skip navigation

Petitions Now Being Accepted for USA Fencing Board of Directors Election

01/05/2023, 6:15am CST
By Bryan Wendell

Petitions must be delivered to the National Office by 5 p.m. MT on March 31, 2023. Electronic submissions will not be accepted.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Now that the USA Fencing Nominating Committee has advanced nine individuals to the 2023 USA Fencing Board of Directors Election, it's time to move to the next phase of the election process.

That means it's the Election Committee's turn to accept petitions from members who want to be added to the ballot. 

Petitions to run for an At-Large Director position must be delivered to the USA Fencing National Office by 5 p.m. Mountain Time on March 31, 2023. The 2023 USA Fencing Election will be held in May.

How to Petition Onto the Ballot

In order to petition onto the ballot, a potential candidate must receive at least 50 signatures of voting members in good standing from at least 10 separate USA Fencing clubs. Voting members are all individuals who, as of Feb. 1, 2023, hold a USA Fencing membership of supporting level or higher and are at least 18 years old.

Please note: All petitions must be received by the USA Fencing National Office in original hard copy ONLY. Electronic petitions and electronic delivery of copies of petitions are not permitted

On Jan. 2, the USA Fencing Nominating Committee announced that the following individuals will be candidates in the election:

  • Donald Alperstein (Denver, Colo.)
  • Mike Joo (New York, N.Y.)
  • Selina Kaing (Cupertino, Calif.)
  • Nancy Kirkpatrick (Vandalia, Ohio)
  • Ivan Lee OLY (Cambria Heights, N.Y.)
  • Damien Lehfeldt (Alexandria, Va.)
  • Ann Marsh-Senic OLY (Royal Oak, Mich.)
  • Joanne Pasternack (San Jose, Calif.)
  • Richard Weiss (Fairfax, Va.)

Per Article IX, Section 9.4.b of the USA Fencing Bylaws, additional candidates may be nominated by petition, provided that:

i. The prospective candidate identifies the position for which he or she seeks selection and meets the qualifications of that position; and

ii. Prior to or simultaneously with the submission of supporting petitions, the prospective candidate shall have in writing indicated his or her willingness to serve and acceded to the Qualifying Affirmation prescribed in these Bylaws; and

iii. The petitions submitted in support of the prospective candidate include no fewer than 50 subscriptions of voting members in good standing who have among them named no fewer than 10 separate officially recognized clubs as their primary affiliation and whose identity and intent are not reasonably subject to doubt.

Also, per Section 9.4:

c. The National Office shall authenticate petitions and the signatures thereon and the Election Committee shall determine whether each person nominated by petition meets the qualifications laid down in these Bylaws for the office being sought; and shall only allow the names of those candidates who submit complying petitions and meet such qualifications to appear on the ballot

The petitions must be received by the National Office no later than 5 p.m. MT on March 31, per Section 9.5:

Delivery of Petitions. No petition shall serve to nominate a candidate for any USFA position unless the original petition and all other documents required by this Article are received by the National Office of the USFA not later than 5 p.m. Mountain Time of the last business day of March of the year in which the election is to be conducted. Electronic petitions and electronic delivery of copies of petitions are not permitted.

The mailing address for USA Fencing is as follows:

Attention: Election Committee
210 USA Cycling Pl. Suite 120
Colorado Springs, CO 80919

If you have questions, please contact ElectionCommittee@usafencing.org.

Tag(s): Updates  2023 Election