Dear Friends,
After 10 years, it is with regret that I must announce my resignation as your Membership Director.
I began my employment with USA Fencing in 1999. Carla Richards kept everything running smoothly
back then (and still does!). These were the days of paper membership lists, paper qualifying forms,
paper newsletters and paper everything else! Membership cards too were a thin paper affair. I had no
email address then (email was a NEW thing after all). We were housed at the US Olympic Complex in
Colorado Springs along with our almost new IBM AS/400 legacy database.
Things have obviously changed quite a bit since then! I’m pleased that we now have an online database,
online registration and real time membership information available on our website. We can keep in
contact in ways we would have never thought possible in 1999- Facebook, Twitter, eblasts. We also
have membership cards that have a chance of surviving in the wash and membership cards you can print
in a pinch right from your online membership profile.
I have learned so much during my tenure at Fencing and want to thank all of you for the opportunity
to serve you for so long. My family is leaving Colorado Springs and I will be taking this opportunity to
spend more time with my four daughters (11, 6, 3, and 4 months). I am pleased to be leaving you in
the very capable hands of Christine Simmons, who will be taking over my duties while retaining her
position as Associate Executive Director. You can also continue to rely on Melissa Baylor, Associate
Staff Accountant, and Matthew Wagoner, Member Services Representative, to assist you with your
membership needs.
I wish you all the best in your fencing endeavors, be they local, national, in London, or beyond. I have
thoroughly enjoyed my time with you and will miss being part of such a dynamic community.
Dana Brown
