BOARD ELECTIONS FOR Vice PRESIDENT AND Treasurer TO BE JANUARY 9, 2022

We will begin the year 2022 with an election for Vice President and Treasurer. Nominations were submitted at the December Board meeting for the following:

Vice President - Kris Staples

Treasurer - John Schmid

Please read through Kris and John's bios below to get to know them a little better. Voting will be held in person prior to the January meeting, Sunday, January 9, 2022.

Kris Staples' Bio

Hello IGHBA Members, my name is Kris Staples and I am honored to be nominated for the position of Vice President on the Board of Directors.  This summer was our first year in the association and I served as head coach of the 11AA team that placed second in the MBT State Tournament and went 39-11 for the season.

I have been involved in youth athletics from the high school level to little league for the past 21 years.  I have served as a coach, director, and board member in both the Cottage Grove and Eagan Athletic Associations covering baseball, softball, and football.  I believe my experiences in these past roles will bring a unique perspective to the position of Vice President.

Specific to baseball, I have completed training for USA Baseball “A, B, C” and Umpire Certification, Babe Ruth League Coaching Youth Baseball, Driveline Baseball Youth Development, and am a Member of the National Alliance for Youth Sports.  These educational opportunities have provided me tools that will help me support the President and Directors in the wide variety of issues the Board is tasked with at a given time.

Having been exposed to several other youth athletic associations I can say with conviction that IGHBA is doing many things for our athletes far better than those in surrounding “bigger” cities.  Without perspective, sometimes it is easy to let the challenges overshadow the good being done.  My goal as VP is to continue to support and build on the solid foundations in place with the current Board, dedicate time to the improvement of each athlete to their individual maximum potential, and help create successful teams and young men at all age levels and abilities.

Thank you for your consideration!  Coach Kris

John Schmid Bio:

The Schmid family (Stephanie, Ella 15 and Logan 12) joined the extended family of the IGHBA when Logan started playing traveling baseball in 2017.  Both Logan and I love everything about baseball.  I've coached in various roles over the last 4 years and enjoy keeping score on the Gamechanger app and taking way too many photos and videos.   I began to get more involved in the monthly IGHBA meetings in 2018 and officially joined the Board as Treasurer from Jan 2019 through Dec 2021.  The passion that my fellow Board and Director members have is contagious and it's been a pleasure working with everyone over the last 2 years.  During my daytime hours that don't involve baseball, I work as an accountant for Travelers (insurance) in St. Paul.

Upon taking over as Treasurer, I thought it was necessary to implement both on-line accounting software and on-line banking, which was thankfully up and running before Covid changed many aspects of our lives in early 2020.  Additionally, our association was able to start Charitable Gambling in mid-2020 and it's been exciting to see the big changes across the association over the last 2 years.  I'm looking forward to making the next 2 years as Treasurer an enjoyable experience for the players, coaches, and families.  I can't help mentioning – the years move by quickly and we are always looking for new Board and Director members.  Thanks for your support and can't wait to get back on the fields in 2022 – John