Not all Board candidates returned their responses by the deadline.

1. There have been no Board meeting minutes posted on the website since October of 2024. As a Board Member, what is your position on transparency into Board activity? Would you post Board minutes to the website?

Thom Denholm – Transparency is important for an organization, and I can assure you that there was no attempt to hide anything.

The previous procedure was for Member Services to take what was produced by the Secretary and email to the technical committee for posting. I didn’t realize that, so the best thing to do is refine and document the procedure. Anyone in the organization can ask if they want to see the minutes and they haven’t been posted.

Mike Opprecht – My position is that transparency is fundamental to building trust and accountability within our organization. Board meeting minutes should always be posted promptly and consistently so Members can stay informed about decisions, discussions, and priorities. If elected, I would advocate for a clear process to ensure minutes are uploaded after each meeting without delay, and I’d support making them easily accessible on the website for all members to review.

Todd Berger – Transparency is always positive in areas that affect the membership. I am in favor of sharing any information pertaining to subjects such as needed training, mentoring best practices, success stories, game fees and expenses, etc. I would approve having key dialogue that is board approved posted on the website for the membership to review.

2. The venue for the banquet has changed, moving from South Sound to North Sound. Additionally, the golf event appears to have stopped this year. As a Board Member, how would ensure such changes incorporate Member feedback before enacted?

Thom Denholm – The banquet venue has changed over the years, north and south. While this has not been done before, a poll could be taken of the membership. I believe final say should rest with the board.

Mike Opprecht – Member feedback should be a cornerstone of any decision that affects our community experience. As a Board Member, I would advocate for a clear communication process—such as surveys, open forums, or direct outreach—before making changes to major events like the banquet or golf outing. I believe in proactive planning, and I’d use tools like checklists and timelines to ensure we’re gathering input early and often. This way, we’re not just making decisions—we’re making informed decisions that reflect what our members actually want.

Golf attendance has fallen, despite reaching out to golfers of prior years. An early season poll for next year makes sense – golf, attend an Aquasox or Rainiers game, or something else perhaps? Then approach the board for any budgetary concerns.

Todd Berger – There are a number of key areas that must be evaluated when scheduling an event – the annual banquet and or golf outing. With regards to the banquet – Cost, Central Location, Menu, favorable room & facilities, etc. Having joined the group last year, I attended both the banquet and played golf in the tournament (and was part of the winning foursome, may I add, haha), I felt the banquet was a great event for all of us to get together, share stories on the season and introduce our spouses/partners to each other. I’d be in favor of moving it north and south periodically, but sometimes the best packages come from repeat commitments, so the decisions are made to have it in the same place. ON the golf outing side, as I mentioned, I played last year and we had a total of 8 players (2 foursomes), which disappointed me as I thought it would be at least 5 or more teams. I would support having a banquet/golf committee who would informally survey other members on where & when they would take place.

3. How would you work with your fellow Board Members to ensure all committees are functioning properly and completing their assigned duties? How would you work with Board Members who may not be fulfilling their duties?

Thom Denholm – All committees report to the board during each meeting, and this gives other board members an opportunity to keep an eye on things. That said, the timeline of activities is more tribal knowledge than documented. A board calendar might help keep us on task.

Mike Opprecht – I believe strong communication and accountability are key to ensuring committees stay on track. I’d advocate for regular check-ins and progress updates from each committee, and encourage a culture where Board Members support one another in meeting responsibilities. If someone isn’t fulfilling their duties, I’d approach the situation respectfully—starting with a conversation to understand any challenges they’re facing—and work together to find a solution that benefits the Board and the Membership.

Todd Berger – Open dialogue and communication. I would recommend committees for key areas that the Board is responsible for managing and the committee chairperson would take ownership on progress made and communicating results to the membership.

4. The promotion criteria are not clearly available to the Membership. What is your position on being completely transparent with Members on the specific criteria for moving up tiers and each Member’s readiness for promotion?

Thom Denholm – Numeric promotion criteria have changed over the years, yet the common element remains the same -umpires must be seen and evaluated by higher level umpires. The expectations for each tier are documented in training and on our website – https://nbua.net/members/training-materials/ Specific advice I would give is to keep working games and actively look for feedback from partners.

Mike Opprecht – Transparency around promotion criteria is essential for fairness and trust. I fully support making the criteria for tier advancement publicly available and easy to understand. Members deserve to know exactly what’s expected and how their progress is being evaluated. Clear guidelines empower umpires to take ownership of their development and help ensure consistency across the board.

Todd Berger – In my opinion, NBUA does an above average job in training, evaluating, mentoring and promoting umpires – regardless of their current level. In addition to the evaluation lead, I feel that surveying those umpires who have worked directly with those being considered for promotion is invaluable! I’m not sure how it’s exactly done currently, but believe that discussion from the feedback received on promotion candidates will better support the decision to promote if it’s across multiple instances and opinions. I would also be in favor of mid-year promotions, if warranted.

5. How will you ensure every umpire eligible for evaluation receives a complete and sufficient evaluation to determine if they are ready to move up a level?

Thom Denholm – This is a difficult question – as an organization, we need more umpires to work games AND perform evaluations, and the first item tends to take priority. We need to encourage injured umpires to continue to serve in an evaluation capacity. We already prioritize those evaluations for umpires that are “eligible”, and that may be the best we can do.

Mike Opprecht – To ensure every eligible umpire receives a thorough evaluation is the goal, I’d push for a structured and well-documented process that includes timely scheduling, feedback from multiple sources, and clear benchmarks. Evaluations should be consistent, constructive, and focused on growth.

Todd Berger – Again, with over 150+ umpires in the membership officiating multiple levels of games – it’s in our best interest to attract, train and retain those who are doing this for the right reasons! While there is responsibility across a few individuals to lead the discussion, I’d be in favor of increasing the number of people involved in these decisions to promote those seeking a higher rating.

Todd Berger

Hey everyone,
My name is Todd Berger, and I’d like to express my interest in joining the NBUA Board of Directors. I believe I can be a valuable resource to the membership, and I’d like to share a bit about why I feel that way.

I’ve been a “baseball guy” my whole life—from playing as a kid and through high school, to coaching my son and many young athletes. I’ve also served on my local little league board, including as Umpire in Chief (UIC), supporting over 1,000 players in our league each year. For the past 15 years, I’ve committed myself to umpiring at multiple levels of baseball and always possess a positive attitude & a smile on my face when taking the field.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with many of you on the field over the past few seasons and feel honored to be part of NBUA here in Washington. My philosophy is simple: have fun, keep learning every game, and share what I’ve learned with my partners in a constructive manner.

For those I’ve had the chance to call games with, you might remember how I end my plate meetings: “If you have a question on a call, please ask for time, wait until it’s given, and then go to the umpire you have the question for. If we need to get together, we will—we’re committed to hustling for you & the kids and WANT TO GET IT RIGHT! Let’s have some fun and have a great game!” Thanks so much for your friendship, I value the relationship that I’ve developed with many of you and I look forward to continuing to build on the reputation and legacy of NBUA with the leagues we are honored to serve!  BTW – the picture is of me and my 9 year old Australian Shepherd – Milo getting ready to do a 5K Beat the Bridge fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (JDF)!

Thom Denholm

Fellow Umpires,

Since being elected to the board in 2023, I now know just how much work goes on behind the scenes to keep all of our umpires happy and well paid on the field. I am prepared to take on another two years on your NBUA board of directors.

For those who don’t know me, I’m not yet retired – I work for a global software company. Part of that job is conducting technical training for people from many cultures, which translates well to helping explain both designated hitter and batting out of order. Additionally I serve as the secretary for the SD card association board of directors.

I joined NBUA in 1993 as a baseball fan with good rules knowledge but no concept of excellent officiating. Our comprehensive training and thought leadership statewide have taught me the craft of umpiring, and I continue to learn more each year.

If elected, I plan to train the next chair of the communications and member services committee, and will otherwise serve the board to my best ability.

I seek your vote, and am ready to respond to your candidate questions.

Terry Granillo

Fellow members,

It’s been my honor and privilege to serve you as a member of the Board of Directors. Our association continues to lead the state in quality of officials on the field, thanks to a consistent history of excellent training, umpire development, and recruiting and retention. I’m excited about what our board will look like next year, with the departure of two long-standing veteran board members, and the fourth such departure in the past two years. I look forward to the opportunity to work alongside new members to take NBUA into it’s next chapter.

If you choose to bring me back, I’ll continue to support our payment systems and commit to developing clear documentation in case I become unavailable. Right now, our assignor is our backup (as you recall he ran it for a few years), and we need more than that. I will also remain active in training and evaluation, doing my part to maintain and improve the quality and consistency of the product we put on the field.

That said, of course, if I don’t wind up on the next board of directors, you still have my commitment to transition the payment system smoothly, even if it means continuing to do it for some time.

Thanks for what you each do to support youth, young adult, and adult baseball in the Greater King County area.

Mike Opprecht

I would like to run for the board because I deeply care about the NBUA and want to support the organizations we support, high school baseball, PSSBL, and summer ball groups. I believe a strong board can make a lasting impact on our future. I joined the NBUA in 2011 and many of you know me from helping apprentice training the past 7 years. My goal is to help create a positive organization where we officiate games to the best of our ability and continue learning with every game. I bring energy, teamwork, sportsmanship, confidence, and collaborative spirt. I listen to all perspectives to make decisions that will in the best interest of our organization. By serving on the board, I hope to contribute to making/keeping NBUA the best umpire program in the state on and off the field.

If elected, I will work collaboratively with each of you to address the challenges and opportunities facing our association. I want to build on the great work that has already been done, focusing on initiatives that will enhance our training programs, support new officials, and strengthen communication across all levels of the NBUA. My goal is to ensure that our association continues to be a welcoming and supportive community where every official feels valued and empowered. I am passionate about the future of the NBUA, and I am confident that together, we can achieve great things. Thank you.

Radford “Reams” Goodloe (Candidate for Member Liaison position)

As the current Member Liaison, I have assisted members in bringing a number of items to the attention of various members of the board, and I have provided additional input on behalf of members where direct input to board members has already been started by members. And, I have assisted members in protecting their interests before the Board of Directors. With this experience, I would be honored to continue to provide such services to NBUA members.

Importantly, as the Member Liaison, I have been able to bring many items to the attention of appropriate Board Members, and on occasion to the Assignor, to express the members’ view of difficult situations or seemingly unfair situations, or to give voice to the frustration that various members have experienced with certain events, policies, disciplinary procedures, and assignments (or lack thereof). And, when members have so requested, concerns have been effectively raised on an anonymous basis – a procedure which is protected by the NBUA procedures.

Through my experience as a member since 2004, I know the bumps in the road that can be experienced while working your way up through the association, and thus I understand many of the frustrating situations that members sometimes encounter. Thus, I am able to effectively advocate on your behalf with individual board members, or before the Board as a whole, for explanations, adjustments, and changes which members believe appropriate, given a particular policy or individual situation.