Pickleball Magazine 5-3 WD | Page 11

2020 USAPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Phil Mortenson VICE CHAIRMAN Laura Patterson TREASURER Joe Santoro AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBERS AMBASSADORS Suzanne Guerin BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS & MARKETING Stacie Townsend MARKETING Bob Franceschelli MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS Robert Quicksilver RECREATION & WELLNESS Ernie Medina STRATEGIC PLANNING Philip Bullen STAFF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Justin Maloof MANAGING DIRECTOR OF COMPETITION Karen Parrish MANAGING DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS George Bauernfeind DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Linda Gartlan DIRECTOR OF RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS Hope Tolley DIRECTOR OF OFFICIATING Mark Peifer DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES Nikki Greene DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Dan Ellsworth DIRECTOR OF AMBASSADORS Claudia Fontana DIRECTOR OF EQUIPMENT STANDARDS Carl Schmits DIRECTOR OF EQUIPMENT COMPLIANCE Donn Paben By Phil Mortenson USAPA CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD MESSAGE New Opportunities Ahead All of us have experienced degrees of upheaval in our pickleball and personal lives as we try to cope with the coronavirus. We are confronted with swiftly changing information and proclamations and we are under considerably more stress than usual. I have been inspired by how the pickleball community has positively responded to this anxiety-creating global pandemic. Our USAPA board, staff and ambassadors are keeping very busy despite some logistical challenges. We focus on supporting our loyal members and meeting your needs while doing our best to give sound, current advice on the status of pickleball tournaments that had previously been scheduled and providing guidance on a possible safe return to pickleball play. We are actively monitoring and managing our current financial situation as best we can, given the uncertainty of timing and location throughout the country of a gradual return to “normalcy.” In the meantime, most of our sources of revenue have been significantly reduced or even temporarily halted, such as sanctioning fees, product sales, and the operation of the Indoor Nationals that has been postponed to 2021. We appreciate all of you who continue to support this sport with your membership renewals. During this forced hiatus, the staff has been hard at work creating a program that targets three key pickleball community audiences with added benefits for members, tournaments (including participants and directors), and the pickleball community. A very big thank you goes out to all of the USAPA sponsors who have stepped up in a big way to partner with us in providing significant, value-added benefits. Please visit our website to see all the participating sponsors and further details. We anticipate opening up pickleball play in phases, with different offerings and programs ramping up at different times and places. It is certain that there will be new government directives on how we manage based on social distancing and safety. We expect to see capacity limits. What will not change is this organization’s determination to be one of the best-managed sports organizations in the country—one that responds to its members’ needs and provides exceptional service to its members. My request of the pickleball community is that we pursue the highest measure of collegiality and kindness as we navigate these unpredictable times. Help each other. Collectively, let us be our best. The USAPA is here to help. We will work hard to support you during this COVID-19 emergency. Please let us know if you have any ideas we should consider. You can reach me at [email protected] and Executive Director Justin Maloof at [email protected]. JUNE/JULY 2020 | MAGAZINE 9