By-Law Updates and New Board of Governors Voted Upon at USEA Annual Meeting of Members
While the highlight of this year’s USEA Annual Meeting of Members was William Fox-Pitt’s moving keynote speech about coming back from his accident and the horses that shaped his career, the meeting is always the cornerstone of the USEA Convention. The Annual Meeting gives the Board of Governors the opportunity to report on the past year to the USEA as a whole and conduct important Association business.
Once a quorum was established by USEA Secretary, Tink Eichell, the meeting was called to order and Diane Pitts gave her last report as President of the USEA as she handed the reins over to Carol Kozlowski, who was voted in as the new USEA President later in the meeting.
USEA Treasurer and VP of Administration and Finance, Morley Thompson, Jr. reported on the financial health of the Association which is in a very healthy state.
In addition to Diane, the Association also said farewell to six other members of the Board: Sarah Broussard, Tremaine Cooper, Phyllis Dawson, Peter Gray, Mark Hart and Janet Horton. Diane also recognized outgoing Area Chairs: Kaiti Saunders (II), Jane Barron (III) and Christine Murphy (X) as well as USEA Foundation Trustee, Jerome Broussard.
Following the farewells, the agenda turned to voting on by-laws as well as electing new members of the Board of Governors. Proxies had been mailed out to all members of the USEA and these were added into the in-person votes which were cast at the meeting. Two by-law changes were voted upon and passed:
Motion to change the Article 6 (Committees) by adding a new #6 and #7.
#6 shall read: At any committee meeting, one-third of the committee members then in office shall constitute a quorum.
#7 shall read: When a quorum is present at any meeting, a majority of the votes cast shall decide any question unless otherwise provided by law, the Articles of Organization or these By-Laws.
The nominees for the Board of Governors were then voted into office. The new members of the Board are:
Area II - Morgan Rowsell, Three-year Term
Area VII - Janis Linnan, Three-year Term
Area X - Alice Sarno, Three-year Term
At-large – Darrin Mollett, Two-year Term
At-large – Jerry Schurink, Three-year Term
At-large – Max Corcoran, Three-year Term
At-large – Dr. Jennifer Miller, Three-year Term
Three new trustees were also elected to the USEA Foundation Board all for three-year terms: Mark Hart, Diane Pitts and Jacqueline Mars.
Voting on the new Board of Governors. USEA/Leslie Mintz Photo
The Board of Governors (including the newly elected members) took a brief recess and nominated a slate of officers which were then voted into by the entire membership. The 2017 Executive Committee of the Board of Governors is:
Carol Kozlowski: President
Tink Eichell: Secretary
Morley Thompson, Jr.: Treasurer/ VP Administration and Finance
Mary Coldren: VP Safety
Leslie Law: VP Active Athletes
Jonathan Elliott: VP Competitions
Debra Dealcuaz: VP Area Affairs
Dawn Robbins: VP Membership & Program Development
Jerry Schurink: VP Education
Carol Kozlowski then gave some of her history, expressed her excitement for her upcoming term and adjourned her first meeting as President of the USEA.
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