Category: Latest Posts

Question 1: How would you deal with a situation where you have a strong opinion on a topic/issue brought before the BOD for a vote and the majority of the board disagrees with you?

Dana Nichols: This is a regular part of working as a board or committee.  I have often had opinions that were different than the rest of the NAFA board, or of other committees I have served.  I think it is important to effectively voice your opinion and point out all issues and consequences for topics.  Part of that role is also to make sure the language of any rule change or other issue adequately addresses consequences.  But at the end of the vote, you may be personally against the Board’s decision.   That’s why there is a vote and what makes our organization strong.  Not everyone is going to agree on every issue, but ultimately there is a process for a decision, whether that be a vote of the Board of Directors or even a vote of the membership.  Then it is our responsibility to abide by that decision. 

Actually, I find it to be a harder situation when everyone agrees on an issue.  We still need to take the time to consider all possibilities, think about how the language of the change might affect other issues, and be mindful of other opinions even when they aren’t being brought to the table.

Differing points of views is what truly makes a board strong.  It means having respect for your fellow board members to be able to have a civil discussion even when you don’t all agree.  We are responsible for all of NAFA, not just our own region, team, or personal views.

Emily Neal: I would (professionally) argue my case and hope that the others listened, but at the end of the day majority rules so I know I will not be in the majority of every decision and that is ok.

Paula Johnson: This is all part of participating in a board environment. Supporting what has been decided by the majority is essential. Continuing to work with the board members to find common ground is part of the role. Also, often it is not an all or nothing scenario. There can be pieces of a decision that you might agree with and can perhaps work to see if there is opportunity down the road to make minor adjustments. In the end however, it is critical that everyone is willing to support the decisions of the board regardless of their personal preferences.

Cindy Henderson: This has actually happened in my tenure on the board.  What I have done is state my opinions as logically, rationally, and calmly as possible with the reasons for my opinion.  I would listen to the alternating views.  Assuming my opinion is unchanged I would vote based on my opinion even if I am the only differing vote.  Once the vote is completed even if I “lost” the vote I would accept the decision of the board professionally and move forward.  NAFA is not about what one person wants or only one person’s opinion.  It is about what the community at large wants and I would do my best to try and represent the people in my home Region as well as around the entirely of NAFA – sometimes that may mean doing what the majority wants not what just I want.

Jonathan Bescher: First, you need to make sure to voice your opinion on the call.  Everything that the board decides you may not agree on, but if you don’t voice your opinion, or those that you have heard from, then what is the point on being on the board.  The board doesn’t need a group of followers, it needs those with new and fresh ideas.  If the vote happens and my opinion is not on the popular side, then you take the decision and you support it.  It is not giving in, but the board needs to have the backing of every member.

Jackie Alcott: Not everyone is always going to agree on a topic/issue. However, I am willing to listen to facts, data, and information that might be different from what I believe on any topic/issue. I will then take all of my collective knowledge and base my vote on what I feel is the best for the sport, dogs, handlers, and organization.

Question 2: NAFA has these Standing Committees – Disciplinary, Election, Finance, Judges, Marketing, Rules and these Special Committees – NAFA Blog, Technology, Communications. Which Committees do you think you would be most interested in serving on?

Paula Johnson: Given my background in marketing and communications those are both obvious committees where I see myself being able to make a positive contribution to NAFA. I do however have a real interest in Rules and Judges. I like working on wording and details with regard to rules that helps to create clarity and feel I would be able to assist in this area. Being a relatively new NAFA Judge, this area is also one where I think I could provide assistance. The recent work that has been done in education and training of judges is one I would love to continue to grow and develop.

Emily Neal: I would be interested in the disciplinary, judges, rules and technology committees. I feel my background and strengths would be best served on these committees.

Dana Nichols: The Rules Committee will always be my favorite and, if elected, I hope I get the opportunity to serve there again.  I love the challenge of drafting just the right language.  During my past terms on the NAFA Board, I was chair of the Rules Committee most of those years.  I also love the aspect of making sure that the rules are readily available to all competitors, judges, and regional directors.  Education on rule changes is an important part of implementation.

I also enjoy Election and Judges Committees.  I helped transition NAFA to it’s currently online voting process.  And, although I am now retired as a NAFA Judge, I also really enjoyed my work on the Judges Committee and would be honored to work with them again.

I am also happy to serve on any other committees where I am needed.  I think work on committees is an important part of making sure the NAFA organization functions well.

Jackie Alcott: I would be interested in working on various committees for NAFA. Rules, Marketing, Elections, Communications, and Technology.

Jonathan Bescher: I currently am the head of the Judges, and because of that I am on the Disciplinary and Rules committee.  I would also be on the Technology committee, since I have helped in this area of testing the new light tree(What we call the Thomas Tree), and with the APES and Heat Trackers that you see at CanAm and other tournaments.

Cindy Henderson: I have served on the Finance and Judges committee and enjoy both and would love to continue to serve on these committees.  While not a formal committee I also have enjoyed being part of the AKC/ESPN Invitational Event planning and CanAm planning.

Question 3: Open – Anything you would like to add as a closing statement for your BOD Candidacy?

Jackie Alcott: NAFA is an organization that I have enjoyed playing in for ten years. I would like to give back my time and abilities to continue making the organization a fun, safe, and exciting place to come play Flyball with your dog.

Jonathan Bescher: I have enjoyed my three years on the board, although a majority of that has been dealing with COVID and how do we come back from a pandemic.  However, I think the past three years has been very productive, and I would like to help NAFA keep growing the next three years.  Thank you for your time and support of NAFA.  I look forward to trying to meet as many people in the lanes as possible.

Cindy Henderson: I have been playing flyball for 23 years all as part of NAFA.  This is a sport that I love because I believe it is for everyone – all breeds of dogs, all speeds of dogs, and a wide variety of competitors including families and juniors.  The community spirt among flyball is like no other dog sport in my opinion.  I am dedicated to growing this sport and would like to continue to serve on the board for another term to help in this regard.  I am proud of the progress we have made – new measuring system and training program for judges to help ensure consistency and transparency, new box size limits, new jump width size, AKC/ESPN broadcast of CanAm and the Invitational event, our handling of the sport during COVID, and so much more.  There is still more work to be done and I hope to be able to continue the work as a member of the board however commit that even if not elected I would like to be involved helping on committees and in other ways to help grown and give back to the sport that has given me so much over these 23 years.

Paula Johnson: I think that at the heart of any organization such as NAFA communication is the key to success. That means communication at all levels including within the Board itself, Regional Directors, and of course our members. I have heard over and over again that this is an area that needs improvement. There is no such thing as too much information being shared.  I also think that finding ways to hear from our members more often is needed. If elected to the board this would be a priority of mine.

There are so many exciting things happening for NAFA, but we need to keep momentum going in order to insure the health of our sport and our organization. I would love to be a part of this and feel I have the skills and time to make a difference.

Thank you for your consideration of my nomination.

Emily Neal: My view of flyball is simple: the competition and close racing is fun, but that isn’t the point of flyball. The point of flyball is to play a game with your dog (and with your friends). At the end of the day, this is a game, a reminder that I think every single one of us has needed at some point in our careers.

Dana Nichols: I have served on the NAFA Board in the past and know how much work is involved.  I enjoy contributing to our organization to make flyball better for everyone.  It takes a lot of folks to run such a big organization.  I currently serve as a regional director and club owner, but I’m willing to step up and serve on the Board of Directors again.  It’s a big responsibility, but one I am willing to shoulder.  If I’m not elected, I’ll continue to work diligently for NAFA and would be happy to contribute in any way that I can.

Question 1: How do you see yourself managing your work/life balance along with the time commitment of board members?

Kathy Haney: I have been managing that for the last 3 years during which I have been a Board member.  I am currently semi-retired from the business my husband and I have run for the past 30+ years.  Spending a lot of time babysitting young grandchildren, but can use my flyball board time to relax from that, lol.

Russell Evans: My family life and my work have always been my priorities. Finding the required time to satisfactorily support being a board member will be a challenge, but a welcome challenge. Flyball has been an important part of my family since 2003 and we’ve always managed by working together. Communication and understanding expectations are vital in this regard.

Emily-Rose Allred:  I am very lucky to have a job that allows me to take care of many personal matters while at work. I’m in a position where my job is not time intensive nor particularly emotionally needy. I have a lot of energy and time to give to another outlet. 

Meagan Langs: I know that board members are expected to attend and participate in board meetings and various committees.  I also know they are expected to help with the hosting of CanAm every year.  If elected I will be able to actively attend and participate in board meetings, and at CanAm.  I also promise to not take on more than I can handle during my term. On a personal note, my “kids” are my dogs & cat.   My husband works from home and takes care of our fur kids when I am away traveling for flyball etc. I have the support of my family to live out my flyball dreams.

Question 2: Being on the board sometimes requires compromise or even sometimes things not going your way. Even if the vote or item doesn’t go your way, are you willing to support the stance of the majority?

Meagan Langs: I understand majority rules.  I also understand that I need to be supportive of the process.  One of the things that makes NAFA so amazing is that we do have a say on things.  Voting is awesome and I am thankful for the opportunity to do so even if I don’t always agree with the end result.  I also know that just because something goes one way for a time it doesn’t mean than things can’t change down the road.  I have found that many things in life and in flyball come full circle.  So, if things don’t go my way at a certain time, it doesn’t mean it won’t change if I stay positive and play the long game.   I am not going to quit NAFA, the board, or flyball because I don’t like a particular vote or decision, and neither should anyone else.

Emily-Rose Allred: I have worked almost a decade in and with animal rescue. I spent a lot of time compartmentalizing and having to work through decisions I didnt agree with, as well as having my mind changed over time with stances I didnt think I would ever come around to. Having an open mind is crucial in situations like this.

Russell Evans: I would always support the majority decision. That is the only way a board can function in support of NAFA members.

Kathy Haney: Absolutely.  I have done it in the past, on the NAFA Board, while running our flyball club and in my professional life.  None of those are dictatorships and you always have to realize that there is a reason and need for having more than one opinion.  Board decisions are made by the majority after research and discussion.  In order for this to work all members need to stand by the final decision, whatever side of that decision they are on.

Question 3: What are your thoughts on flyball equipment specifications (e.g., boxes and jumps)?

Emily-Rose Allred: Flyball is evolving and changing. It only makes sense that the equipment should be changing. I have really liked what ive seen since the box  size change and as a club have discussed the larger jumps. While I know there will be a cost factor which would be difficult for many clubs I do think that larger jumps are the way that the sport is trending. I think we need to make sure we are evaluating safety in the sport as dogs are only getting consistently faster. 

Kathy Haney: I believe there is always room for improvement and that the sport of Flyball needs to keep evolving.  I am in favor of any changes that improve and/or make our sport safer and more efficient.

Meagan Langs:  I think we need to be open to exploring new and safer equipment and options for our dogs and people.   As a team captain I fully understand what it takes to buy equipment, haul equipment and replace equipment.  I also know that it will cost money, it will be more to carry, and it will be expensive.  Do I want to have to buy the equipment, build the equipment, or haul bigger heavier equipment?  No, I don’t.  However, my inconvenience is not more important than dog safety.  I have run on wider jumps as recently as last month at a flyball tournament.   I can promise you it was safer for the dogs.  Our dogs ran on the wider jumps one week and then attended another tournament on the usual smaller width jumps the following week.  Afterwards we discussed did we see any issue with the big jumps?  Did our dogs perform differently from one week to the next? Everyone I have talked to has only had positive things to say about the wider jumps.  Additionally, our dogs didn’t have any issues adjusting from the big jumps back down to the smaller width jumps the following week, the dogs seemed to adjust accordingly.  I believe the dogs will and could run faster on the wider jumps if given the opportunity to use them long term.  If you truly don’t believe wider jumps are safer take some time to review videos of dogs crashing over the jumps.  I am sure some instances you would still have injured dogs but if it decreases the amount of injury by even a few dogs isn’t it worth it?  As we all know sometimes crashes happen and there is literally nothing you as a handler, or a team member could have done to prevent it.   Anything we can proactively do to make the sport safer for the dogs is something we should seriously consider.   

Russell Evans: I like the idea of wider jumps and would like to see this become part of the racing standard. Like you, I’ve seen collisions from time to time and all reasonable steps must be taken to avoid them.

Regarding flyball boxes, Section 1.1 (e) (v) of the NAFA Official Rules of Racing, “Judges have the discretion to declare a box unsafe and therefore not usable” is a very important point. Boxes in poor repair should be excluded when a judge makes such a determination.

Question 4: Do you have any skills that could help the board (marketing, programming, accounting, etc.)?

Russell Evans: I’m formally trained in project management and have extensive experience with planning and writing.

Kathy Haney: Nothing specific, but I am willing to help out in whatever is needed and will put in every effort to build up our sport, making NAFA a welcoming, fun organization for people and their dogs

Meagan Langs: I am good at getting people excited about flyball, flyball tournaments, flyball practice, etc.  Regardless if I am captain or a team member I have been the “team communicator” for years. I think it is important to communicate with people in a positive way.  Find out what they are thinking, explain why certain things were decided, and let them know you hear them, even if what they are saying doesn’t fit with the plan right now.    

Emily-Rose Allred: I’m pretty infectious on social media. I think the board has done an amazing job the past few years getting flyball out there and can only hope to help grow the sport. I think continuing an online presence and making flyball accessible is so important. Racing is only fun if we have clubs to race! 

My name is Meagan Langs and I have been playing our great sport for the past 15 years. In flyball I have participated as regional director, co-captain, and most importantly, a team member.  In my professional life I am a paralegal with extensive experience in assisting with drafting correspondence and various legal documents along with cross-functional expertise in social media, sales, management, training, and education. Prior to working in the legal field, I worked as a teacher for twelve years.  I strive to find ways to help increase productivity and efficiency with positivity.    

I live in Mesa, Arizona with my 4 dogs, 1 cat, and my husband Chris.  We have had a wide range of flyball dogs:  a rescue height dog, pure breeds and a purposely bred flyball mix.  My background helps me see the different perspectives people have within our sport.   I believe it is important to see the individual pieces that make up the big picture when making decisions as our sport moves forward and becomes more mainstream in the world of dog sports.     

Hello all,

I would like to introduce myself once again to all of the NAFA community.  My first term on the NAFA  Board of Directors is coming to an end and I would appreciate the opportunity to continue working for this great organization.

Way back in 2001 I was watching a new station called Animal Planet and they just happened to be highlighting a dog sport called Flyball.  I had a ball crazy Lab/Boxer mix at the time and thought, “Oh wow, they invented a game just for my dog!”  It just so happened that there was a flyball team near me which was starting a new class.  We signed up and the rest is history.  I started my own club, Surf City Flyball, in 2008 and we have been running in Regions 6 and 16 ever since.  Our team consists of some very fast dogs and some not so fast dogs.  We love them all the same.  I started with a large “pet” dog and every dog I have gotten since then has been bought or adopted with Flyball in mind.  My latest dog happens to be a height dog and I think that having her has given me a much better perspective on the unique need to keep the height dog aspect of flyball intact.  Making sure the measuring process is easy and fair for everyone is very important to me.  I feel that I can bring some of our all inclusive viewpoints onto the Board so that we are sure to keep and attract participants with dogs of all shapes and sizes who want to have fun, but are not diehard competitors (at least not in the beginning).

 I have served as the Chairman of the Election Committee last year and have been on the Rules Committee as well.  I strive to be accessible to any and all members who have any questions or concerns and am always to willing to listen to what you have to say.  I appreciate that you trusted me the last time I ran for the Board and hope that you will give me your support this time.  Thank you,

Kathy Haney

Hello,

Personal: Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, currently lives in Wheat Ridge, Colorado (Region 19). Married to Susi Evans (Launch Flyball) since 1983. One daughter, Jessica.

Work: Presently working for the State of Colorado as a System Administrator in the Office of the State Controller. I spent 22 years as a Windows software engineer for various ERP vendors and, before that, 12 years as a Security Specialist in the USAF. Attended University of Maryland, European Campus, focusing on Mathematics and Computer Science (major).

Flyball: First involvement with Flyball was as a box loader in 2004 and worked my way up to running dogs. I am very much involved with my wife in training all our dogs as well as club dogs. I run with Launch Flyball and love competing with my whippet Quid. We host 2 tournaments a year. I’d like to make a difference and have input in growing the sport and making it as safe and fun as possible for dogs and handlers.

Interests: Travel, writing, flyball.
Thank you
Russell Evans

My name is Emily-Rose Allred and I am running for the NAFA Board of Directors.  

I started playing Flyball in 2012 with my shelter mix Nova. She needed an energy outlet and loved a tennis ball. I googled “Dog sports” and found flyball. From my very first practice I was all in. I have never been a family person, but have been so blessed to have found my family within the flyball community. 

In 2018 I founded That’s So Fetch Flyball Club in Region 9. We started with 4 core members and have quickly grown to 12 active teammates with many wonderful dogs. In my day to day life, I am an administrative assistant for an outdoor lighting company and can be found pretty much 24/7 on the internet talking about flyball. 
I share my life with 7 dogs (and a husband) all of which have played flyball or are in training. From a French Bulldog to a sports mix, I am equal opportunity in my home and in my club for all people and dogs. 

I chose to run for the NAFA board because of my passion for the sport.  I would like to help promote our sport and help current competitors have the best time possible. My goals would be finding ways to open dialog between competitors, as well as make resources for captains who need help and feedback.  I know personally navigating as a Captain, I have needed support from many other Captains in my Region and wish there had been easier access to information or mentorship.  Most importantly, I would like to serve on the NAFA board because I would love to give back to the community that has given me so much. 

Question 1 – Which Committee(s) do you think would be a good fit for you and why?

Lynda Mantler: I am eager to work diligently where needed should I be a successful board candidate. Areas I feel I would be able to contribute best are: 

Marketing Committee – Continue with the Junior Participant pin and CanAm shirt competitions.  Incent Junior Participants by bringing in extra recognition for them; bring a wider array of NAFA branded products available to competitors and judges.  Smaller items could be offered for purchase as tournament prizes. 

Judges Committee – Regular dialogue with judges as they are often first to see issues that need to be addressed.  Ensure we properly equip our judges with meaningful training and trust them to do the job.  Provide a prompt response when NAFA is made aware of issues brought forward by judges, competitors and RDs. 

Technology committee – There are some people out there in the flyball community who have great ideas and are working on ways to improve technology such as the way stats are recorded at tournaments.  Let’s get them talking with the technology committee.  

Election Committee – Continue to explore ways to engage our constituents in the process.  Encourage interested competitors to run for election.  Ideally, NAFA would have representation from many geographic areas. 

Executive Committee – I am currently serving as secretary and would love to continue in that capacity.  Having the minutes available to be read as soon as possible is an important part of communication with the flyball community. 

Emma Mak:  First, I would like to continue on the Rules Committee, as I’ve been a member since 2017 and chair of that committee since 2018, so I bring experience, as well as my in-depth knowledge of the NAFA database and things like regional, NAFA and ROCC calculations to the table. There will be rule changes coming based on the new measuring system rollout, and as a co-chair of the Special Measuring Committee (tasked with coming up with recommendations for the rollout for the board), I’m well positioned to steer the Rules Committee as we make the necessary adjustments to the rules.

Last year I chaired the newly formed NAFAblog Committee, and would like to continue working on that as the articles produced are a means of engaging the flyball community, as well as a way of attracting new flyballers by featuring clubs that are looking for new members and/or offering lessons.

I would also like to continue as a member of the Technology Committee, as I’m NAFA’s statistician and have the most in-depth knowledge of the database. The committee will continue to focus on further development of new EJS components, as well as longterm plans for moving the sport forward with tournaments becoming paperless. In the shortterm, I’ve been using a great online scoring program developed by a competitor at my club’s tournaments, and hope to see if NAFA can make this available. I would also like to see the website be updated to use WordPress so as to become more easily updateable and compatible with mobile devices.

Jayne McQuillen:  I think I would be a good fit for the Rules, Marketing, Disciplinary, Technology Committees.  I am already on the Communications & NAFA Blog Committees.  I am a good fit for the Rules Committee because as a Regional Director, I have to be very familiar with the Rulebook.  Competitors routinely asked about rules, rule changes, and interpretations of the rules.  I have discussed many rule related issues with judges, the Executive Director, and sent items to the BOD for further clarification.  I also drafted the RD Handbook which required sifting through the Rulebook to narrow down which rules specifically apply to the RD.  I think I would be a good fit with the Disciplinary Committee because I do know the rules and have dealt with issues further forward!  While I am thrilled with the new EJS system in development, I think there is more technology that NAFA can continue to make improvements.  Technology also involves websites, databases and any emerging avenue we can utilize to make competing or hosting a tournament easier.  Tying technology into Marketing & Communications efforts is a good way to make sure NAFA doesn’t miss out on new ways to keep the sport modern and relevant.on the ground as an RD.  I have a strong interest in marketing the sport of flyball.  To me, marketing is not just making people aware of flyball and aware of NAFA.  We need a more concentrated effort to not just make people aware of the sport, but to help clubs turn them into competitors.  We also need more support to help with club development in areas where there are no existing clubs.   Last, I love technology and I would love to help push the sport

Alex Le: I can add value to any committee but would love to be a part of the Technology Committee.  Given my background with the firms here in silicon valley, I can help drive some strong relationships to help with building a better website or even partnering with vendors to help streamline costs for streaming during our CanAm tournament.  I know alot of work goes into building our new lights and would love to help out where I can.

Question 2: What things have you done to help Flyball in general and NAFA specifically in the past?

Alex Le: I have loved flyball ever since I discovered it with my first labrador retriever.  He was never the fastest but he enjoyed his time playing and I enjoyed meeting so many incredible people all over the US, Canada and now throughout the larger flyball community accross the world.  I’ve been a huge advocate for the sport and driving new members by teaching beginner flyball classes and encouraging new participants to try the sport whenever they see us practicing or working foundational skills.  I am currently a member of the Communications committee and would love to be more involved to help provide additional transparency or in whatever capacity is needed to help NAFA grow.

Jayne McQuillen: As a 20+ year competitor and team owner, a lot of what I have done is on the ground level.  First and foremost, I have offered the opportunity to learn the sport to people in my local area. Being willing to teach classes, to train new dogs off the street and get people excited about the sport is really important!  As the team owner I’ve overseen Skidmarkz growth from 8 people in 2002 to 20 people today, most of whom were brand new to the sport of flyball.  My husband and I have built own flyball training building, which we rent out to other local clubs and individuals.  That enables more people to practice without investing in lots of equipment.  We also have hosted fun matches as an opportunity for local clubs to get tournament like experience.  As a Regional Director, I’ve also helped put on an Open House, in the largest Metro area of Iowa.  This helped the first Des Moines Area flyball club get great exposure to interested people and there are now 2 clubs in that area!  I try to provide connections for mentorship, training and equipment resources to help those teams starting out.  On a regular basis I am contacted about clubs in our region and send interested people to the nearest clubs.  I try to maintain an accurate contact list and know which clubs are teaching classes and/or accepting new members.  I work to maintain an active, informative and fun regional Facebook page that keeps competitors up to date. Recently I started a Facebook group for flyball just in the St Louis, MO area.  There has been a continual stream of interest in flyball in that area, but no active clubs.  My hope is to organize a similar Open House style event in that area, when it’s safe to do so.  Hopefully, this will jumpstart club development in what was a hotbed of flyball years ago.  I have tried to increase NAFA’s profile by participating in the Purina Pro Plan Incredible Dog Challenge and I followed up by contacting local news outlets to promote the airing of that show, as well as the sport of flyball in my area.  I’ve also a volunteer with the Communications Committee and the Special Measuring Committee.  

Emma Mak:  I feel very strongly about NAFA flyball. Before my last three years on the board, I was a non-board committee member on the Rules Committee, Technology Committee and Election Committee for several years. I’m also a Co-Regional Director for Region 2, working mainly on the non-event duties, such as approving sanctioning and schedules. I think one of the best ways to contribute to NAFA is to host tournaments! I’ve been a Tournament Director and/or Tournament Secretary for my club for a few years hosting popular, themed events in our region.

Lynda Mantler:  I have helped organize and participated in many public flyball demonstrations such as fairs, Canada Day celebrations, Giants lacrosse games and even for a church group! I also was one of the organizers and trainers for introductory flyball lessons for many different sessions over the years. We handed out flyers that were produced by our club and also the NAFA brochures. And of course, I talk about flyball to anyone I meet who does not know about it!

I have a strong work ethic.  Over the years I have done a lot of volunteering to help clubs at tournaments.  I love to work as line judge, on the timing table or wherever I am needed.   I have served as tournament director and tournament secretary and had a few opportunities to sub in for our Regional Director.  All great learning experiences!

For NAFA, I have served on the Board of Directors for the past four years and have had excellent attendance at meetings.  I have worked on:

• Disciplinary Committee and have been working on an ad hoc committee regarding procedures for Unsportsmanlike Charges.
• Judges Committee – working on the committee to oversee education requirements, development of new judges and advancement of judges.
• Executive Committee – In my role as secretary, I have worked at getting the board of directors meeting minutes out in a timely fashion. Having the minutes available for participants to read is part of the efforts to help communication. 
•  Special Measuring Committee – the committee goals are: 
• Make Measuring Easier for Competitors, Judges and RDs
• Make Measuring Consistent
• Ensure fair checks and balances in the overall process
• Chair of the Marketing Committee.  Working on the ongoing yearly projects and looking to expand on that as noted above. 
• I have brought forward ideas from competitors and some of them have been approved by the board and implemented. 

Working at CanAm to support the event.  My job the past few years was organizing volunteers to ensure we had people to work on the timing tables, line and box judge positions for up to 7 rings.  On race days, it means getting everyone to their position on time and organizing breaks and lunches for everyone so racing can run smoothly.  I spent a lot of time doing all of these jobs as required.  It meant long days of being on the go (38,000 steps one day), but it was a challenge and a great feeling to accomplish this. 

Question 3: Open – Anything you would like to add as a closing statement for your Board of Directors candidacy?

Lynda Mantler: Why vote for me:  Passion for the cause:  FLYBALL!

I will support the flyball community and express my opinion at meetings

I will diligently prepare ahead for each meeting.  I will make the time to do this.

Eager to serve on committees.

I will bring your ideas and concerns forward to the board

I enjoy serving organizations that I am involved with.  I have prior board experience having served on nonprofit flyball and community club boards and various industry boards.  I have served as secretary and treasurer and director at large. 

Some people excel at flyball skills training.  That is not my forte, however, I feel I have much to contribute to the board of directors. 

I realize that the status quo is not good enough in organizations.  If we stay the way we are, we are actually falling behind other organizations that are making advancements and taking some of our members.  We need to continue to evolve and improve.  There is competition out there which definitely makes us better.  We need people who are open minded and willing to make changes that will make our sport better.  i.e., new awards, new tournament formats, new technology, exploring ideas from competitors. 

We all need a fresh start every year. It’s important that we go into the New Year with an open mind and a new way of thinking. I am really looking forward to racing again.  It has been a long time since most of us have been able to see our flyball friends and feel the excitement of competition.  I am an optimist and believe we will make flyball work in 2021.  It may not be the way we want it to be at first, but we will get back into the lanes in some fashion and appreciate every bit of it.   

The final date to vote is January 13.  Please be sure to cast your vote and vote for Lynda 😊  I would be honored to serve on your behalf.  

Thank you!

Emma Mak:  I’d just like to say thank you to those that are taking an interest in our responses to these questions and those posed in the live chat. I hope to continue serving on the board during this difficult yet exciting time, as we move towards re-opening and rolling out a new, robust measuring system. Looking forward to seeing you all in the lanes when we can be together again!

Jayne McQuillen:  I thank everyone for taking the time to get to know all of the NAFA Candidates.  I see volunteering on the NAFA BOD as way that I can give back to the sport that has given so much to my family & I.  I have already stepped up and volunteered as an RD, and on several Committees.  Overall, I hope everyone has gotten a sense of how much I value promoting this sport to anyone.  Current flyballers obviously know the sport and love it.  However, I think there is a missing link between people knowing that Flyball exists and people having the opportunity to train & compete in it.  I know many flyballers have had the chance to try out new sports in the last year due to COVID.  The opportunity was there to try those sports out, when it’s safe, Flyball needs to be just as easy to try out.  We all can make sure we grow our own sport by not turning away interested people.  We can increase participation, grow teams, grow clubs and in the end grow tournaments by helping make sure the sport is accessible.  I also invite anyone who has questions for me to email mcjayne@yahoo.com.         

Alex Le:  Thank you so much for taking the time to read and consider all the candiates.  There are some amazing people here that will be able to provide great support for the board and help NAFA grow into a great organization.  I am so excited, as I am sure everyone else is, about getting back into the ring for racing and seeing all my friends again in 2021.  I understand that change is difficult and hard and we’ve all been through alot in 2020.  I hope that everyone takes a look at my strong background in management and my comitment to providing transparency and support to all players.  As a board member, you have my promise to bring you transparency, to ensure that you will be listened to and that your concerns and issues are addressed.  This is the way to help all of us create a great NAFA organization.

Question 1: Why do you want to be a member of the NAFA Board of Directors?

Alex Le: The primary reason to serve on a Board of Director is to meaningfully contribute to serving an organization.  That’s a pretty typical answer.

I am a leader.  I’ve managed large scale silicon valley projects, large budgets, led diverse teams and spent countless hours in meetings and conference calls to deal with emergencies and put out situational fires.  It’s in my DNA, and its been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life.

BUT I also believe NAFA may be in need of a strong go getter within the Board.  We want to continue to ensure that we challenge the current flyball players but also effectively reach the new ones that are joining the sport.  Getting these folks to engage and participate requires us to build trust through our transparency while being able to allow NAFA to adapt and move into a more diverse and connected flyball community.

Cultural organizational changes are challenging and scary…. And I want to help NAFA embrace new perspectives and views.  I come with solutions and can bring action oriented common sense to help move NAFA through my skills in technology, communication transparency, partnerships, and building engagement with our flyball players.

Jayne McQuillen: I have always believed you should give back to the organizations that you enjoy participating in if you want them to continue to be there for you to enjoy.  Having worked with various volunteer run organizations, I am well aware that there is a need for hard working, thoughtful people to keep moving the organization forward. 

Emma Mak: I am running for my second term as a board member because I enjoy giving back to NAFA flyball; the sport has brought me so many positive things in my life: great friends, great dogs, and a sense of community. I like working on a team with the other board members and ED, all of whom also have a great passion for flyball and for helping people. I feel my strengths which include working out the details of how something can be implemented, being determined to get things done in a timely manner, and having leadership skills add value to the board.

Lynda Mantler: As a current member of the board, I want to continue to support and contribute to the sport I am so passionate about. I have received so much from the awesome experiences I have had during my time in flyball and have made lifelong friends. I want to be involved and give back to the sport.  I Iike to know what is going on and I find work on the NAFA board very interesting and challenging. The board needs many points of view and I am not afraid to speak up at meetings and state my opinions.  It’s important to have views from all the various regions.  I enjoy being part of a team that I can contribute to. 

Question 2: What is the one thing you would like to see changed, added or removed and why?

Lynda Mantler: An overhaul of the entire measuring process has been top of mind. This is being actioned now by a special measuring committee and will be resolved in the coming months, so I will choose another topic. 

An idea for when racing resumes…introduce sanctioned pairs and singles racing on a trial basis.   Tournaments will likely be smaller when we can begin racing again.  This would enable the host club to offer another class of racing to help with entry fees and add revenue for NAFA as well. 

Some advantages of trying this out: 

• Fewer people in the ring at a time
• Set aside a specific time frame for when these races are run, ie. lunch time and after the teams racing has finished.  That would allow some competitors to come into the venue only when they are racing.
• After the long period when we haven’t been racing, there will be dogs that can complete the course but are not ready to race on a team.  It would give them exposure in a tournament environment.
• It would give competitors the opportunity to have their dog’s time recorded on the EJS
• Suited for competitors whose club can’t field a team but have members that still want to come out and race
• This could work for clubs that can field a team but don’t have enough for multiple teams.  The dogs not on a team could race in singles and pairs. 
• Dogs would run fewer heats than dogs on a team, so it would work for dogs that need to work up to full time racing again

Monitor the success of the new offering and invite feedback.

Emma Mak:  I want to see improvements to the measuring system implemented. I’m currently co-chair of the Special Measuring Committee and we’re presenting a plan for a fully realized mandatory measuring system to the board by the end of this year. The plan will realize three goals:

1. Making measuring easier for competitors, Judges and RDs.
2. Making sure measuring is consistent across regions.
3. Ensuring for checks and balances in the overall process.

Measuring has long been a point of frustration for NAFA’s competitors, and implementing a plan that meets these three goals needs to happen so NAFA can move forward and put this divisive issue behind us.

Jayne McQuillen: I would like to see improvements in NAFA’s technology.  At the bare minimum, a modernized website that is more user friendly.  I think it especially needs more appeal to people who are trying to find out about the sport.  Along with that, I would like to see a move to more electronic record keeping for tournaments.  I know Alex Le has some great ideas on that front that are already being implemented at tournaments in his area.  

Alex Le: Ohhh, tought one.  I do see, from the past few years, that there is a changing population participating in flyball.  With this comes advances in the way we play the sport and as the sport grows,  we get these incredible faster times and each year, a new crop of participants join the fun.

For us to move NAFA into the next stage, we need to be able to embrace collaborative problem solving.  The organization needs to be able to adjust to the changing environment and let go of the zero sum game, where someone has to lose in order for you to win.  Where collaborative problem solving occurs, innovation follows.

If we work together to solve problems and take on insights and perspectives from our members, we grow together to represent everyone involved.  As an example, I recently proposed that we review our website and as COVID events unfolded, offered a plan to help NAFA move into a more responsive communication standard and transparency, in addition to improving our web site and infrastructure.  I don’t come with complaints; I always come prepared with solutions and partnership with large organizaitons who are willing to help us solve problems and improve the way NAFA responds to members and provide needed transparency.

Question 3: How would you deal with a situation in which you have a strong opinion on a topic/issue brought up for a Board of Directors vote and the majority of the Board disagrees with you?

Alex Le: I believe this question should be stated as how would the current Board of Directors feel if the majority of the people from NAFA disagrees with the Board.  

Disagreements and differing perspectives are the hallmark of democracy and our growth as an organization.  I am not asking to be a Board member to further my own interests; I am running to be a NAFA board member, as I’ve alluded to in my answers, to represent the folks on the ground who play flyball with NAFA and who spend countless hours trainning and travelling and participating in dog sports to spend time with their dogs and their friends.  

Being in a leadership position means you have to be able to practice critical listening skills and be able to translate that into a prespective that will allow the organization to grow as changes are inevitable and change can be good.  In my professional life and personal life, I am keen on hearing all perspectives and am very good at understanding all sides of an issue.  If there is a disagreement, I plan on being connected enough to the NAFA players and participants to give them a voice at the table.  

If the there is a strong disagreement from the Board on an issue at hand, I plan on being able to articulate the different perspective and represent the diversity that exists from the NAFA participants.  I want to make sure that even if the issue vote is not the decision for the majority of the Board, the different views and diversity of the minority perspective and the members’ views are not under valued or that the voices are not being heard.  To me, the NAFA Board needs to represent all of NAFA participants; we need to be more effective at ensuring that we elevate different voices, integarte these contrasting insights and that we always welcome conversations, even if they are difficult ones to have. 

Jayne McQuillen: I fully recognize that my thoughts are not the only thoughts on any topic, being a board member means you have to be willing to compromise, adjust thinking and work to move forward any decision.  Board members can all have their own opinions, but that doesn’t mean your way is the only way.  You can set aside your opinion to work toward group goals.

Emma Mak: The Board of Directors is made up of nine people from various clubs, regions, and backgrounds, who want to do what is best for NAFA. I’m not someone to hold back my opinion for what I think is best for the organization, but if the majority of the board disagrees and wants to go a different way – I will support the final decision. When discussing a topic/issue, it’s good to have respectful disagreement among board members, as considering different view points, and looking at an issue from all sides are key to coming to the best decision for the organization. Once the decision is made, it’s important to move past any disagreement and work as a cohesive team to communicate and implement the results of that decision.

Lynda Mantler: This is bound to happen when there are differing opinions as there needs to be on any board. I have experienced this and what I did was express my opinion and the reasons for it to ensure that what I believed was understood.    When the vote went in a direction I did not agree with, I respected that my view was not that of the majority.   It did not stand in the way of me earnestly working towards the outcome for the project that had been decided on.  I contributed within the guidelines provided and focused on the positive aspects of the project. In the end, I felt a sense of accomplishment for doing this.

Alex is a proven leader and has held leadership positions in Business Strategy, Information Technology Management, and Program/Portfolio Management.  He is a lawyer by training and currently serves on multiple boards including co-chair of the HRC fund raising committee and an active member of the Fair Oaks City Council in his community.  For NAFA, Alex is currently on the Communications Committee. 

He comes from a strong management consulting background, having worked for the top 5 professional services and consulting organizations and currently works with a Silicon Valley startup in CA to help drive program management processes and implement best practices.  This background to driving engagement and transparency to constituents is an asset that he can bring to NAFA. 

Alex is running for NAFA Board as a new member to bring a much-needed injection of insight and execution to help the Board fulfil its vision and further the flyball sport within the dog sports community.  Alex brings awareness and understanding of new members that have joined the flyball community, seeking a fun and energetic activity for their dogs.  With this comes the socialization aspect of flyball events and an opportunity to meet others who share these interests.  A Board that understands and reflects these values and interests of ALL their members is key to a successful growth of flyball and NAFA.  To this end, Alex will be running on 3 key components that he will bring to NAFA: Transparency, Fairness, and Modernization. 

As we grow as an organization, change is inevitable, and Alex will bring the sharpness of his ability to solve problems and targeted execution to help NAFA move forward into its next phase.  We must, as an organization, re engage flyballers and do so in a systematic approach that will drive those key engagement interests from ALL our members.  A NAFA future with a strong structure to provide members with transparency and use of technology to modernize how we play the game will be the key to our success as an organization.  This way of thinking and commitment to our members will keep all of us competing with our dogs in NAFA and make our time with NAFA a top notch flyball experience.

My name is Jayne McQuillen and I am running for the NAFA Board of Directors.  

I was introduced to flyball in the fall of 1998, when a flyball competitor adopted one of my foster dogs.  She invited us to a practice and a few short months later, our dog was in the ring!  A year later, we needed a second dog for my husband to play with.  We eat, breathe, sleep flyball now!  I never would have imagined that 20 years later we would still be enamored with the sport.  As a bonus, we are sharing that love with our eight year old daughter.  The big attraction for us is just having fun with our dogs, however, we found a second family with our club and supportive community of fellow dog lovers.  

I am currently the club owner of Skidmarkz Flyball Club, Regional Director for Region 21, a volunteer with the NAFA Communications Committee and the new Special Measuring Committee (SMC).  I volunteered to draft the first version of the new Regional Director’s manual.  Which is a great help for new & existing Regional Directors, as often the responsibilities of the position were passed by word of mouth.  It also helps provide uniformity across regions and well as transparency to competitors about the role of Regional Director.  I am very excited to be involved with the (SMC), the new measuring device looks very promising.  We are working to make sure the measuring process is easy for competitors and clearly communicated.  As the Regional Director of an active and growing region, I have tried very hard to help new people find clubs to play on and helped new clubs develop from scratch.  Having the opportunity to fill these volunteer roles with NAFA has given a great insight into the complexity of issues facing the NAFA BOD.

In my real life, I work part time as an Administrative Assistant, which allows me time to delve into lots of other interests.  I spent 18 years involved in Australian Shepherd Breed Rescue organizations.  Helping first with a large national group, ARPH, as a foster home, Regional Representative for Iowa and a BOD member.  I was the founder of a smaller Midwest based rescue group, Protégé Canine Rescue where I also served for ten years as President.  Working in non-profit animal welfare organizations required a great deal of people skills, compromise and flexibility.  I currently run a business teaching dog training focused on performance skills.  COVID-19 has added new challenges to that.  Thankfully out of the box thinking has enabled me to find new ways to teach in these difficult times.

 My primary reason for running for the NAFA BOD is to utilize my diverse experience to grow the sport of flyball by creating a competitive environment that is accessible to everyone.  I have trained a broad array of dogs, some slow, some fast, some steady and some unreliable, and have dogs who fit in every category.  My club once could barely field 2 lineups, and barely ran under 24 seconds.  We have grown to a much larger team, with a wider variety of dogs.  Currently, I have one of the fastest dogs on the team, as well as one of the slowest which provides a great contrast in training and competing.  I believe whether it is a dog, team, or club that everyone deserves equal treatment and to have their interests represented in a fair way.  So many times those pet owners do go on to become the fiercest of competitors.  Many times they just find what I did, a fun outlet for their dogs and a fun group of dog lovers.  I really want NAFA to focus on making sure the bread & butter competitors are not taken for granted. 

READY?!! It’s one of the best sounds on Earth, as the teams watch the lights for racing to begin…I’ve been playing flyball for eighteen years, and STILL find the sights and sounds thrilling.

In 2001, I told my friend that we were getting a miniature poodle puppy, and she said–Oh, you should do flyball with him!–we need height dogs. We went out to a practice and I’d never seen anything like it. It was fascinating to see dogs put the sequence of moves together. I couldn’t wait to see if Jonah could learn it. After about a year, we were in the lanes and Jonah was absolutely loving it…he would actually glance over at the dog in the other lane and try to beat it back.

Since then my family of people and dogs has grown significantly: Gord and I now have four kids and five dogs, most of whom participate in various ways in flyball. We are members of SpringLoaded, which is based in Niagara region, Ontario. Our club hosts multiple tournaments a year, where we have themes and encourage people to unleash their weirdness and dress-up–and maybe even dance a bit to our awesome tunes. I’ve been a Tournament Director and/or Secretary for most of our events. Hosting can be exhausting for a club, but it’s also SO much fun, especially when your teammates like to be creative and put their own special spin on the events.

We all know flyball is the best dog sport: it’s the only team sport and this means you get a whole new group of people to care about—your team, and beyond that, your ‘flyball family’ from all over North America. Over the years I’ve done work maintaining the NAFA database and it gave me some insight into the NAFA board work and committees. I’ve volunteered time on Election, Rules and Technology Committees to give back to the flyball community that’s brought me so much. I finally got up the nerve to run for the board in 2018.

I’m now the NAFA Vice Chairman, and chair of the Rules Committee and NAFAblog Committee. In my first term, one of my favourite accomplishments has been working with volunteers, Dede Crough and
Jayne McQuillen, to get the NAFAblog started as a way to engage the flyball community, and feature clubs looking for new members. My current main focus is as co-chair of the Special Measuring Committee (SMC), with Cindy Henderson. We are a nine-member team tasked with providing the board with a fully realized plan, by December 31st, 2020, for implementing a new measuring system that accomplishes three goals:

1. Making measuring easier for competitors, Judges and RDs.
2. Making sure measuring is consistent across regions.
3. Ensuring for checks and balances in the overall process.

As the SMC works on the rest of the full plan, we’re keeping the feedback we’ve received from competitors, RDs, and judges front and centre. We know that competitors want to move on from the measuring issues of the past, and we’re determined to get it done.

Thanks for taking the time to read this to get to know me better. I hope you’ll consider supporting me in a second term as a board member. Wishing you all the best and look forward to seeing you in the lanes once flyball resumes. Stay safe!

Hello fellow flyball fanatics, 

I am running for a second term on the NAFA board because I am passionate about flyball.  When I started out, I never expected it would come to this!  I was just looking to get my dog into agility so we could have an activity to do over the winter months when it was cold and wet outside when I got home from work every day. 

The agility class was full so I enrolled my Weimaraner in flyball lessons.  It seemed like a fine sport to me but my dog was crazy about it so I continued on and joined the flyball and agility club.  Then we started competing and I saw that competitors spent their entire weekend running flyball.  That seemed extreme to me but before long, I was spending my weekends at tournaments,  helping with club lessons, working on the board of the club and planning all my vacations around tournaments. 

That was 20 years ago!  As with most hobbies you get into, there is so much more than at first meets the eye.

I have run on fast teams and slower teams; open and regular.  I’ve enjoyed travelling to other provinces and states, and while each region definitely has its own flavour, one thing that is constant is that teams crate together, delight in camaraderie, share food, love their dogs and have a great time in the lanes. 

I am a member of Run Free Flyball Club in Aldergrove, BC in Region 7; British Columbia, Oregon, Washington.  We host a tournament every year and I have been tournament secretary since joining the club.  We always add a little extra fun to the tournament by making up games, contests and awards. 

I realize that people have different reasons they love flyball and I understand the rewards available for dogs and competitors in all divisions.  Flyball matters for all people and all dogs. 

As my involvement in the sport grew, I became very interested in anything to do with organizing and working at tournaments which evolved into my interest in serving on the NAFA board. 

My experience in my worklife has been largely managerial.  I have served on numerous industry and community boards. 

My duties on the board have included the Disciplinary Committee, Judges Committee, Executive Committee in my capacity as secretary and Chair of the Marketing Committee.  I’ve attended CanAm every year that I have been on the board, working and supporting the tournament. 

Being on the board has brought an understanding of the magnitude of work and sacrifices that board members undertake to make flyball fair for all regions.  I feel very privileged to be working on behalf of NAFA competitors. 

I am currently on the Special Measuring Committee to review the entire measuring process from the device through to the actual measuring of dogs at tournaments and recommend to the NAFA BoD a new comprehensive program and process for measuring.  It will be great to finally get this resolved and roll out the plan.  NAFA needs to keep moving ahead to stay relevant in the dog sport world. 

I miss flyball so much and am anxiously waiting to get back in the lanes.  We have a great flyball community.  I’m really looking forward to seeing all the people and dogs again! 

Thanks for reading.  I hope you will consider voting for me in this election. 

Lynda Mantler