and seminar attendance required by the ISU for ISU/International judges, referees and technical officials.

Kevin Rosenstein – Judges Chair:

Bio: Kevin has been involved with skating for almost 40 years as competitor and official. As a competitor, Kevin skated Pairs with his sister, competing at the Novice and Junior levels. Kevin is a Pairs Gold medalist and tested through his Seventh Figure Test and Junior Freestyle Test.

After retiring from competitive skating, Kevin began judging, earning his first appointment over 30 years ago. He is currently an International Singles and Pairs Judge, Regional Referee for Singles and Pairs, Regional Controller and Technical Specialist for Singles, and NQ Controller for Pairs.

Kevin has served in a number of different roles within the Association, including acting a National Vice Chair of Judges Education and Training and as a member of the Judges, Singles, Pairs, Nominating, and Strategic Planning Committees.

Kevin holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Stanford University. He is current a Principal in the consulting practice at Gensler, the world’s largest architecture firm and lives in Los Angeles with his partner, Jason Stermer.

Statement of Purpose: I believe that officials, generally, and judges, specifically, are a fundamental cohort of our sport. A judge plays a pivotal role in the assessment, evaluation, education, and support of our community of skaters. I believe that this role comes with great responsibility as outlined in our Judge’s Creed. In turn, I feel that the Association has a responsibility back to judges to provide continuing education, mentorship, feedback, support, and appreciation. I feel that the key role of the Judges Committee Chair is to oversee these activities through the encouragement and nurturing of new and experienced judges, provision of accessible and well- designed training, continuing a clear and transparent promotion process, improving standards and quality in our judging, and developing ways to acknowledge the countless hours spent by our volunteer judges in support of the sport.

My work with the rest of our incredible committee of dedicated volunteer will be to advance these positions to support our skaters and the overall advancement of our sport.

Patrick O’Neil – Membership Chair:

Bio: Patrick has over twenty years of coaching experience and has had the privilege of working with athletes of all ages and abilities, from the grassroots through national level. He holds his B.A. in Political Science and Public Administration from The American University, Washington, D.C. and his Masters in Social Work from Syracuse University. Patrick maintains his licensure as a Child and Family Therapist and has worked with children and families off the ice, in many capacities, over the years. With U.S. Figure Skating, he holds his gold medal in Freestyle and Dance,and is a Technical Specialist for the organization. He has actively participated in numerous committees including the Membership Committee, Parent Committee, Grievance Committee, and the SafeSport Committee. Patrick works closely with member clubs around the country on a variety of issues including bylaws and conflict resolution. He had the pleasure and responsibility of directing a large competitive program in the Midwest for thirteen years, and has extensive experience working with athletes and coaches, both domestically and internationally. He thoroughly enjoys conducting seminares with coaches on the “hows”and “whys” of teaching. With the Professional Skaters Association, Patrick has attained his Master Ratings in Freestyle and Moves in the Field, and dedicates his time as a ratings examiner for the PSA in those two disciplines. Additionally, Patrick enjoys participating on the Ratings Prep faculty. He is the Vice Chair of the Professional Standards Committee and a current Board Member of the PSA.

Statement of Purpose: Through the continued great work of the current Membership Chair, Alan Wolf and the Senior Director of Membership, Susi Wehrli, Membership is fortunate to be on solid footing. The Membership Department continues to have a successful rollout of LTS USA, and our Sectional Vice Chairs of Membership continue to provide a critical resource to clubs across the country.

Moving forward, my vision for Membership is as follows:

1. Continue to focus on programming that retains and grows our membership a. Work closely with and support Membership staff at headquarters b. Work closely with LTS USA Business Development Specialists to ensure they have the necessary tools for rolling out the LTS USA program. c. Work closely with Program Development on programs that benefit all levels of skating d. Continue to find areas of the country that require our LTS USA Workshop and provide the necessary programming

2. Continue with Club Education and Club Ed Plus Seminars a. Work with the Membership Dept. to identify areas of the country that can benefit from Club Education Seminars b. Identify interclubs/metro councils in the country that can afford to help offset the cost to bring club education to their area c. Run Club Ed Plus Workshops in markets that can support it

3. Continue to offer support to our members and member clubs on the wide range of issues they face in the current marketplace a. Offer support and guidance on how to utilize “best business practices” b. Continue outreach to clubs that need support 4. Explore options on providing stronger resources to help clubs through conflict resolution. a. A great deal of time is spent on conflict type issues by the Membership Department. Their focus is taken away from member retention and member programing.

b. We need to find ways to address the conflict within clubs with more interaction between and among other committees. Specifically, with grievance, SafeSport and ethics. 5. Explore establishing a Vice Chair position 6. Work collaboratively with the Professional Skaters Association to provide quality education to the grassroots coach 7. Reach out to clubs throughout the country to establish what their needs are and how best the Membership Department can serve their needs.

Kitty DeLio LaForte – Memorial Fund Chair:

Bio: Served as Vice Chair Memorial Fund for the past three years. Kitty has her US Figure Skating Gold Test Figures/Freestyle. Competed Pre-Juvenile thru Senior at Regionals and Sectionals. Skated as a principle performer with her sister Heidi DeLio Thibert for three years (shadow pair) with Ice Capades, as well as did chorus line and understudy work. Coached figure skating for 13 years (Basic Skills-Senior level skaters) prior to becoming a US Figure Skating Judge. Kitty has served as a US Figure Skating Judge since 1993 – currently is an International Singles/Pairs Judge, National Judge Single/Pairs & Theatre on Ice Judge, and Gold Test Judge Singles/Pairs. She is a Regional Referee and has served as Chief Referee for several non-qualifying competitions over the past 20 years. Kitty has served on the following US Figure Skating Committees: Judges, Selections, Competitions, Strategic Planning, Nominating, Competitions, International Pairs Discipline Group, Pairs Development Sub-Committee and Memorial Fund. Kitty has served as a Team Leader for US Figure Skating for 17 years various assignment locations. She has attended Governing Council as a delegate for Colorado Skating Club 18 years, and served on the Board of Colorado Skating Club since 1998 and currently serving as President. Kitty currently works full time for KUSA TV in Denver as Research Director (Sales Department) where she has been since 2006. She has her BSBA from University of Denver.

Statement of Purpose: As a member of Memorial Fund for the past 3 years I have assisted Bill Coyle with several of the Memorial Fund Events at Nationals and Governing Council. I believe the Chair of Memorial Fund is responsible for leadership in fund raising activities and programs to support the Memorial Fund with increasing donations to the Fund. As Chair I would also work with US Figure Skating Staff to administer the applications for eligible skaters as well as lead the evaluation process for the selection of scholarship awards. The Memorial Fund’s endowment earnings is used to help young talented skaters, our elite Olympic hopefuls with funds to help with training expenses. Qualified skaters can also apply for education academic tuition scholarships. I believe working on continued outreach to members and fans will result in additional donations to The Memorial Fund which will continue to help our athletes for years to come. If nominated and selected, I would happily serve as Memorial Fund Chair.

Whitney Gaynor – Pairs Chair:

Bio: Whitney Gaynor skated pairs competitively for 11 seasons, from the Preliminary through Senior levels. Since retiring from competition, she has served on the Pairs Committee as Vice-Chair for rules, the Technical Panel Committee as the Vice-Chair for Pairs Education, and the Athlete Development Committee as the Chair of the Pairs Development Subcommittee. Through this experience she has been involved in planning pair-focused programming as well as educating pair skaters, coaches, and officials at all levels. She is an ISU Pairs technical specialist, and International singles technical specialist, and a sectional singles and pairs judge.

Statement of Purpose: As chair of the Pairs Committee my overarching goal is to support the pairs community, including skaters, coaches, and officials, through fair and logical rules and progressions. Pairs, as a small and demanding discipline, has a set of unique challenges. My specific goals include increasing participation at all levels and preparing our athletes to be

internationally competitive as they reach the elite ranks. To accomplish these goals, the Pairs Committee is looking closely at the existing rules and requirements, working with the Tests Committee on a new test structure, and supporting the Athlete Development Committee with new programming efforts. Our committee is comprised of a large number of athletes, coaches, and officials, all of whom have valuable experience. Through ballots and surveys, we are able to gather new ideas and put forth initiatives that benefit the discipline as a whole.

Lydia Magill – Parents Chair:

Bio: Massachusetts native Lydia Magill grew up as a downhill and cross-country skier as well as a recreational "pond" skater through college. She graduated The Elms College and attended American International College's Graduate School of Business. Magill's professional career in Human Resources has focused on recruiting and talent acquisition management; she spent 11 years on the corporate side designing, implementing and leading cost effective and creative recruitment programs at the regional and national levels. Lydia has continued professionally as a consultant on engagements with 30 companies in the Boston area ranging from start-ups to the Fortune 10, building and refining their institutional hiring processes in accordance with the US Department of Labor. She is a sought after speaker with networking and professional groups.

Lydia's foray into figure skating began in March of 2002 when her five year old daughter expressed a desire to learn to skate after watching the Salt Lake City, Utah, Olympic Games. Since that introduction to The Skating Club of Boston, Lydia has maintained an active volunteer presence at non-qualifying competitions as well as regional, sectional, national, and world level events. She has served USFS for the past three years on the Parents Committee, currently at the committee's Chairman. She has been busy meeting with parents of both Basic Skills skaters and developmental skaters as an advisor and mentor at both non-qualifying and qualifying competitions and last season instituted a welcome letter from the committee to first time regional competitors across the country.

Statement of Purpose: For the 2017-2018 season, Lydia, with the continued support and input from the Parents Committee, expresses her desire to build from and continue the qualifying season's welcome letter program, to expand and promote the Parents Committee Facebook page as a means of engaging more parents and coaches in the sharing of important information around the health and well being of skaters in all disciplines and levels, and to review, refine, and rebuild the information currently available for parents in the Members section of the USFS website. Lydia also aims to add members to the committee representing the expansion and popularity of high school and intercollegiate teams.

Elise Preston – Program Development Chair:

Bio: Currently a member of The Skating Club of New York, Elise is wrapping up her 21st year as the Skating School and Program Director at the Wollman Rink in Central Park. During her tenure, she has cultivated one of US Figure Skating’s largest Basic Skills programs through thoughtful, innovative program design. Ever-focused on the changing needs of her coaches, skaters and parents, she has created a special community, unique among figure skating programs. Previously a member of the Basic Skills sub-committee, Elise is also a regular presenter at the NARCE Skating Director course. In 2010, she received an Award of Excellence from US Figure Skating for outstanding dedication to the growth and development of the Basic Skills Program.

Statement of Purpose: It is an honor to serve as Chair of the Program Development Committee. I look forward to continued collaboration with other committees and with US Figure Skating staff with the goal of strengthening existing program and

nurturing new ones focused on attracting more diverse populations of potential skaters, as well as supporting and retaining those who have already dedicated themselves to the sport.

Gerald Miele – Rules Chair:

Bio: Gerald Miele is a gold medalist and former national competitor in ice dance. He is a national judge and referee in dance and theater on ice, sectional singles and pairs judge and referee and sectional controller in dance and singles. He has served on numerous committees and currently is a member of the Competitions, Dance, Ethics, Judges and Theatrical Skating Committees and the Member Recognition Sub Committee. He has served as an athlete member, member, national chair, national vice chair, sectional vice chair and regional vice chair for many of those. He is a graduate from Providence College and Roger Williams University with a bachelor’s degree in History and Paralegal Studies. He currently is the business manager and senior litigation paralegal for Hanson Curran LLP, an insurance defense firm located in Providence, RI.

Statement of Purpose: My goals are to continue to work on the clarity of current rule book, to work with the other committees and our members to ensure the correctness and understandability of the proposals for our rulebook and to look to further our digital footprint. It is an honor to be selected by the Nominating Committee to serve as the chair of the Rules Committee and I look forward to serving the association. Lisa Erle – Sanctions and Eligibility Chair:

Bio: Lisa Erle began skating as a child – competing, participating in shows, and taking tests over an eleven year period. She was always interested in volunteering and participating in the organization of events, which she continues to do regularly for her club and interclub association. Lisa was also a volunteer at the 1996 U.S. Championships and a Committee Chair with the 2012 U.S. Championships, both held in San Jose, CA. Lisa is currently a National judge and referee. She is a member of the St. Moritz ISC and has served on their Board for 15 years, including terms as President, Vice President, and Treasurer during that time. Lisa is presently the chair of the Sanctions & Eligibility Committee as well as a member of the Adult Skating, Competitions, and Rules committees for U.S. Figure Skating.

Statement of Purpose: As Sanctions & Eligibility Committee Chair, I will continue the regular review of the rules and work with the Sectional Vice Chairs and others to see where rules may need to be clarified, updated or reorganized in order to make them as easy as possible to understand and follow. I will also continue the work to increase resources and education for the clubs, skaters, and coaches so that they know their responsibilities in ensuring the events they host or participate in are properly sanctioned.

Deveny Deck – Selections Chair:

Bio: Deveny Deck is a double gold medalist and a former competitor in singles and pairs. She and her partner were the 1985 U.S. National Junior Pair Champions and competed internationally as members of Team USA in senior pairs.

Deck has been a U.S. Figure Skating judge for over 25 years, currently serving as an ISU singles and pairs judge, an international technical controller, national specialist, and sectional referee. She has judged many international competitions including the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, the ISU Grand Prix Final, the ISU

Junior World Figure Skating Championships and the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. She has also been a team leader for Team USA at many international competitions.

Deck has served on numerous U.S. Figure Skating Committees including the Athletes Advisory Committee, Board of Directors as a Member-at-Large, and past Chair of the Pairs Committee. She has participated in judge education training (JETS) at national, sectional and regional competitions, and participated in several Team USA Champs Camps. Deck was a member of the Board of Directors for the 2003 ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Washington, DC , and currently serves on the Capitol Skating Fund that provides support to figure skaters in the Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC area.

She holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Detroit. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband and daughter.

Statement of Purpose:

It is an honor to be nominated to serve as Chair of the Selections Committee for U.S. Figure Skating. I will work with the committee to facilitate the selection of officials and support staff for all our domestic championship events and international competitions. It is imperative that we select our best officials and team support staff for U.S. Figure Skating and Team USA. I will strive to uphold high committee standards, and diligently manage the work of the committee to help achieve the strategic goals of U.S. Figure Skating.

Ann Barr – Singles Chair:

Bio: Skating has been my passion since I began skating as a five year old. I passed the USFSA, CFSA, and ISU gold figure and free skating tests and competed through the senior level. My coaching career has spanned thirty-five years and has included Regional through National podium finishes. I continue to coach on a consulting basis and mentor several coaches.

I have been a National Technical Specialist for ten years and a Team Leader for Team USA.

Statement of Purpose: It has been an honor and a privilege to have served as the Chair of Single Skating this past year. I feel my coaching and technical specialist background provide an additional perspective to the committee in both technically and developmentally. Serving as a Technical Specialist throughout the country, I see the needs of athletes from a coach and official’s perspective.

Many new rules and procedures were implemented the past few seasons which have pushed the development of our emerging skaters. I look forward to the continuing challenge and opportunity to contribute to the development of single skating in the United States.

John O’Connor – Special Olympics/Therapeutic Skating Chair:

Bio: John has been on the Chair of the Special Olympics/Therapeutic Committee since 2015. Born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, he has been judging for eighteen years and is a Sectional Judge and Referee. He is currently a financial analyst and holds a CPA license having worked previously in public accounting for KPMG. He graduated from Saint Joseph’s University as a dual major with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a bachelor’s degree in Information Systems. Later he graduated with honors from Villanova University with a Master’s degree in Theatre,

where he received a national award from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for dramaturgy and critical writing. He is also a member of AEA (Actor’s Equity Association) and Phi Kappa Phi.

Statement of Purpose: It would be an honor and privilege to continue as the chair of Special Olympics/Therapeutic Skating Chair. In coordination with USFS we will be rolling out a new badge program with the Basic Skills roll out on June 1. We would also like to roll out a new series of tests since the committee has reached a consensus that the last tests sanctioned seem to be more challenging and in many cases impossible for our special needs skaters to advance beyond the basic skills level. We are working to find a happy medium for skaters wishing to advance. Another item on the to do list is to open up more dialogues with the Special Olympics organization and to have them hopefully adopt many of our current rules. In reviewing the materials on many state Special Olympics programs, their guidebooks and regulations are often seriously out of date, some dated 2006 and not in compliance with many rules that the ISU has adopted in recent years, such as the use of vocal music. I would like to find ways of utilizing the technology in place at USFS that would better communicate with clubs and the members of the Special Olympics/Therapeutic Skating. I think if there is more awareness among the competitors of the opportunities to skate in non-qualifying competition, the more these skaters will remain active and perhaps encourage others to participate.

Ellen Geminiani – Sport Sciences & Medicine Chair:

Bio: Ellen Geminiani, MD has been a member of the Sports Science and Medicine Committee since 1995. After completing her family medicine residency and primary care sports medicine fellowship in 1991, she entered practice caring for family medicine and sports medicine patients in a practice of the Hershey Medical Center network in Pennsylvania. She served as team physician for local high schools as well as caring for many skaters as part of her practice until relocating to the Boston area in 2005. Currently she works at Boston Children’s Hospital in the Division of Sports Medicine as a practicing physician and faculty member. She has served as Team USA physician consistently since 1995 for both synchronized and singles, pairs and dance events as well as providing medical services for numerous local, qualifying, national and world skating events. As part of her practice, she provides care for local skaters in Southern New England and works closely with programs at the Skating Club of Boston, which was her home club as a young skater. Her skating credentials include U.S.F.S.A. Gold medalist in figures and freestyle, Pre-Gold dance level and Adult Eastern Dance Champion which assists her in the care of skating patients. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, Terry and twin girls age 16, Elise and Leanna and tries to get on the ice for fun and exercise whenever possible.

Statement of Purpose: It is a great honor and privilege to be nominated and considered to continue the position of Chair of Sports Science and Medicine Committee. Dr. Jen Burke has done an outstanding job in her tenure and I would plan to continue to develop the programs she has established.

I believe the purpose of our committee is to work to assist the skaters and coaches with training, injury prevention and management of injuries when needed. In order to accomplish this it is necessary to work closely with USFSA Headquarters staff, sports science & medicine committee members and other committees as appropriate. I share Dr. Burke’s vision of a collaborative effort. This collaboration needs to extend to the ongoing development and updating of the National provider network for our skaters. This should of course include all disciplines within sports medicine so our athletes have access to the providers they require to meet their needs.

Injury and illness prevention is important for any athlete. Continued development of injury surveillance can be most helpful in identifying potential risk factors for injury and then creating strategies for correction which often has the benefit of improved performance. The focus of the Fall summit meeting this year was on strategies for injury surveillance/ prevention and many excellent ideas were discussed and continue to be developed. Ongoing research in these areas is essential and should be encouraged. Enhanced knowledge can then be employed to improve or develop

programs for the skaters. Along with sports medicine staff at headquarters we will identify a core working group from the committee on this project.

Education for skaters, coaches and parents is another important aspect in sports medicine. Dissemination of information is a key element in education and requires a strong collaborative effort between committees and staff to be most effective. The STARS program is an excellent example of the types of programs that should continue to grow. Continued updates on information on the website are needed with plans for a working group to be established for this project.

Ensuring that the skaters have access to the best medical care possible should continue to be a priority. This can be accomplished through the National network and also with careful screening and selection of qualified personnel for travel with Team USA delegations. Careful review of feedback from the skaters and team staff is essential to this process.

Working closely with several members on the ongoing functions of the committee as well as new projects will allow a smooth transition for the next chair selection as my tenure concludes. A team/collaborative approach provides an environment where capable individuals can be identified and move towards additional responsibility.

Marc Weitzman – State Games Chair:

Bio: Marc is a triple gold medalist in figures, freestyle and moves in the field. He was a regional champion in singles and pairs as well as a Sectional Champion and National Medalist in pairs, with his sister, Lisa. They spent our career training in Lake Placid, NY; Montreal, QC; and Colorado Springs, CO.

Marc graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Business from Washington University in St. Louis majoring in Finance and Marketing with a minor in Psychology. He currently works as a Director of Marketing for a financial publishing and events company, Institutional Investor. In his current position, he oversees all marketing, sales and logistics for financial conferences and programs ranging from 200-1000 attendees.

Aside from his full-time work, Marc teaches skating in New York City and Westchester from the basic skills level all the way through senior skaters. He has coached at competitions from non-qualifying events through the US Championships. As a way to give back to the figure skating community, Marc serves as a technical specialist in singles and pairs and as data & video operator in over 10 competitions annually.

Statement of Purpose: I believe my corporate experience working in teams to produce large scale events coupled with my experience as a coach and official at the grassroots through elite levels of figure skating makes me uniquely positioned to aid in the growth and development of our sport.

I first attended the Empire State Games in 1990 as an athlete. In the 6 years I competed there, I always looked forward to this event as a great way to connect with old friends and make new ones while performing to the best of my ability in a casual atmosphere. With an opening ceremonies complete with a torch, the competition always had an atmosphere of fun while feeling inspiring that some of us were on a path to potential greatness. Having been back to the event several times as an official and a coach, in several states, I have been able to witness the same relaxed and inspired attitude shared by all the athletes. Skating is a great activity that can be done at all ages and abilities and

I am happy to help increase the popularity of our sport, keep people in the sport longer, and finding new avenues and programs for skaters who will not climb to the elite levels, but still have a passion for skating.

I would be interested in chairing the State Games committee to encourage, promote and expand this great program. I would be readily available to answer any questions from state games organizing committees and US Figure Skating.

In addition, I hope that I can work with clubs and rinks to increase the number of states that have a state games. Finally, I believe the State Games committee could work closely with, and help launch new initiatives from the program development committee.

Winston Burbank – Strategic Planning Chair:

Bio: I was a practicing attorney in the State of Alaska from 1977 to 2000. I was then a Judicial Officer for the State of Alaska Court System from 1999 to 2009. In 2009 I retired and conducted mediations throughout the State of Alaska.

Regarding USFS I was involved, prior to 2009, on the Sanctions and Eligibility Committee and the Ethics Committee. I was the Group Coordinator for Admin/Legal from 2009 to 2012. Starting in 2012, to the present, I became the Vice-Chairman of the Membership Committee. I was also appointed in 2012 to the Audit Committee and was elected its Chairman and have continued to serve in that capacity to the present. Lastly, in 2014 I became Chairperson of the Strategic Planning Committee.

Statement of Purpose: The immediate purpose for the Strategic Planning Committee is to continue the project it commenced this last year to evaluate the committees of USFS. This past year we prepared a survey and disseminated it to all of the current and past Group Coordinators and Committee Chairpersons. We are currently in the process of evaluating the information and will hopefully advise the Board of Directors with our preliminary findings by May 2016. We will then seek to gather additional information and feedback and further refine our findings during this year. It is our hope that by Governing Council 2017 we will be able to put forth rule changes in accordance with those findings.

Lisa Marsocci – Synchronized Skating Chair:

Bio: Lisa Marsocci has been involved in Synchronized Skating since 1994, first as an athlete and now in her tenth season as an official and first as Chair for the Synchronized Skating Committee. Prior to chairing the Synchronized Skating Committee, Lisa served as the National Vice Chair of the Synchronized Skating Athlete Development Subcommittee for two years. Lisa is National Synchronized Skating Technical Specialist and Judge as well as a Sectional Synchronized Skating Controller. She has officiated at five National Championships and four World Junior Team Selection Competitions. She has competed and holds national titles in the Juvenile, Novice, Junior and Senior divisions and began representing the country internationally in 1997, including three visits to the Senior World Synchronized Skating Championships. She is a double Gold USFS test medalist in MIF and Dance, in addition to passing three international dances. Lisa grew up skating with the Warwick Figure Skating club in Warwick, Rhode Island followed by joining Miami University’s Senior team for four years. Other notable achievements include participation in the first Junior World Challenge Cup in 2001 and being featured with the Munchkins Novice team on the back of the Team Cheerios box in 1998. Upon retiring from competitive skating in 2006, Lisa moved to New York City where she works full time in software product development, managing digital platforms worldwide for Fortune 50 companies. Though no longer skating, she has enjoyed the transition from athlete to official and

committee member as it allows her to continue growing, learning with and contributing to the sport with which she grew up.

Statement of Purpose: Synchronized Skating has consistently been a dominant influence in my life. It has taught me how to adapt to change, set goals for myself, make decisions and be a part of a team. I’m able to correlate back the majority of my academia and professional successes to the skills learned from my time figure skating and as part of Synchronized Skating. Staying involved with Synchronized Skating as an official and committee member continues to contribute to my personal growth. What inspires me most is our opportunity to leverage changes at our doorstep, improving the athlete experience.

One of these opportunities has been on the horizon for some time. The concept of becoming an Olympic discipline has existed since, and likely even before I joined the sport. As an athlete, this concept is highly motivating – I believe this is true regardless of whether your individual path includes aspirations to compete at the highest level. The discipline has made marked progress towards Olympic inclusion and the momentum exponentially increases as we near 2022 as our next opportunity.

What is special about this momentum is the self-reflection required of the discipline – attention is upon us more than ever. There is opportunity, and also pressure, to make the discipline more dynamic, exciting and to develop participation into an increasingly competitive and thriving pipeline. Experiencing the discipline as an official and committee member has given me broad perspective on developmental necessities we must apply early and consistently.

As Chair of the Synchronized Skating Committee, my focus would be on leading rule changes to support the ADC and SMS committees, ultimately to empower the US to be seen as a world leader in preparing the discipline for Olympic inclusion. I am honored to be considered for this position at such a unique juncture in the sports history. Libby Scanlan – Technical Panel Chair:

Bio: As a competitive skater I trained at the Wagon Wheel in Rockton, IL under the direction of Slavka Kohout, and later in Edina, MN with Eleanor Fisher. During this time I competed in Upper Great Lakes, Midwestern, and the US Championships. After retiring from competition, I earned a bachelors degree at St Xavier University in Chicago where I also coached competitive figure skating for over 35 years. My students competed in Regional, Sectional, US Championship and Junior International events. From 1984 until 1992 I took a time-out from serious competitive coaching while raising our four children. During this time I took a position as the Oak Park Park District Figure Skating Director and developed a “Learn to Skate’ program, and directed the Park District’s annual ice show. After this I returned to competitive coaching, and In 2006 participated in the first Technical Panel Seminar in Dallas, TX where I became certified as a singles national technical specialist, and later as a national data operator and NQ pairs technical specialist. I have been a member of the Singles Committee for the past 3 years, and the Technical Panel Committee since 2007where I have servied as Vice-Chair of Singles, National Vice Chair of Education, and currently as Vice Chair of Singles Technical Rules. After regaining my amateur status about five years ago, I attended judges school became certified as a gold test and moves in the field judge and a non-qual competition judge.

Statement of Purpose: The International Judging System provides the most fair and transparent process for evaluating skaters. For this system to work as intended, it is critical that technical officials stay informed of all the most up to date criteria and rules to ensure accuracy and consistency when identifying and assessing elements. To this end, it is important to continue to require all our technical officials to complete the Technical Panel Education Requirement (TPER) each year. This requirement includes an education course and rules review quiz for each discipline. In addition, Technical Panel Webinars have proved to be a very effective source for educating and updating our technical officials. As chair of the Technical Panel Committee, I would continue to co-ordinate these education tools and require all technical officials take part in both of these educational opportunities to maintain an active status. Another important objective

of the Technical Panel Committee is to provide fair and effective methods for technical panel certification and advancement. Since 2006 when the IJS was first implemented we have trained many officials in our country. In those first years there was an overwhelming need to certify officials in order to populate panels throughout the country. As the Technical Panel Committee enters the second decade, I believe a goal should be to develop a method to make sure officials already in place are making accurate decisions based on the most current rules and criteria when serving on panels. I would look to my committee to make recommendations as to how to implement this oversight. The integrity of the system requires this be a priority, and skaters at all levels of events deserve this. It is an honor to be nominated for this position. I have served on this committee since it’s inception and have had the privelege to work closely with each of our technical panel chairs. If chosen to serve as chair I am committed to maintaining an open communication with Coaches and all other pertinent committees while working to serve the best interest of all of our athletes.

Eric Hampton – Tests Chair:

Bio: Eric had his start in skating at the age of three, thanks to his parents who would pick him up from preschool on their lunch break for a little family exercise. From learn to skate classes, Eric continued through the test structure achieving the gold level in figures, freestyle, dance, MITF and some pairs. Eric competed in singles through junior and in figures through senior at the national level. Thanks to the former USFSA Collegiate Skating Institute program, Eric remained involved in the sport as a coach and as a judge. Since then, Eric has served as a U.S. Figure Skating judge for 26 years at many test sessions and nonqualifying/qualifying competitions and is currently an International Dance and National Singles & Pairs judge. Eric has served on various local and national committees and has been the chair of the Tests Committee for the past three years. Having a background as a skater/coach/judge, Eric feels very fortunate for the perspective this brings while serving in various roles in the sport.

Statement of Purpose: My goal as chair of the Tests Committee is to encourage the continued development of quality in our skaters. Emphasizing quality, right from the start, will help better prepare our skaters for achieving their next test level. Skaters with greater quality will have greater success throughout the test structure, and will be more likely to continue in the sport, which certainly benefits U.S. Figure Skating.

Our test structure emphasizes meeting an average standard to pass, yet I feel there's an opportunity for us to show our skaters that there is room beyond simply meeting the passing average. My goal is to recognize skaters who choose to do more than what is expected to just get by. A place for mastery and excellence exists in our test structure, and it would be beneficial for us to encourage, challenge, and recognize skaters who strive to achieve higher levels of quality.

Thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve as chair of the Tests Committee. Currently, the emphasis in our test structure is based upon meeting an average standard to pass; yet I feel there's an opportunity for us to encourage our skaters to do more than just enough to get by. My goal is to further enhance our test assessment/measurement for the purpose of encouraging and recognizing skaters who choose to do more than just what's expected. A place for mastery and excellence can exist in our developmental test structure. It would be beneficial for us to encourage, challenge, and recognize those skaters who strive to achieve higher levels of quality in tests.

Thank you for the opportunity to continue to serve as Chair of the Tests Committee.

John Cole – Theatrical Skating Chair:

Bio:

I have been involved as a figure skating official for over the past 24 years. I am a World Judge and Referee in Ice Dance, holding National Appointments as a Singles & Pairs Judge and Referee, Theatre On Ice Judge and Referee, Showcase Judge & Referee, Ice Dance Technical Controller and Technical Specialist, Data Operator and Video. I have been privileged to have served as chair of the Competition, Ice Dance, and Nominating Committees. In addition, I have served as a member on the Judges, Athlete Ice Dance Development (sub-committee), Selections, Technical Panel and Adult Skating Committees. I have served on the Board of Directors for my home club, the Baltimore Figure Skating Club during the past 20 years. I was a founding member of our successful annual club competition, the Chesapeake Open. I am one of three founding members of what has become a very successful U.S. Ice Dance Camp.

Statement of Purpose: My intention with both portions of Theatrical Skating, Theatre On Ice and Showcase, is to continue to assist both of these entertainment based endeavors as they continue to grow and flourish. One of the primary challenges ahead are to expose and encourage greater participation of judges. These disciplines need individuals who both understand the unique qualities found within them but also to be willing participants when called upon to judge. The second challenge is to review how we can use the IJS system as the primary form of evaluation. Answering all of the how,why, when questions will be a primary focus within the coming year.