Nominating Committee Announces Initial Slate of Board Candidates

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The future of our Board of Directors took an exciting turn today as the USA Fencing Nominating Committee announced its slate of candidates for three open At-Large Director seats currently held by Molly Hill, Damien Lehfeldt, Abdel Salem OLY (Egypt). 

The Committee selected nine individuals for consideration, listed below with their USA Fencing division:

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

*Incumbent

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

The ballot may yet grow, as you'll see below.

The Nominating Committee used an objective scoring matrix to carefully evaluate each candidate based on the diversity needs of the Board and the candidates' experience in board, leadership and committee roles.

The Committee expressed its satisfaction with the high caliber of the nominees, noting several strong future Board candidates. Individuals who weren't nominated for this round were encouraged to continue their involvement in USA Fencing committee work, further strengthening their potential for future Board nominations.

The Nominating Committee includes Harrison Hue (chair), Andrea Pagnanelli (Board liaison), Iana Dakova, Cody Mattern OLY, Ellen Geddes PLY (athlete) and Kat Holmes OLY (athlete).

One At-Large Director position will be filled through Board appointment, in accordance with the USA Fencing Bylaws.

All nine candidates named above are eligible for consideration for this appointed seat. The Board is expected to vote on this issue at its Winter Meeting on Feb. 14, 2026. Any candidates not appointed will be added to the ballot for the general election.

The appointed individual will serve a four-year term beginning Sept. 1, 2026, and concluding Aug. 31, 2030.

Two At-Large Director seats are up for election.

The initial slate of election candidates will be announced March 2. But the slate of candidates is not yet final. Next, USA Fencing members will have the opportunity to petition for a spot on the ballot. The petition process is outlined below.

Here's what happens next:

• Interested members have from March 2 until March 31 to gather signatures and file their petition.
• The National Office will authenticate petitions and signatures, and the Election Committee will determine whether petitioners will be added to the ballot.
• The final ballot will be announced on or before April 15, 2026.
• The election itself will be held in May 2026 (exact dates to be determined by the Election Committee).
• The two successful candidates will serve four-year terms that will begin Sept. 1, 2026, and conclude Aug. 31, 2030.

The petition process provides an opportunity for members to nominate themselves for the election. Details for the petition process will be announced ahead of the March 2 call for petitions. 

For complete details about the 2026 Board of Directors election, including the full timeline and FAQs, visit usafencing.org/2026-board-of-directors-election.