FWC Election Results

Greetings FWC Members and Happy New Year’s Eve to you –
 
Whether you are gearing up for a big party or a quiet night in, I hope you enjoy your day, and of course, wish you all the absolute best in 2023.
 
Voting closed for our ballot and election yesterday, so I wanted to share the results with you all.
 
First, this election has been the highest turnout we have ever had. I’m really happy to see the participation numbers and engagement with the class. Out of 74 eligible voters, 48 completed the electronic ballot giving us a 65% participation rate. This completely blows out the 39% and 36% from the two previous years. I sincerely thank you for your time and making your voice heard to help steer the direction of the class. Here are the results for the officer positions, including any write ins:
 
President 
Ben Wells 43
Bob Curry 1
Blank 4
 
Vice President
Chris Wessels 42
Michael McNeir 1 
Blank 5
 
Secretary
Wendy Rice-Larson
 
Treasurer
Andy Humphries
 
Rules Chairman
Eric Dorschner 35
Doug Seib 9
Jane Sherrod 1
Blank 3 
 
Event Coordinator
Krista Vind
 
Chief Measurer
Jane Sherrod 44
Bob Curry 1
Blank 3
 
 
Also on the ballot were updates to our Rules and Bylaws. Here are the results of those:
 
7Cii 
Nominating Committee appointed by: 
Vice-President  42
President 5
 
10P Backrests are allowed
Approve 46
No 2
 
2D Adaptive Sailor Modifications Rule
Approve 46
No 2
 
 
We will update our rules and bylaws document, and send out a fresh version to everyone soon, as well as update the links on our website and social page.
 
2023 will be the first year we have had some major transitions with officer personnel, but we will ensure it’s a smooth process, and continue to communicate out all needed information and the upcoming regatta schedule.
 
I want to specifically thank Doug for his time serving on the board the past several years as the event coordinator. We have had the opportunity to race at some great new locations and establish some strong connections with yacht clubs all around the country. This work was instrumental in our growth and will continue to help us grow in the future.
 
With that said, I would like to officially welcome and congratulate Krista Vind and Eric Dorschner as newcomers to the board. I’m lucky to have known both of these individuals for a while, and I have a high level of confidence they will bring a great deal of experience and value to the board. I’m excited for what we will work on and accomplish together in the upcoming years.
 
Finally, I’m going to be putting together a member feedback survey to help gather some data and understand the things that are going right, along with the areas we can improve. Look for that sometime very soon.
 
If you have any comments, questions, or concerns, please let me know, and again, have a safe, happy, and healthy 2023.
 
Ben Wells
FWC - President