Dramatic downsizing

US Sailing has announced the election of 14 Board of Directors members

US Sailing announced today the nine elected members of its Board of Directors. The nine Board members were elected by the organization's members after a two-month voting period. This is the first time in US Sailing's history the organization held member elections for its Board of Directors.

In October 2005, US Sailing amended its bylaws to restructure the organization and dramatically downsize the Board of Directors, from 49 to 14 members, making it more nimble and efficient.

Members of the Board of Directors serve for a three-year term in rotation. Since this marks the first time the organization has held a Board election and to prevent all Board members' terms ending in the same year, the length of the elected Board members' terms varies.

The new Board members and the length of their terms are:

-Dick Allsopp (Orange Park, Fla.) - one-year term
-Jim Tichenor (Houston, TX) - one-year term
-Susan Epstein (Sharon, Mass.) - one-year term
-Amy Gross-Kehoe (Santa Clara, Calif.) - two-year term
-Chip Johns (Mattapoisett, Mass.) - two-year term
-Bill Stump (Venice, Calif.) - two-year term
-Tom Hubbell (Delaware, OH) - three-year term
-Patty Lawrence (Cincinnati, OH) - three-year term
-Jerome Montgomery (Long Beach, Calif.) - three-year term

Moments before the new Board was to be declared (in-person votes were accepted until earlier this afternoon), an unexpected tie in votes was announced for one set of nominees, Amy Gross-Kehoe and Jerelyn Biehl. After a coin-toss by President Janet Baxter, with the two smiling nominees - who are personal friends - standing alongside her, Amy Gross-Kehoe won the toss.

The first meeting of the new Board of Directors will take place on Sunday, November 19 at US Sailing's annual meeting in Newport.