October 2021 - 9

A MESSAGE
FROM THE
PRESIDENT
AMERICAN
CONTRACT
BRIDGE LEAGUE
PRESIDENT
Georgia Heth
CHAIR, BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
Suzi Subeck
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Joe Jones
CHAIR, BOARD OF
GOVERNORS
Doug Couchman
Board of Directors
District 1 * Leo Weniger
District 2 * Flo Belford
District 3 * Carlos Muñoz
District 4 * Joann Glasson
District 5 * Brian Ellis
District 6 * Margot Hennings
District 7 * Mike Kovacich
District 8 * Georgia Heth
District 9 * Jeff Overby
District 10 * Larry Sealy
District 11 * A.J. Stephani
District 12 * Dennis Carman
District 13 * Suzi Subeck
District 14 * Deana Liddy
District 15 * Warren Smith
District 16 * Paul Cuneo
District 17 * Cindy Shoemaker
District 18 * David Johnson
District 19 * Tim White
District 20 * Laurie Rowe
District 21 * Stu Goodgold
District 22 * David Lodge
District 23 * John Jones
District 24 * David Moss
District 25 * Carole Weinstein
To contact a district director,
visit acbl.org/
boardofdirectors.
October 2021 | Bridge Bulletin |
9
I have had a very unusual term as president of the ACBL Board of Directors.
It started very normally with a trip to Horn Lake in 2020 for the orientation for
the new Board members. I was invited to three regionals where I was able to play
bridge, meet with members and volunteers, and have a good time. I was much
better at meeting people and enjoying it than I thought
I would be, and that gave me optimism for the rest of my
year. I soon discovered that the optimism was misplaced.
The
week before the March Board meetings were
scheduled was chaotic. We did not know if we should go
and were evaluating the decision day by day. When the
Ohio governor canceled all mass gatherings the Friday
before the meeting was to start, our decision was made
for us. Little did we know we would still be facing similar
decisions over a year and a half later.
Thanks to the efforts of two devoted volunteers and
our staff, we were able to transition club bridge to the
online platform. The men and women who worked on
this project cannot be praised too much. The virtual club program offered us a
place to play and a way for clubs to earn money. The ACBL did very well financially
as a result of the online program. We now have the ability to invest in our IT
programs, which is sorely needed. If only we could resolve our staffing shortages!
One of the unexpected joys of the past year has been working with the executive
team and getting to know them. They are a great team, interesting to know, and
committed to their jobs. They are still working too many hours each week, but
they don't complain about it. If you send them an email that takes a while to get
answered, be assured it is not because they are slacking off.
The Board meetings have been interesting, too. I still don't know how to set up a
Zoom meeting or any of the technical things, but I am now a master at running the
meetings - keeping track of who is in the queue to speak and watching the chat,
texts, emails and occasional phone calls while the meeting is running. There are
more than half a dozen board members whom I have not met in person, and it will
be nice when it finally happens. Being a Board member is much more work than
usual. We are on our seventh special meeting this year, and I believe we had more
last year. I am so pleased with the way my fellow members have stepped up to
the challenge and put in the work. Several committee chairs have put in so many
hours, they feel like they have another job.
In closing, I want to remind you that whether or not you agree with the decisions
made by management and the Board during the pandemic, they were all made in
good faith based on the best information available at the time. Hard times bring
hard decisions, and we had no prior experience we could use for reference. Everyone
did the best they could. We still have hard decisions to make, and will continue
to do the best we can.
I hope I get to see you at the tables soon.
GEORGIA HETH
http://www.acbl.org/
October 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2021
