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.