I am excited and energized to work collectively to grow our sport and cannot wait to begin this path together.

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1 Nominating Committee BOD Candidate Bios and Statements of Purpose Anne Cammett President: Anne has been actively involved in figure skating from a very early age; she began skating on the ponds of Minnesota as a toddler and has been involved ever since. For the past three years Anne has served as Eastern Vice President; prior positions include chair of the Judges, the International Judges & Officials, and the International committees. Over the past 30 years Anne has served on numerous additional committees in various capacities providing a depth of knowledge regarding our association. She is a Singles & Pairs National and ISU Judge and Referee. Highlights as an official include serving as Chief Referee at the 2018 San Jose and the 2011 Greensboro U.S. Nationals and as the U.S. Pair Judge at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She also enjoys judging and refereeing many non-qualifying competitions and local test sessions each season. Anne is a gold medalist in Figures and Freestyle and competed in both Singles and Dance. She has co-chaired non-qualifying competitions and served on two club boards. She has attended numerous Governing Councils as a club delegate and is a member of the Genesee Figure Skating Club. Anne works for a global manufacturing company and resides in Rush, a small town near Rochester, New York. She and her husband, Greg have two children, a daughter in high school and a son currently attending graduate school in nearby Buffalo. Anne enjoys skating recreationally as time permits. It is an honor and privilege to be selected by our Nominating Committee as the next president of U.S. Figure Skating. Serving as Chief Referee of our U.S. Nationals in San Jose in January and judging Learn to Skate events locally in February makes me acutely aware of the vast range of athletes we serve; from those just beginning their figure skating journey to those that are highly skilled athletes progressing to the uppermost levels of our sport. It also highlights the countless hours our volunteers give to enrich all our athletes lives and athletic endeavors. My vision for U.S. Figure Skating is to continue to develop and build on the programs we offer to our nation; to attract and retain members who see a program which fits their needs, lifestyle, abilities, and time commitments. We need a strong bridge program which serves as the conduit from Learn to Skate to developing stronger skating skills and retaining new members who find a place for themselves in our programs and activities. We need to continue to support our clubs with educational material to help them grow and assist them with introducing skaters to the different disciplines and programs within our association. It is critical we continue to find new and innovative ways to increase our brand visibility to introduce and retain new members to U.S. Figure Skating. We have a wellconstructed Strategic Plan to help guide us in achieving these goals. It is vital we maintain a safe environment for athletes so they are free to learn, grow and develop their skills and sense of community. We must continue to stay at the forefront of educating our membership and ensure that every club understands and implements SafeSport policies and procedures. On the international level we must continue to retain our position as a leader in the international skating community while accelerating programs we recently launched to make our athletes more competitive internationally. New development programs and strategies are in process and critical to our future success but it is obvious we need to fast-track our thinking in original and innovative ways to regain our presence on global podiums. I am excited and energized to work collectively to grow our sport and cannot wait to begin this path together. Lainie DeMore Midwestern and First Vice President: 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

2 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 fourth 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. 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, retain and grow our membership. Clubs are the foundation of U.S. Figure Skating and their members provide a substantial portion of the annual revenue that allows for funding of programs at all levels, which in turn benefits the athletes, 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. I was honored to be chosen as the chair of the Strategic Planning working group which updated the Strategic Plan for My focus will be on seeing the goals and objectives of the seven focus areas are implemented as well as to ensure this very vital planning process continues each year. 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. I look forward to collaborating with the Board, Headquarters staff, clubs and members in the coming year. Heather Nemier Eastern and Third Vice President: Heather is currently finishing her fifth term as secretary of U.S. Figure Skating. While on the Board of Directors, she has worked on numerous working groups of the board. She also serves as the liaison for the Technical Group of U.S. Figure Skating where she helps manage the Technical Info pages on the website. Previously, Nemier served as chair of the Rules Committee for four years. She 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.

3 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 the 2010 U.S. Collegiate Figure Skating Championships, as well as assistant referee and judge at numerous regional, sectional and national 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 non-qualifying competitions, including the 2017 South Atlantic Regional Championships, 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 and teaches kindergarten in a local elementary school. If elected to the position of Eastern vice president, 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 see the role of vice president as being the eyes and ears of the section they represent. I pledge to make myself available on numerous platforms to the members of the Eastern section and to be their voice on the Board of Directors. 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 other 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 and especially the Eastern section. 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 the success of the association. Maintaining membership is an issue both on the national and local level and would be a priority of mine if elected. I also strongly believe in skating as a life sport and would work to continue to provide opportunities for skating to all ages and demographic groups. Financial stability is important to the continued viability of the association, I would work with the stakeholders, clubs and committees to continue our strong fiscal position. 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 association as needed. 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. Sharon Watson Pacific Coast and Second Vice President: Sharon fell in love with the sport of figure skating when she began skating 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 over 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 Pacific Coast Vice President these past 3 years, Secretary for 4 years, 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 27 years. On the local level, Sharon has served as President of the Southern California Inter-Club Association and President of the Pasadena FSC and has been a club board member since She has also served

4 on the LOC for the 2018 and 2013 Adult Pacific Coast Sectional Championships, 2011 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and 1991 U.S. Olympic Festival. Professionally, until she 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. 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 three years, I ve greatly appreciated getting to know and work with club leaders throughout the Pacific Coast section through our monthly conference calls, local competitions, and other ways of connecting. I plan to continue 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. In addition, during this coming year, I will work on moving forward those Board initiatives that are adopted at this year s Governing Council, such as the realignment of U.S. Figure Skating committees, the re-shaping of its qualifying competition structure and nominating committee process and the launch of its strategic plan for this next quadrennial. Several of these initiatives should lead to enhanced communication, decision-making and improved functioning while others are geared to better prepare athletes to reach their goals. The strategic plan is designed to positively affect those already involved in our sport--our athletes, parents, coaches, officials, clubs and rinks--and attract thousands more to our figure skating community. The ideas generated so far are thoughtful, insightful and farreaching and should be even further enhanced as the implementation process begins and the details are worked out across our committees over the next four years. I have every confidence that, together, we can better attract and retain a growing membership base with a passion for our sport while developing a deep pipeline of champions on and off the ice. I am very proud of our Association and its many accomplishments and I look forward to being a part of its continuing achievements during Gretchen Bonnie Secretary: Gretchen is from Columbus, Ohio and a member of the Columbus Figure Skating Club. She has most recently served on the Board of Directors as the Administrative/Legal Group Coordinator. Gretchen has previously chaired the Grievance and Nominating Committees and currently serves on several committees. She is a National Singles and Pairs Judge. The duties of the secretary are largely administrative and explicitly spelled out in the bylaws and rules. These duties will need to be performed in a timely and professional manner. I also believe that the secretary should be a contributing member to the Board of Directors by serving on any ad hoc committees as requested, be familiar with all rules and bylaws of the organization, be a resource for accessing the rules and bylaws quickly and always being a supportive and positive representation of U.S. Figure Skating. Troy Goldstein Treasurer:

5 I bring over 17 years of experience in the financial industry across three major financial centers in NYC, Switzerland and London. In addition, I hold a Bachelor of Business Administration Finance Management, a Juris Doctorate of Law and am a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute at Wharton University. I am currently the Executive Director of National Accounts at ProFunds/ProShares (a top financial asset management firm). Prior to ProShares, I have held multiple roles domestically and internationally with UBS AG/Financial Services (a top financial firm) including Head of European Distribution, Head of US Sales for multiple product units, International Locations Business Development, and Financial Advisor. My involvement in USFS began during my time as an Athlete. I was a proud member of the AAC and an Athlete Board Member while having a pretty successful competitive career. My skating accomplishments include USFS Gold Medals in Figures, Freeskating, Pairs, Dance and Freedance; being a US National competitor for eight consecutive years at the Junior and Senior levels; winning the Silver Singles Medal at Skate Canada International and two Pair Bronze Medals at World University Games. In addition, I have the distinction of being the only skater to compete at the US Nationals in all Four Championship level events two years in a row winning a Silver and Bronze medal. Post-skating, I have continued to be deeply involved with giving back to the sport within the governance of the Association, my local Club, and internationally. Financially, I have served two Treasurers with a six-year tenure on the Finance Committee and served as Vice-President and Interim President of the USFS Foundation. In addition, I have served as a USFS Board Member, Pairs Committee Chair, and a member of the Memorial Fund Committee along with countless other committees. Locally, I have served as Vice President of the Skating Club of NY for more than 12 years. Internationally, I have served as Technical Specialist for the 2014 Olympic Games, multiple World Championships, Four Continents, Europeans, Grand Prix and Junior Grand Prix events in Singles and Pairs. With the use of fiscal responsibility, sound controls and oversight management, the Treasurer should not only focus on the day-to day functions of supervising the finances of US Figure Skating, but also support programs to enhance membership growth, branding initiatives, budget stability, the strategic direction of the Association and, of course, medals. It is imperative that the Treasurer not only deliver a balanced budget but also ensure a goal-oriented, accountable budgetary process through partnership with the Headquarters CFO/Executive Director, as well as guiding our Group Coordinators and Committee Chairs. It is essential to explore new, innovative sources of revenue while focusing on cost controls and financial stability in order to safeguard a healthy growing Association that can support the needs of our members and our future goals. In addition, as we move forward, I believe that there is a need for regular transparent reporting regarding the general financial health of the Association to enhance the trust of the entire Board. My multi-discipline domestic and international skating experience, as well as working closely with the USFS CFO and the entire headquarters team during my six years as a member of the Finance Committee, three years as Pairs Chair, and in the multitude of other Association roles and responsibilities, will allow me to hit the ground running and have a smooth transition. Lorrie Parker Athlete Services Group Coordinator: 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 over 32 years, is currently an I.S.U. judge for singles and pairs, a sectional technical controller and a sectional data/video operator. She was the Team Manager and Technical Advisor for Singles and Pairs at the 2010 Winter Olympics 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. Lorrie recently served as a judge for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang and has judged Worlds, World Juniors, Four Continents and the Grand Prix Final along with many other international, national, sectional, regional and nonqualifying competitions and many tests. She was also the technical representative for the 2005 North American Challenge Skate in Overland Park, KS. Parker has served on numerous US Figure Skating committees. She is currently serving on the US Figure Skating Board of Directors as the Group Coordinator for Athlete Services. Prior to this, she was the Chair of Selections and is also the past chair of the International Committee. She has been a JET (Judges Education Trainer) at national, junior national, sectional and regional competitions and has participated with the Team 2006, 2010 and 2014 novice training programs at the U.S. Championships and has also participated in

6 Champs Camp for our Grand Prix Athletes for many years. Parker has served on the Kansas City Figure Skating Club Board of Directors since 1995 and was Vice President for a number of years. As a member of the KCFSC Board, Parker helped start and has been involved each year with Skate Kansas City. Parker has a B.S. degree in Health and Physical Education from Oklahoma State University, is married and has two grown children and a daughter in law. She currently resides in New Jersey. As Athlete Services Group Coordinator, I 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 continuing a good working relationship with the returning chairs and establishing a good one with those who are new to their positions is a top priority. It is my responsibility to mentor the Chairs and 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 for TEAM USA to achieve the goals of U.S. Figure Skating. Alan Wolf Membership Development Group Coordinator: Alan Wolf is honored to have been selected to serve a second term 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 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 served four terms as the chair of the Membership Committee and 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. As the past chair of the Membership Committee, he worked with the Business Development Specialists to roll out Learn To Skate USA. Wolf has presented at more than thirty 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. 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. If our committee members can continue to be visible and meet with our members then we will have the ability to answer the needs of our membership and provide them the assistance to be successful. 2. Learn To Skate USA s membership numbers in January 2018 were the highest monthly total in the history of our organization. In order to keep the positive momentum and continue to grow membership, we will continue to utilize the business development specialists who connect with programs around the country. We must continue to use the information provided to us by the specialists to work with headquarters and the

7 committees to make sure that the Learn To Skate USA program continues to address the needs of the clubs, programs and rinks. 3. We need to continue to develop future leaders at the local and national level and strengthen our volunteer base. We are a member run organization and we must utilize the committees and the members to the best of our ability and let members know that they are an important part of the organization. We need to encourage our committee chairs to reach out to their members and get their opinions as they are the life blood of our organization. 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: Rick currently serves on the Board of Directors of U.S. Figure Skating as the Technical Group Coordinator. He previously served in the following U.S. Figure Skating positions: 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) 50 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 32 years and has been a referee for 29 years. I ve been involved with figure skating for 50 years starting as a competitive skater then later as a skating official. I have served on many U.S. 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 serving my first year on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Figure Skating as the Technical Group Coordinator. Previously, I was 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 Chief Referee at the 2018 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships in Portland, Oregon. I know how much work is required for clubs hosting competitions and skating

8 events as the 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 U.S. Figure Skating as Technical Group Coordinator. Karen Terry Perreault Administrative/Legal Group Coordinator: Karen Terry Perreault has been a member of U.S. Figure Skating for over 40 years, during which time she has been a skater, coach, judge, technical controller, specialist, team leader, and volunteer within the organization. She is a triple gold medalist (Moves in the Field, Figures and Free skating, with a Pre-Gold in Dance) and was a three-time National Competitor. She became a National Singles and Pairs judge in 2002 and also began serving as an International Team Leader that year. Since 2000, she has held approximately a dozen different committee positions in U.S. Figure Skating and has served as Chair of Ethics ( ), SafeSport ( ), Grievance (2016- present) and Vice Chair of JETS ( ). Karen is a member of the Skating Club of New York and has served on its Board since Professionally, Karen holds a PhD in Criminology and is a Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. The role of the Admin/Legal Group Coordinator has two primary responsibilities: to advise and assist the committee chairs for which the coordinator has oversight, and to be a contributing member of the Board of Directors. The Admin/Legal Group Coordinator currently oversees nine committees, and I have served as Chair of three of these committees Ethics, Grievance, and SafeSport (prior to it being a standalone committee). In these various roles I have worked closely with the past three Admin/Legal Group Coordinators and have gained valuable insight into the position and understand the nature, scope and urgency of the matters that fall within this role. Many of these matters are sensitive in nature and must be addressed with confidentiality and discretion. My roles as Ethics and Grievance Committee Chairs, as well as my professional background, have prepared me to deal with a variety of sensitive issues and to understand how to respond appropriately to allegations that arise. Tammy Gambill Coaching Member: 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 U.S. Figure Skating. I am also Master Rated in Freestyle through PSA. I hope to use my knowledge and experience to help USFS and our coaches to reach its highest potential. I believe we can make our organization stronger from grass roots to elite athletes.

9 Kirsten Miller-Zisholz Coaching Member: Kirsten Miller-Zisholz has been a figure skating coach in Lansing, Michigan since She has coached skaters through their Gold Medals in the U.S. Figure Skating 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 U.S. Figure Skating 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 U.S. Figure Skating Board. As coaching member to the Board of the U.S. Figure Skating, 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. Lainie DeMore President: Other Candidates (pursuant to NCR 4.05 (G)) Bios and Statements of Purpose 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.

10 Figure Skating, on various committees and as Membership Development Group Coordinator. She is completing her fourth 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. While I can talk about MY vision for U.S. Figure Skating, it s really not about me it s about the skating community the members and the various constituencies, the stakeholders, the clubs and their leadership, coaches at all levels, skaters and athletes - what is THEIR vision for U.S. Figure Skating? In June 2017, I was appointed to be chair of the 13-person working group tasked with updating the U.S. Figure Skating Strategic Plan for the next quadrennial. This was an opportunity I welcomed as it was a chance to work together with the various skating constituencies to look to the future what would U.S. Figure Skating look like in 2022 and what would be needed to make that vision a reality. It was also a chance to review plans from the past and build upon their identified strengths and expectations. The Strategic Plan for clearly lays out the vision, values and strategic goals for the association. I believe my vision should embrace the plan s vision the plan that was created with input from the U.S. Figure Skating members and which was the vision detailed in the Strategic Plan adopted by the Board in February The complete detailed plan is available on the Members Only website. The seven areas of focus and their goals are: Focus Area Membership growth and retention Athlete development and athlete programs Technology Governance and Finance Officials SafeSport Brand awareness Strategic Goal A solid and growing membership base Support all athletes in reaching their goals and maximizing their potential A current, functional, integrated and flexible technology platform An integrated and agile governance structure with a solid financial base A deep pool of well-trained officials across the U.S. to support U.S. Figure Skating tests and competitions The ongoing preventive measures to protect members of U.S. Figure Skating against misconduct, abuse and harassment A strong overall brand awareness All of these areas are articulated with a specific goal and multiple measurable objectives. This is not to say the goals and objectives cannot change; the Strategic Planning cycle is a dynamic continuing process that is done every year to measure progress, confirm milestones and change or add items as needed/required. Many of the objectives in the Strategic Plan build upon current initiatives bringing them to completion in the coming quad. This includes the Competition Task Force, the Committee Realignment Project, the EMS project and the review of the Nominating Committee structure and process by an outside consulting firm. My vision is about implementing the plan and measuring success in to order become a stronger organization that better serves our clubs and members as well as those we want to become a part of a community with a lifelong passion for the sport of skating, whether as a casual follower, a potential official or leader, or a world class athlete who started in Learn to Skate USA. I fully support the process that was done to create these goals and objectives as well as the ongoing education and communication that will be needed to socialize/communicate how the plan was created, what steps are needed to

11 move forward with implementation and together, what role the members take in order to achieve - NO - to EXCEED the objectives. I have confidence that ALL the objectives will be achieved in the next quad that the vision and goals articulated in 2017 will be overwhelmingly successful; that as President, I will have a major part in leading the organization to exceed these goals, leaving the organization more resilient, financially stable and with a growing membership base as well as successes on the world podiums and in the international governance arena. I firmly believe that the success for any vision is collaboration among all the constituencies of an organization. A collaboration of the U. S. Figure Skating Board, Committees, Clubs, Members and Headquarters Staff all working together, can move the organization, its clubs and members forward to a larger, stronger, more engaging Association that reaches from the grassroots, to the podiums on U.S. soil and in the international arena to the world podiums. Thank you for the opportunity to present my/our vision for U.S. Figure Skating. And thank you for your support and your vote.