2018 Beal Responses

2018 Christie Responses

2018 Coy Responses

2018 Margeson Responses

2018 Smith Responses

2018 VonJouanne Responses

Candidate Statement – Ron Beal

                              

Dear Umpire Brothers

It has been my honor to be an umpire in the NBUA for the last 9 years.  I am running for the NBUA Board this year to serve as your representative. I want to have an open ear to the Association. 

I was the NBUA Rookie of the Year in 2009 & was promoted to B tier in my 2nd year. I umpired in AZ and GA for 9 years before joining the outstanding NBUA. 

I would use my extensive experience to represent your interests on the Board. I also offer my business experience as a Manager in dispatch for the Matheus Lumber company in Woodinville. 

I will do my best to make sure the NBUA remains the Premier Umpire organization in the Northwest.  

Candidate Statement – Allen Christie

   

It is hard to believe I’ve been on the Board of Directors for five years but it has been a quick, interesting and challenging five years.  In each year, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in many discussions on a wide variety of issues and make decisions to keep NBUA healthy and prosperous.  There is rarely an easy answer to most issues but through thoughtful consideration of the facts, I feel your current board has acted in the best interest of the association and the membership. The times are constantly changing and it takes people with flexible thinking and a willingness to adapt to keep this organization at the top while holding true to its core beliefs and methods.  I have a strong sense of history (context) and a desire to make things better (content).

During the last five years I have actively contributed my time and energy to the Recruiting and Retention Committee (2014-2016), Election Committee (2015 and 2017), Training Staff (2015-current), Evaluation Staff (2012-current), and have served as the Secretary for the last four years.  Last year was a particularly challenging year as the association dealt with a financial dilemma with a customer.  Instead of taking a hard line with the customer that some people endorsed, your board worked in the best interests of the association to resolve the issue and come out of the ordeal in better shape.  I am proud of my contributions to this solution and proud of the way I executed my responsibilities to arrange for and moderate a respectful special meeting of the association.  I have a good grasp of how things work in this association yet I am open to new ideas, not afraid to take on new work, adapt my thoughts to the times and change my ways of doing things as necessary.

When I ran several years ago, I stated that I wanted to maintain the good work of previous directors and improve the functionality of our umpire association.  I think I have done that and, if re-elected, I will continue to do so.   I value the friendships I have with other members of NBUA and I care a lot about the health and well-being of the association.  With your vote, I hopefully will be able to continue to serve you and ensure the health and vitality of NBUA.

Candidate Statement – Gary Coy

       

I’m running for election to the NBUA board of directors because I believe YOU (The Membership), deserve better than what you have recieved over the past several years from your board and to give you a choice.

Candidate Statement – Hank Margeson 

       

In considering whether to run for another term to serve the membership on the Board of Directors, a sitting member should ponder whether they’ve contributed to the betterment of the association or held it back.  I think it is safe to say the past couple years have been eventful and while the ride has been bumpy at times, in the end the association has moved forward and the general membership is better for it.

We were able to navigate a very challenging fiscal situation as a result of a major business partner’s failure to remit payment in full.  Rather than panic and burn bridges in an effort to collect what we were owed, we instead forged a better working relationship while holding them accountable to pay us off with interest.  A difficult lesson to learn, but from the abyss we grew professionally as an association.  We now have contracts in place with all of our large business partners, many other smaller partners and collect in advance from every other customer.  Slowly but surely the NBUA is achieving a paradigm shift while also extracting higher game fees for our members.

I am especially proud of the implementation of the dynamic weekend surcharge in 2018 as well as the significant increases in game fees paid to members for higher intensity competitive games.  Looking forward, if reelected, by goal will be to ensure that our contract extension with Puget Sound Senior Baseball includes significant game fee adjustments, reflective of the level of skills required to manage those contests.

Finally, one other goal I had for the past term was to ensure that the Board memorialized the multitude of informal tasks and duties carried out over the course of a year.  This was a prime reason I sought an outside process audit of the Board, our Accountant and the Association.  Upon receipt of the auditor’s report, I led by example in documenting the processes for how to complete the annual High School Regionals and Finals recommendations to the WOA and I drafted the inaugural Assignor responsibilities document that was recently incorporated into the Policies and Procedures update.

Over the next two years, my goals will be to continue to professionalize this association at all levels, creatively recruit and train outstanding new umpires, foster a sense of camaraderie to increase our membership, make it easier for members to access their increased earnings, identify and challenge the next generation of NBUA leadership, and elevate the stature of the NBUA in District 2 as well as within the WOA.  Wearing the NBUA cap is an accomplishment and we should all be proud to represent our association.  I would be honored to continue to represent you as a member of the NBUA Board in 2019-2020.

Candidate Statement – Earl Smith

                                                                                         

Hello fellow NBUA officials,

I have considered volunteering on our Board for a few seasons now. In 2018 I was invited to participate in our membership evaluation process. I look forward to continuing with maturing into that role. We know that sports officials are becoming the precious few. We are facing both recruitment and retention challenges. Part of our passion for officiating is to see how far our efforts can take us, and to what level. I have used my evaluations as a motivation and they have helped me mature. The officials who took the time over the years to share constructive criticism have helped in that process and it is my intent to give back to the association. If we don’t give back, there may be a day when there isn’t anyone to give back to. I hope to continue to play a role in the evaluation process, and would like to say thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully, 

Candidate Statement – Henry VonJouanne

I am honored to be considered for an NBUA Board of Director position.  I believe the NBUA is a great organization – perhaps one of the best such associations in the country – and it is filled with great people.  I am proud of our association and the quality of the product we place on the field.  As an NBUA official, I am proud to know that I walk onto the field with a partner who loves the game, loves to officiate, wants to be there, and wants to improve. 

My goal as a Board Member is simple:  to fully and enthusiastically support the NBUA mission.  That is, “We deliver the highest quality service to our customers by umpiring all games to the best of our ability and with fairness to all participants via state of the art training and evaluation and demonstrated examples of inclusion.”  The NBUA has – in my opinion – always separated itself with a strong training program – so I believe our excellence and “highest quality” starts with training.  And I believe the training starts with emphasis on the basics:  superior rules knowledge and superior mechanics knowledge.  Of course, this begins with the formal pre-season classroom and field training, but extends to the mentorship program and the important and valuable pre-game and post-game discussions.  A strong comprehensive training emphasis should fully convince every member that our organization strives to support their improvement as an umpire – and their eventual promotion as a result.

What qualifies me to be a Board Member?  Not one thing – but a collection of experience and skill from my past roles as 1) an Air Force Instructor Pilot, 2) an Aerospace Engineer, and 3) a Manager of Aerospace Engineers and Technicians.  As a helicopter Instructor Pilot, I was responsible for developing and teaching the ground-school and flight curriculum.  I learned the age-old truth that instructing is the best way to learn.  As an engineer, I was expected to develop systems in a systematic manner – driven by facts and data – while also leading with energy and passion.  As a manager, I have penned seven good rules to follow:  1) it is impossible to over-communicate, 2) in all ways, be completely honest and overt in your actions – no agendas, 3) from this day forward, always do the right thing, 4) make mistakes, 5) learn from your mistakes, 6) the most important job you’ll ever have is the job you have now, and 7) sweat the details – really understand the facts – before making a decision.  These rules are certainly not rocket-science – but they have served me very well and I intend to hold myself to these rules if elected to the NBUA Board of Directors.

Finally, if elected to the NBUA Board of Directors, I pledge to be an outstanding advocate for the greater organization.  Thank you for your consideration.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS CANDIDATES

Gary Coy                        

Most of you know me so there’s no need to list my resume of qualifications to serve on the Board of Directors having previously served and my success as an umpire on the field speaks for itself.  I don’t covet an officer position (pres., vp, sec. treas). I won’t seek a committee chairmanship but will serve on any committee. I pledge to serve one term and one term only. As I approach the end of my useful umpiring career, I want to ensure that, moving forward, the NBUA is steered in the right direction for the future both for the benefit of our members and the customers we service.

My focus if elected:

• If you think it’s a good business practice to have umpires working 3, 4, and on several instances 5 games in one day, because we’ve taken on more clients than we have umpires available for, don’t vote for me.

But If you believe we can and must do a better job of balancing the number of clients to our umpire base, I’m your candidate.

• If you believe you are adequately paid for your knowledge and expertise on the field, don’t vote for me.

On the other hand, if you feel that through your hard work and dedication, knowledge and expertise you deserve more dollars per game, them I’m the candidate for you.

• If you believe that when the unfortunate situation occurs of a member being accused of misconduct, the Board of Directors doesn’t have the discretion to not follow the NBUA bylaws, policies and procedures AND if the misconduct involves a WIAA sanctioned school game or if any penalty imposed by the Board involves any restriction of school assignments, then the Board must also follow the WOA disciplinary process including any appeal(s) by the member. The Board is required by Washington State law to follow our bylaws and policies and procedures. If you believe the Board must adhere to all

provisions of our bylaws and policies, I’m your candidate.

FYI, This past season, a member was sanctioned for misconduct and not only did the the Board fail in their handling of the situation but also failed to adhere to their own sanctions imposed on the member. If it happened to one member, it could happen to you. This is unacceptable.

• I completely understand that probably most members simply want to be assigned games and get paid in a timely manner. Most don’t care about the interworkings of how that gets accomplished. Here’s why you should care. as a Washington State registered, member driven, non-profit organization, our bylaws

and policies are legally binding controlling rules that outline how the board will operate. Non compliance puts the Association at unnecessary risk.

During my previous tenure on the Board, I always advocated for what I believed was in the bestinterest of the membership. If elected, I will continue to do that.

Please call or Email me with any questions/concerns you may have.

 

Rick Park                                     

Dear Umpire Brother

This letter is to respectfully ask you for your vote for the 2018 NBUA board.

I offer a lengthy experience in baseball management from a player, manager, PSSBL board member, MSBL Hall of Famer and umpire for 6 years with the NBUA. I’ve seen baseball from all sides as well as my experience in the Food Business as a Regional Manager for Tyson Foods.

The NBUA is arguably the best Umpire Association in the nation. YOU make it the incredible organization that it is.  From High School games to Select games to PSSBL to College games, You make it happen professionally for all levels.

One area I have heard from you my partners, is that our system of peer evaluations needs to be changed. I agree, and I will work to change our system. We want a system that is largely based on encouragement and motivation. Any suggestions for improvement should be based on a solution and not be punitive in nature. That is why I want to eliminate the grade number for peer evaluations.

I want to be your liaison to your board of directors. I will encourage your thoughts and ideas for how we can serve you in a better way.  I have worked with most of you and there is incredible talent in our membership that can help us recruit future umpires which is the lifeblood of any organization

Thank you for all the support I’ve already received. Please let me know of areas you would like me to work on to make our association even better.  We are the organization we are because you are so dedicated to being the best umpire you can be.  I am so proud to be one of you and I only wish I would’ve started 10 years earlier!!

 

Mark Clough                             

It has been a pleasure to serve on the NBUA Board of Directors since 2010.  I’ve served in many positions during my tenure.  From Treasurer/4 yrs, Evaluation Director/2 yrs, Apprentice/C Tier Training Coordinator/3 yrs, Evaluation Committee/8 yrs, Mentorship Coordinator/8 yrs & the Recruiting & Retention Committee/7 yrs. My desire is to continue to serve in these positions (if elected).

• As Treasurer, I believe we as an organization need to take a hard look at our Annual Assessment Process. With our Membership numbers dropping due to attrition, the uptick in the economy & other variables; as your current Treasurer, I believe we need to ensure that the NBUA remains solvent moving forward.  Our financial situation is good.  To remain sustainable as an organization, I as Treasurer am prepared to bring recommendations to both the Finance Committee & the NBUA Board of Directors to ensure this great organization remains sustainable in the coming years.
• As a Member of the Evaluation Committee, I would like to seek alternative methods of delivering a sound Peer Evaluation Guideline. I am prepared to bring recommendations to the 2017/2018 Evaluation Director.
• As a Member of the Recruiting & Retention Committee, I believe we really need to rethink how we are recruiting potential new members. Time to really think outside the box.  Taking advantage of Social Media is one key to bringing more & more new Members.
• As a Member of the Training Committee, the Black & Blue Training Regime used this past Winter, was one of the best trainings offered by any NBUA Training Committee. Well done.  I would like to look in to using the B&B Training Template with the lower tiers as well. 

Not a day goes by that I’m not thinking of ways to improve this organization.  I’m very proud of who we are both as an organization & as an advocate of Customer Service Excellence.  I ask for your vote & trust to continue to serve this Membership as a Member of the Northwest Baseball Umpires Association/Board of Directors.

 

Brian Rooney           

Like many of you, I came to NBUA through my part time hobby of being a Little League umpire. When I joined in 2011, I warned my wife that this was more than just a short ten game season. However she saw the passion that I had for calling balls and strikes and encouraged me to move forward. (In hindsight, she probably just wanted me out of the house). I am very fortunate that she did. NBUA has given me the opportunity to develop my skills as an umpire and meet some great people along the way. In fact, each time that I go out on the field, I find myself learning from one of our members. Whether that person is a grizzled veteran, or an apprentice getting his feet wet, I walk away from the field having learned something about the game, working in a partnership, and about myself.

I am running for the NBUA board for this reason. It’s time for me to give back to the Association that has given me so much. We, in NBUA, have a unique group and I would like to do my part to see our Association continue to strengthen its’ presence in the area. As a professional recruiter for the past 24 years, I know how important it is for a group to grow and evolve.  While I read the same data points that you all do about the numbers being down for officials across the country, the eternal optimist in me believes that we can overcome those if we are committed to turning the tide.

Why am I running for the board now and not sooner? Well, for ten years, I was on the Sammamish Little League board and the last two as the President. In addition, I was a member of the Rotary Club of Issaquah for fifteen years and the club’s President and Sgt at Arms. Also, I was the co-chair of the club’s annual 5K run during the Salmon Days weekend for eight years. In addition to my extracurricular activities, my wife, Lenore, and I are raising two wonderful young men. Connor is a senior at O’Dea this year and Max is entering the 8th grade and will be playing 14U in the Spring. 

I have a solid track record of working on boards with a variety of personalities. I enjoy solving problems and I absolutely thrive on verbal abuse from coaches and fans. Okay, maybe not, but I love the game of baseball and respect its history. I love that NBUA has given me an opportunity to make my own small mark on the game. And I respect each of our members who puts himself on the line to represent this great game. Please allow me the honor of being your advocate on our board. Thank you.

 

Mark Snyder                            

I’m still relatively new to NBUA, and there are probably many of you that I still haven’t met or worked games with, but I don’t consider that a disadvantage. While I was a bit late to start umpiring, I have been around baseball for a long time. I played organized ball into college, ending with Central Missouri State. As an adult, I have played ball in the Redmond League and PSSBL, in Dallas for the DABA and NTABA, served as VP of a Missouri MSBL chapter and managed a team, and managed a little league team. I’m also proud to say I have never been ejected for disagreeing with an umpire! Last year I volunteered time for the member services committee to help with the website and would like to continue making that more useful for members.

As I have learned the ropes from and alongside many of you, I have met a lot of hard-working, dedicated individuals, and have benefited from the organization you have produced. I have also listened to many partners explain the way things work and their concerns about the tier system, the way peer reviews are conducted, compensation, training, communication, etc. The experience here reminds me of my time in the volunteer fire department, where a lot of great people spent countless hours and at the end of the day didn’t want awards or riches, just to know that those representing them had their back and were working to enable them to be (or become) the best they could be doing something they love. That’s why I’m here and I know many of you feel the same way.

My motivation for running for the board is not to push an agenda, but to give back. When I joined Microsoft, an exec ordered the newbies to speak up about what we thought was broken, because in a short amount of time we would lose that perspective and become part of the establishment, accepting entrenched, outdated ideas as just standard operating procedure. I believe that, and am very analytical, so you’ll see me want to understand why we are doing things a certain way. But I also respect the effort and thought behind how we got to where we are and am very careful not to push change for the sake of change, or to force a cure that is worse than the disease. While I still remember what it is like for new recruits and before I settle in and accept the status quo, I feel I have something I can offer the organization and the energy to help get things done. I would love the chance to represent you, hold the line where we are strong, and be a voice for change where it is needed.

 

MEMBER LIAISON CANDIDATE

Reams Goodloe                     

 

I have had the privilege of serving as Member Liaison since the position was created.   Progress has been made in serving members and protecting the interests of the association’s members before the Board of Directors, but key efforts of this past year remain unfinished.  Specifically, efforts to complete revisions to and improvements in the member grievance and discipline procedures – as expressed in the Bylaws of the Association – have been developed and brought to the Board, but issues raised by the board in response to such proposals have not yet been completely resolved and adopted, nor have they received the recommendation of the Board for a vote of approval by the membership, where necessary.  I would like the opportunity to push that effort through to completion with your new Board of Directors.

As Member Liaison, I have been able to bring many items to the attention of appropriate Board Members or to the Assignor, to express the members’ view of difficult situations or seemingly unfair positions, or to give voice to the frustration that various members have experienced with certain events, action, or disciplinary procedures.  And, where asked by an affected member, such issues have been effectively raised on an anonymous basis. 

As a member since 2004, I can bring the experience of working my way up through the association to understand situations that members encounter, and thus effectively advocate with Board Members, or before the Board as a whole, for explanation, adjustments, and changes as members believe appropriate given their situation.

Likely, the change of this position to a member elected position – a change which I supported before the Board – will enhance visibility of the role and lead to increased scrutiny of issues which may require the attention of the Board of Directors.  I would appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve all members of the NBUA in the Member Liaison role.