2026 Board of Directors Election

Two At-Large Directors to be elected

Three At-Large Director positions are open as part of the 2026 USA Fencing Board of Directors election. As stipulated in the USA Fencing Bylaws, two seats will be filled through an election by the membership, and one seat was filled through Board appointment.

These seats were previously held by Molly Hill, Damien Lehfeldt and Abdel Salem OLY–EGY.

Two At-Large Directors to Be Elected 

Two At-Large Director positions are up for election.

The two successful candidates will serve four-year terms beginning Sept. 1, 2026, and concluding Aug. 31, 2030.

Initial Slate of Candidates

On Feb. 19, 2026, the Nominating Committee announced its initial slate of candidates for the two elected At-Large Director seats. The following individuals have been advanced to the ballot, listed alphabetically by surname:

  • Bruno Cheron (North Texas)
  • Greg Husisian (Virginia)
  • Nona Lim (Northern California)
  • Tim Ringel (Metropolitan NYC)
  • Caterina Rovati (Central Florida)
  • Abdel Salem OLY–EGY (Colorado)*
  • Heather Shankwiler (Georgia)

*Incumbent.

Note: The Nominating Committee also advanced Damien Lehfeldt to the ballot, but he has elected not to run for another term on the Board.

The slate is not yet final. USA Fencing members may petition to be added to the ballot through March 31, 2026. Learn how to petition.

Candidate bios and videos will be posted April 29, 2026.

One At-Large Director to Be Appointed 

One At-Large Director position was filled through Board appointment at the February 2026 Board of Directors meeting, in accordance with the USA Fencing Bylaws.

The Board appointed Jeremy Sirota to serve as an At-Large Director. His four-year term will begin Sept. 1, 2026.

Preferential Voting, Explained

USA Fencing Board of Directors elections use a preferential voting system known as the Borda Count.

In this system, voters rank candidates in order of preference. Each rank is assigned a point value. With seven candidates (as an example), points would be assigned as follows:

Rank 1 = 7 points

Rank 2 = 6 points

Rank 3 = 5 points

Rank 4 = 4 points

Rank 5 = 3 points

Rank 6 = 2 points

Rank 7 = 1 points

Each candidate receives points based on their ranking on each ballot. Candidates not ranked on a ballot receive no points from that ballot.

At the conclusion of the election, the two candidates with the highest total point values will be elected to the At-Large Director positions.

Timeline at a Glance — Board of Directors

  • Jan. 2, 2026: Window for nominations opens (details here)
  • Jan. 12, 2026: Window closes at 5 p.m. MT
  • Jan. 15, 2026: Nominating Committee reports to Membership and the Board.
    • The Nominating Committee will present at least (but not a maximum of) one candidate for appointment (for one position), and a minimum (but not maximum of) 4 for election (for two positions).
  • Feb. 14, 2026: USA Fencing Board of Directors to select an appointed At-Large Director at their Winter Meeting.
  • Feb. 19, 2026: Nominating Committee announces initial slate of candidates to membership; petition window opens.
  • Mar. 31, 2026: Petition deadline, 5 p.m. MT.
  • On or before April 15, 2026: Final ballot announced
  • April 29, 2026: Bios and one-minute candidate videos posted
  • May 13, 2026: General election opens at 8 a.m. ET.
  • May 31, 2026: General election closes at 11:59 p.m. ET.
  • June 1, 2026: Winners announced
  • Sept. 1, 2026: Terms begin for new At-Large Directors

Candidate Eligibility Requirements

All USA Fencing members are invited to apply for the open At-Large Director positions and/or to suggest potential candidates for consideration by the Nominating Committee.

All applications are welcome and will be considered.

Applicants with backgrounds or expertise in education, finance, marketing, fundraising, development, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB), innovation, or strategic planning are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Nominating Committee is particularly seeking individuals who:

  • Have prior board experience (inside or outside of sport) or senior leadership experience
  • Can collaborate effectively with fellow board members
  • Understand the distinction between governance and operations
  • Can help lead and inspire USA Fencing in alignment with its strategic priorities

Updates 

Jan. 15: Nominating Committee Announces Initial Slate

The USA Fencing Nominating Committee has selected nine candidates for consideration for the three open At-Large Director seats:

Bruno Cheron, Greg Husisian, Damien Lehfeldt (incumbent), Nona Lim, Tim Ringel, Caterina Rovati, Abdel Salem OLY–EGY (incumbent), Heather Shankwiler and Jeremy Sirota.

All nine candidates are eligible for both the Board-appointed seat and the general election. The Board will select one candidate for appointment at its Winter Meeting on Feb. 14. Any candidates not appointed will be added to the general election ballot.

The petition window opens March 2 for members who wish to add their names to the ballot.

Read the Full Announcement

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