Nov 22, 2009

Support for Executive Board Candidacy

I announced my candidacy for the USCF Executive Board on the USCF Issues Forum on November 12. I have been a regular reader and poster on that Forum since May 2008. The below excerpts appear in the Forum.

Joe Lux: "You have a long trail of posts on the forum to your credit. I will be proud to collect signatures for your campaign, as you asked. We can certainly use a lawyer on the EB. If you can spend a fraction of your time that you put towards correspondence chess, you will be an active Board member."

Brian Lafferty: "You have my vote."

Bill Brock: "Very impressive and very sensible. You would be an excellent addition to the Board."

Rob Sturgeon: "You have my vote also."

T.P. Griffin: "Agreed. Thanks for stepping up! (Both here, and in Kuwait.) Good luck."

Bill Goichberg: "I look forward to having you join our Board."

Ben Bentrup: "I always love your posts for being down-to-earth, impartial, logical, and helpful. You've done a great job trying to deflate a tense situation. I, too, would be happy to vote for you."

Brian Mottershead: "Not the first time I've agreed with Bill Goichberg, nor probably the last, but when Bill and I can easily agree on something, it means we have a sure winner."

Mike Murray: "I'm climbing on the bandwagon. You have my vote."

Harry Payne: "You can count on my vote, and any support I can give. I will start calling members in Oklahoma, and the surrounding states as soon as it is official. Thank you for your, efforts and willingness to volunteer. Also, your voice and correspondence chess experience needs a place in the Government of the USCF. Good Luck, Just my take on it."

Mark Nibbelin: "Grayson, great candidate statement, a very refreshing change."The "game" begins with the rank and file player who plays in weekend events. These players (for the most part you and me) are critical to raising chess to its highest potential, which certainly includes developing young players who will enjoy the game beyond their school years, and affording the most talented players the opportunity to play full time with minimal distraction. We must present to all a professional, reasonable, and capable leadership if we are to advance chess in the United States and tap into resources, yes, including money, that will allow chess to be viewed as the intellectual pursuit that it is. We don't always have to agree with one another, but we do need to work together to advance the game."We have a ways to go - good luck."

Tim Redman: "I agree that Grayson seems to be a very good candidate."

4 comments:

  1. How well do you know Bill Goichberg, Randy Bauer and Michael Atkins?

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  2. I know Bill Goichberg and Randy Bauer through my postings on the Issues Forum. I have further exchanged a few PMs with them on the issue of attorney-client privilege in relation to postings on the Forum. I have met Bill Goichberg a couple of times while registering for CCA tournaments. I doubt that he would remember me from those occasions. I have additionally exchanged one email with Randy Bauer asking for his support for my candidacy, which he gave immediately and stated that I was free to say so. (I have not included his support in this post because I've limited the references here to those who've supported me openly on the Forum.) I have never met Randy or Mike face-to-face. I think I have exchanged publicly with Mike on one or two occasions in the open Forum. Hope that answers the question. Bill and Randy have expressed clear support for my candidacy, and I can't say regarding Mike. We haven't communicated.

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  3. Do you have more than one USCF membership? Randy Bauer won the first otb tournament you played in as Gary Walters the LEAVENWORTH SPRING OPEN 1994. MICHAEL ATKINS was the director of your section at the 10TH ANNUAL FOXWOODS OPEN.

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  4. I have one membership. Acutally, I'm surprised at the Bauer connection--I've not gone back to look at that crosstable of 15 years ago. I guess I've passed Randy in the hall but didn't know it. As for Michael being the Section Chief at Foxwoods, I'm not surprised. I doubt I could name any section director in a tournament I've played in.

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