2007 UPA Board of Directors Election |
The UPA Board of Directors oversees the UPA by setting policy and defining strategy.
The board is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the organization achieves its mission.
The board is responsible for ensuring that the organization is working in the best interests of all our members.
The most effective tool the board has to protect the interests of the members is our ability to set policy on issues facing the organization.
The board’s other tool for protecting members’ interests is the long-term strategy for organization.
With that in mind, the Nominating Committee presents to you the candidates for the 2007 election (2008-2010 term).
You, the members, have the important opportunity and responsibility of electing the board members who will oversee the operation and steer the course of direction for the Ultimate Players Association.
It is important that you read the candidates’ statements.
They include the expertise each candidate would bring to your Board of Directors and the directions they would push for.
Sincerely,
The UPA Nominating Committee
Only current UPA members may vote. To vote, log in to your online account and click the voting link on your member account page. If you are already logged in, click
here to vote. Please note that only those members whose UPA address is within that region may vote for candidates within that region.
At Large (all members may vote for two)
Robin Davies, Madison, WI
Patrick "Colby" Gilman, Washington, DC
Charlie Mullin, Los Angeles, CA
Josh Seamon, St Johnsbury, VT
Northeast Region (members from Northeast Region may vote for one)
Peri Kurshan, Boston, MA
Northwest Region (members from Northwest Region may vote for one)
William "Bunny" Bartram, Seattle, WA
Kyle Christoph, Portland, OR
Lara Kehoe Hoffman, San Francisco, CA
Candidate Statements 2008-2010 UPA Board of Directors
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AT LARGE CANDIDATES
Robin Davies, Madison, WI
Email: robindavies<at>gmail<dot>com
In 1993 Madison hosted WFDF Worlds. As a soccer player who had just had a knee destroyed, I stumbled upon the games with awe. I remember watching NYNY run an attack drill and seeing player after player bid for the disc, pushing further and further with every throw. Later, players from all over the globe were downtown tossing discs over cops heads. At finals I was sucked in again by the rowdy crowd and amazing athletes. I brought my first Discraft that day. A chance to try my skills at pick-up scared the crap out of me when the defender began yelling numbers in my face. The “Anarchists” eventually filled in for a collapsed club team at Sectionals. Life has never been the same. I picked up the torch. I have been on the Board of Directors of the Madison Ultimate Frisbee Association since 1996 and ran the local summer league for 8 years.
A graphic designer by trade and lifelong struggling musician, I have resigned myself to be defined not merely by my vocation, but also by my hobbies. Those passions include cycling, hockey, snowboarding and skateboarding.
I am also an animal rescue advocate. I just completed membership on the board of a German Shepherd Rescue group. I have fostered over 20 dogs and our group has saved over 300. Through my involvement with the rescue group and with MUFA, I have pushed myself into leadership roles. I am the person who likes to drive. I am a relentless worker. I am compassionate and considerate. I also like to ask tough questions. I have a good sense of humor and really enjoy being part of a team.
I am pleased and proud of what the UPA has done. I am a big supporter of youth and college Ultimate. As a board member of MUFA I have pushed through initiatives to help fund area youth teams and the college squads. I have attended both the UPA Organizers Conferences and contributed as well as brought home knowledge to help the local scene. The last two years I've been pushing Goaltimate on Madison's Ultimate community. We now have a solid league and regular pick-up.
Speaking of Goaltimate, I am surprised the UPA signed-off on Goaltimate and Beach Ultimate. It is an obvious connection and having seen the explosion of alternative sports over the last 20 years, it seems like a good initiative to me. What else should the UPA do? Tournament location seems to be a real problem. Accessibility should be the number one criteria for hosting. Media and sponsorship efforts need to be turned up a notch. Outreach is key. Ultimate is in the gym class now. UPA discs should be in all those kids hands.
I’d like to contribute to Ultimate on a bigger scale now. I feel my skills and experience would be valuable for Ultimate’s governing body. Please consider me for an At-Large seat on the Board of Directors.
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Patrick “Colby” Gilman, Washington, DC
Email: patrick<dot>gilman<at>upa<dot>org
My name is Patrick "Colby" Gilman and I'm running for re-election as an at-large representative to the UPA Board. When I'm not wearing my board member's cap, I study International Energy Policy and China Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC, work with a group of Fortune 500 companies on energy issues for an environmental think-tank. Since joining the UPA as a collegiate player in 1999, I have had the great fortune to be involved in the game on many levels, both on and off the field. I finished dead last at Club Sectionals my first two seasons and in 2004 played a bit part in winning the UPA Mixed Championship with Seattle Shazam. Before I became a board member, I served the UPA as an Observer, scorekeeper and as a member of the College Eligibility Committee.
During my year on the board, we as an organization have made great strides towards building a brighter future for the sport of Ultimate. Most of these accomplishments have come as part of our massive strategic planning effort--the Ultimate Revolution. The board has spent the past year collecting your ideas in surveys, small group discussions, brainstorming with you at regional summits, and is now at work molding what we've heard from you into a plan that will reshape our organization and our sport over the next five years.
I joined the board in order to ensure that this revolution is one that will benefit not just those elite players who compete at the regional and national levels, but all those who play and enjoy our sport.
To that end, I will devote my next term to two things:
First, I will continue to work to build bridges between the UPA and local organizations, to ensure that they have the information and tools they need to effectively promote and develop the sport at the grassroots, and to make sure the UPA leverages local resources and knowledge so that our programs at the local level are well-run.
Second, I will work to make sure that the UPA better supports college Ultimate. We can do so much more to ensure that college teams have the resources they need to recruit players, work with college administrators and meet the responsibility of representing their schools in competition. I will make sure that as we implement the new strategic plan, we build strong ties with college administrators and deepen our relationships with college teams. We need to work to ensure that the UPA isn't just an organization that collects rosters and determines player eligibility. College teams are a huge engine of growth for the sport and we need to do better by them.
To this effort, I bring my experience as a board member, years of dedicated service to and passion for the game, and the practical experience skills needed to help meet the challenges ahead. Together, let's finish what we started this year. Thanks for your vote and I'll see you on the field.
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Charlie Mullin, Los Angeles, CA
Email: charliemullin<at>gmail<dot>com
Ultimate, as we all know, is a team sport unlike any other. Whether you play competitively, or just in pick-up games, we all play because we are passionate about the game. That passion is infectious and I've seen it time and time again in the eyes of players over the years when they realize there is no place they'd rather be, and nothing they'd rather do than run for that disc forever.
I play pick-up on the weekends now but since 1982 in the Los Angeles area, I have had the opportunity to play on a number of club teams—some quite competitive. For me, though, the game was never primarily about the competition. Rather, it was about the camaraderie, the love of running, and the pure passion for the game.
As a member of the Board, I would work to promote and encourage that passion for Ultimate for every level of play and for every kind of player. I would also work in cooperation with other Board members and regional representatives to ensure that the policies and direction desired by the UPA membership were being upheld and followed.
I am especially interested in two seemingly disparate areas of concern for the membership and the Board. My first concern is the growth of pick-up and junior high-school play and how the Board can help guide the expansion in these two areas to help ensure that new players of all kinds are continuously entering the sport.
My second concern is in helping to mediate the difficult questions about refering and other rules issues that demand discussion and compromise to sort out and resolve. My mediating role would be to provide guidance so that the decisions made best reflect the desires of the membership while also ensuring that the standards set continue to promote growth in the sport.
My professional experience in managing training and development programs complements my passion for Ultimate and, I believe, uniquely qualifies me for an at-large position on the UPA Board of Directors. One of the best ways I can give back to the sport that has given me so much is to commit the best of my professional experience and skills along with my love of the game, to promote the values of Ultimate and to serve the needs of the membership.
Thank you.
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Josh Seamon, St. Johnsbury, VT
Email: jseamon<at>gmail<dot>com.
In the past five years I've gone from founding the first St. Johnsbury Academy Ultimate team in St. Johnsbury, VT, to coaching and coordinating an SJA Ultimate program consisting of varsity and JV girls' and boys' teams. Next spring, we plan to host 32 high school teams at our 4th annual home tournament. Two years ago, I founded the Vermont Youth Ultimate League. In the summer I keep busy by coordinating and coaching teams at the YCCs, and working at several Ultimate camps (SJA ad NUTC). I am actively involved in the Ultimate world 10 months out of the year.
For the past two years, I have traveled around New England running UPA level I coaching clinics, and for the last year I have been a member of the UPA's Women's Outreach Committee. I am the UPA's State Youth Coordinator for Vermont and the New England Youth Commissioner for the Boston Ultimate Disc Alliance.
Before diving head first into the role of Ultimate coach and coordinator, I spent 5 years playing Mixed Club Ultimate in New England. In college I captained the Claremont Braineaters and in high school I played for the Amherst Hurricanes.
Over the past 14 years I have spent time in the Ultimate world as a player, captain, coach, coordinator, web master, league manager, fund raiser, recruiter, and spectator. I am a social person who loves meeting new people, and through each of these different functions I have come to feel as though I have a deep connection with the US Ultimate community. It is this connection that I would leverage in my time on the UPA's Board of Directors by voicing the opinions of the many people I have worked with in the Ultimate community.
I absolutely adore the work I do in the Ultimate world and would like to expand my work to the national level. I passionately believe in the positive role Ultimate plays in so many people's lives. I feel that as a member of the Board of Directors of the UPA, I would be able to help introduce that positive role to more people than I have been able to reach in New England. As a member of the UPA's BOD, I would work towards three immediate goals. First, I would like to see youth Ultimate continue to grow as fast as it has been for the past 5 years. I believe that a vibrant youth Ultimate community is the key to the growth of college and club Ultimate. Second, I would like to see a dramatic increase in the number of women playing Ultimate, ideally so that there is an equal number of men and women playing the sport. Third, I would like the UPA to work towards a more powerful online presence that integrates seamlessly into the lives of players and the functionality of leagues. These are just three of the many things I would work towards.
If you'd like to ask me any questions, feel free to contact me at jseamon<at>gmail<dot>com.
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NORTHEAST REGION CANDIDATES
Peri Kurshan, Boston, MA
Email: peri<dot>kurshan<at>upa<dot>org
When I first joined the UPA board three years ago, my goals were to improve and clarify the rules of the game, grow and improve the Observer program, and be a voice on the board for women players and participants. I am happy to report that much progress has been made on all fronts!
As chair of the standing rules committee (SRC) I shepherded the 11th edition of the Rules of Ultimate through to completion, along with a variety of new tools for rules accessibility, such as the 11th edition newsgroup, SRC blog, and “What’s the call” magazine feature. As an active observer and a member of the Observer committee, I ran a clinic to train new Observers, and am continually involved in upgrading the training program. I am also a member of the strategic planning committee, and worked hard to ensure that your voices were heard by hosting the northeast regional summit in Boston.
But I am even more excited about the ongoing and future projects with which I am involved. The strategic planning initiative has identified several areas for change and improvement, among them the Observer program, rules accessibility, and (most excitingly) the UPA’s competitive offerings (including the UPA championship series). I am currently directly involved in all three of these areas, and hope you give me the opportunity to continue to work towards improving these aspects of the sport we all love.
As a player (Brute Squad), coach (Brandeis University; BUDA learning league), Observer, and current board member, I bring breadth and depth of experience to the board. But more importantly, I continually strive to be your representative and your voice, and to that end am always open to comments and suggestions (and can be reached at peri.kurshan@upa.org).
Thank you for your continued support.
Peri Kurshan
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NORTHWEST REGION CANDIDATES
William "Bunny" Bartram, Seattle, WA
Email: william<dot>bartram<at>discnw<dot>org
My name is William Bartram, and I am your candidate to be the Northwest representative for the UPA Board of Directors. Currently I am the Executive Director of DiscNW in Seattle. I am also co-owner of the Internet Disc Shop, an online disc retailer.
I began playing Ultimate in 1999 in the DiscNW Summer Corporate League. I immediately fell in love with the sport and with the community of players. I started playing as much as I could in leagues in Seattle and at tournaments in the northwest. Today I play with Throwback, the 2006 UPA Club Champions in the Masters division.
My work history in the sport began in 2001 when I volunteered as a DiscNW League Coordinator. In 2002 I became the Head Coach of the middle school Ultimate team at Seattle Academy. I continued to get more involved with youth Ultimate, and in 2003 I was a Tournament Director for Spring Reign, the largest youth Ultimate tournament in the world. In 2002 I was a Linesman at the UPA College Championships in Spokane, WA. I later became a Certified Observer and observed at Northwest Regionals in 2003 and 2005 and at the Club Championships in 2002, 2003, and 2004.
I took over the job of Executive Director of DiscNW in January of 2005. DiscNW organizes about twenty leagues every year that serve over 4200 youth and adult players. We also host at least eight tournaments a year including Potlatch and Turkey Bowl. All summer long DiscNW runs camps for middle school and high school players. DiscNW also partners with the UPA to host college series, fall series, and championship events including the 2004 College Championships and the 2005 & 2007 High School Western Championships.
Should I be elected to the Board my main mission will be to promote league play through the Ultimate Revolution. I attended the UPA League Organizers Conference in Philadelphia last February and got the chance to meet colleagues from across the US and Canada. It became clear to me there that each city has its own special set of circumstances and needs. However, it also became clear that league coordinators and tournament directors often run into common problems and are hungry for solutions and support. I'm confident that the UPA can provide leadership and expertise for organizers everywhere.
In keeping with my experiences with Ultimate and the UPA I will also seek to promote youth Ultimate (the fastest growing segment of players), to develop the use and role of Observers, and to encourage local and regional organizations to support club and college series events.
In closing I feel that as Executive Director at DiscNW I am in a unique position to make things happen. As the Northwest representative on the Board I will work hard to promote the sport to the satisfaction of players in the region.
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Kyle Christoph, Portland, Oregon
Email: birdflag<at>hotmail<dot>com
My name is Kyle Christoph and I started playing disc my first year in college, 15 years ago. I had been playing disc golf for 5 years, so I was able to step into my first practice with a fully formed hammer and flick. Unfortunately they never got any better.
In my spare time I am employed as an architectural designer. (The AIA is very strict about that wording)
I’m currently in my third year as Mixed coordinator for Oregon, captain and coach a mixed club team, and just finished up my second year as tournament director of Kleinman Eruption, a 30 team tournament in Portland. But honestly sometimes I enjoy the easy pace of organizing Ultimate endeavors since I sometimes spend my entire workday explaining to engineers why an HSS tube steel can’t physically exist in the same plane as the gyp board, no matter how nicely that beam would deflect shear in that location.
My interest in the UPA board is in the area of growth. I feel that there are many more people currently playing Ultimate than are current UPA members. As a sectionals coordinator, I always have people tell me “I don’t want to just join the UPA for one tournament”. I personally get my fair share out of my UPA dues, but there are ways to get even more people involved. Expanding the UPA’s involvement in local leagues, and more tune-up tournaments before the series is my key to growing this sport to the casual player. For the more serious player, it is keeping the growth going at the high school level. In a time when local news is highlighting the budget cutbacks that are eliminating many high school extra curricular activities, it is exciting to see high school Ultimate expanding, not declining. The more organized and focused members that the UPA has, the sooner it will be that we never hear from city organizers “Oh sorry, you can’t rent those fields, it’s softball season.”, but instead we have soccer players lamenting that they lost track of their sideline since the Ultimate fields have been permanently lined in the local park.
Ultimate has given me a lot. An outlet for physical activity, a great group of friends, a sense of community, a reason to leave work early on Friday afternoons, a conversation starter with strangers…I have always given back to my local community with volunteering my time and I think I would be able to give even more if involved on a larger scale.
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Lara Kehoe Hoffman, San Francisco, CA
Email: larakehoehoffman<at>gmail<dot>com
I’m Lara, resident of San Francisco, lawyer, mother of three, and in love with chasing plastic. My partner got me involved in Ultimate a few years ago. Since that time, I’ve played pickup, league, and now play at the club level. I’d like to continue my involvement by serving on the UPA Board.
As an attorney, I have represented both non-profits and businesses and appreciate how they function. I support clients in making strategic decisions in both transactional and dispute matters, including how to achieve important goals within budget limitations. I speak at conferences on a variety of advertising and brand related matters. These tasks all require significant organizational, communication, and time/budget management skills.
I have had many opportunities to be active in the Ultimate community. I have played in the San Francisco Ultimate League for the past few years, and was honored to serve as a captain last season. With my friend Lisa Taw I served as the TD for a Dames/Women’s Masters Skills Clinic and Hat Tournament last March. Women from all levels of play -- new to club -- came out and made the event a success. I served as the Program Coordinator for the 2007 UPA Innovation Grants Committee, and will serve again in 2008. Finally, this year I helped found and co-captain Kill My Landlord (aka “CIL”), and we are currently preparing for Sectionals.
CIL is truly a team effort. My contribution is primarily administrative and organizational (with the occasional hot D). Team members with more experience stepped up to run practices and conditioning workouts. Yet other players have kept us on track with periodic reminders of our core goal: success can be measured as much by a well-executed play we worked hard to make happen as by an overall score.
I would work toward expanding opportunities to play wherever there is a need. I credit the patient captains and veteran players in the SFUL for teaching me disc skills and the core importance of the Spirit of the Game. My three-year-old daughter, who has lurked on the SFUL sidelines since she was born, loves the idea of a sport “where people don’t hit and they use their words.” I have friends who want to continue to play at the club level, but in the context of a Dames/Women’s Masters Division. I would work to support continued expansion of opportunities for Youth and Dames/Masters, as well as at varying levels from pick up to college to league to club, so my children will be able to play for as many years as they like (and their ankles allow). I would also use my organizational skills to support practical needs the Board addresses like budget and project management.
It would be an honor to be elected to serve as a Board member, but regardless, I will continue to work hard to support the continued efforts of the UPA to promote Ultimate. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you on the field!
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