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20:39, 29 April 2019 In '''2019''', NASPA is holding an '''[[Advisory Board Elections|election]]''' for three members of its '''[[Advisory Board]]''' (AB).
The [[Advisory Board Composition|composition]] of the AB over the years under NASPA is available at this website.
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== Election Results ==
See our [http://www.icontact-archive.com/-eBE1BTTRFaArP3qIeNvGFEtBtQtSG8v?w=3/ iContact announcement] giving full results of the election.
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== Electoral Districts ==
This year’s election will elect members in:
* US South: AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
* US West: AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY
* At Large
== Nominees ==
====US South====
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{|class=candidates
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!Candidate
!Candidate Statement
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|class= name|'''[[Paul Avrin]]'''
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|class=statement|
I have been playing tournament SCRABBLE since 1975 and I have the distinction of playing more tournament games than any other player, a total of 8,450. Moreover, I served on the first Advisory Board in the early 1980s, directed several tournaments in the NYC area, served on the Tournament Committee, and am currently a member of the Rules Committee.
SCRABBLE has been an integral part of my life, and my experience, spanning four decades, has given me a good perspective on how SCRABBLE has evolved through the years. I think that as a member of the Advisory Board, I can make significant contributions to the organization. I want to see our community grow and flourish and I want to be a good advocate for the membership.
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====US West====
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{|class=candidates
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!Candidate Statement
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|class= name|'''[[Robin Gates]]'''
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Robin started playing Scrabble in 2008 after meeting Paul Holser on a dating website. She was fascinated at the idea of competitive SCRABBLE. She played in her first tournament in Austin December 2008. Her peak rating was 1032, and she has 5 tournament wins under her belt.
In 2010 and 2011, Robin voluntarily created the "Cruise Director" position for the NSC tournament to coordinate transport, travel, events, excursions, and concierge services for players. In 2013, she not only played in the NSC tournament but reprised her role in Las Vegas along with Alice Chew.
It has been a few years since Robin last played, but her love for the game and the culture has not waned. With her now husband, Paul, still playing regularly, Robin continues to have a strong interest in the success and workings of NASPA.
Robin serves in an executive role with several of her dog clubs on a Regional and National level. She has also served on several professional committees in the healthcare industry.
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|}
====At Large====
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'''Bruce D'Ambrosio''' wins this district by acclamation.
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{|class=candidates
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!Candidate
!Candidate Statement
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|class= name|'''[[Bruce D Ambrosio | Bruce D'Ambrosio]]'''
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I've been a NASPA member since 1978 (well, at that time it was NSA).
I am the current director of NASPA Club #195 in Los Angeles.
I have been on the Rules Committee since September 2015.
I'm most interested in trying to reunify the SCRABBLE community, which I think is fragmented not only because of WGPO, but also the Collins Division, especially at the Nationals. (What does it mean to be the top SCRABBLE player in North America by winning Division 1 when there is also a group of excellent players playing by different rules at the same time in the same venue?)
If you would like to know where I stand on issues important to you, feel free to e-mail [mailto:bpdfenway@aol.com me] and I will respond as quickly as possible.
Thank you for considering me for this position.
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|}
== Voting ==
Voting will take place from June 3–30 inclusive, Eastern Time. Votes will be accepted by paper or electronically. Any current NASPA member can vote for (at most) one candidate for each of the three contested seats, regardless of the region of residency.
Paper votes may be sent to NASPA by [[Contact|postal mail]] and must arrive during the voting period to be accepted. Paper votes are not anonymous and must identify the voter and their vote.
[{{SERVER}}/cgi-bin/vote.pl Electronic votes] should be made through the Member Services link at the NASPA website. Electronic votes will be anonymous, except inasmuch as a skilled person with access to the NASPA server could eventually reconstruct voting information.
The winner of each election will be determined by plurality. If an election ends in a tie, a lottery or coin toss will be used to break the tie.
Winners will be announced at the beginning of July, as soon as the votes are tabulated.
Any disputes about the elections process will be decided by the AB, excluding those members running for reelection.
== Nominations ==
Electoral candidates must meet all of the following criteria:
* They must be a NASPA member in good standing.
* They must accept the nomination during the nomination period of May 1–31, 2019.
* They must be at least 21 years of age.
* They must be prepared to comply with the [[Committee rules#Member Obligations|obligations of NASPA committee members]].
* They must submit a platform statement.
They do not need to be a certified [[director]], have a high tournament [[rating]] or serve on another [[committee]], but neither do these qualifications exclude them. Incumbent members may stand for reelection.
==== Nomination Process ====
'''Nominations will take place from May 1–31 inclusive, Eastern Time.'''
To nominate yourself, send your name and platform statement to [mailto:info@scrabbleplayers.org info@scrabbleplayers.org].
To nominate someone else, send the candidate's name to [mailto:info@scrabbleplayers.org info@scrabbleplayers.org]. Nominated candidates will be contacted and asked if they agree to run. If so, they will be asked to send their platform statements.
==== Platform Statement ====
A platform statement is a brief statement that describes a candidate's qualifications, background, platform, and any other information that might be of use to voters, for posting to this webpage.
You can view the platform statements of previous candidates [http://www.scrabbleplayers.org/w/2018_Advisory_Board_Elections here].
==== “Good Standing” ====
For the purposes of this election, a NASPA member is considered to be in good standing if:
* Their membership has been valid since the beginning of the [[2017 North American SCRABBLE Championship]] - July 22, 2017
* Their membership will be valid at least through the end of the [[2018 North American SCRABBLE Championship]] - July 24, 2019
* They have not been under suspension at any time since the beginning of the [[2017 North American SCRABBLE Championship]] - July 22, 2017
==Background Information==
The AB acts as a liaison between the membership and the [[Executive Committee]] (EC), helps the EC decide matters of policy, and adjudicates appeals on decisions made by other committees.
AB members should possess:
* Good communication skills
* The ability to work well in a group situation
* A willingness to make tough decisions on sensitive or controversial issues
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AB members serve a 2-year term. The upcoming term runs from the 2019 North American SCRABBLE Championship (NASC) to the 2021 NASC.
Most AB business is conducted during monthly conference calls and over email which AB members are expected to participate in. Also, many AB members take on additional projects.