Governing Body Executive Committee Nominees

Here are our nominees for the coming Governing Body elections. The terms for the these elections will begin on January 1, 2011 and end on December 31, 2013. The Elections will begin on November 1rst. Instructions will come in the November/December edition of The Cutting Edge. In the meantime take this opportunity to meet the canididates and reachout to them with any questions you have.

President:

FM Chuck Coyl:  Thirty years ago I traveled to Macomb, Illinois to participate in a workshop from a fledgling organization called the Society of American Fight Directors. That experience changed my life; it instilled in me a passion for the art, changed the course of my theatre career and gave me a new family. I am honored to have the chance to give back to the organization that has given so much to me. I seek to secure the financial future of the organization as a whole, to further strengthen the NSCW and to pursue our professional union affiliations. I am sure that together we can continue to develop the organization in a way that is responsive both to the needs of the industry and the needs of our membership.

Vice President

CT John Tovar: I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for being members. If it weren’t for you, none of us would be here and I am truly honored and humbled to have been nominated for a second term.

The last three years have been a time of hard fought growth. We, the current Governing Body, have worked hard to implement much needed changes in the SAFD. I feel the changes were necessary in order to push the organization into the 21st century. The biggest headache has, obviously, been our website. The customization needed of our website proved to be quite daunting and expansive. However, I am happy to say that our website is on its way to becoming what we hoped. Several new items will roll out in the next month that will streamline the way we do business and increase the exposure of our members. I couldn’t be more excited.

Reflecting back over the past three years, there is one thing that I realized. I attempted to work in multiple areas of the SAFD in order to help get things done. I now realize that was a mistake. To that end, I have eliminated the majority of my additional responsibilities within the SAFD in order to focus on the most important task – helping to lead this wonderful organization. I have found that spreading oneself too thin by working in multiple areas of the organization doesn’t allow for focus in any given area, thus causing bottlenecks within. We can’t allow that to happen again. If re-elected, I intend to continue working toward the progression of our organization by looking to the members to help move us forward. By spreading out the workload, we can efficiently accomplish more. I hope that you will step up and help make this a reality by contacting the Governing Body and your Regional Representatives and telling them that you want to help. We all have a great stake in this organization, and we all need to participate to ensure our place as a valued member of the entertainment community.

CT Mike Mahaffey: I am honored by the nomination to serve as SAFD Vice-President. As Secretary from 2004 to 2007, I proved that I had the drive and desire to do the work necessary to help the SAFD become a professional organization. I helped us maintain strong internal and external communication and passed on considerable value to our membership by boosting the efforts of The Cutting Edge into a more effective voice for the membership. I would now like to channel that energy into growth and  improvements for our organization as Vice-President.

I feel our most pressing needs as an organization are as follows:

• Visibility – Letting the industry know what our membership at every level are doing on the local, regional and national stage: By benefiting our membership we benefit the SAFD.
• Financial Well-being – Grant writing and other alternative sources of income are needed to help restore the fiscal health of the SAFD. We need to put an eye towards building the SAFD of the future.
• Quality of training – We should be helping our membership of all levels to develop and grow and stay competitive in this challenging economy, yet do so without setting an unrealistic and unattainable bar.

I believe I have the creative thinking it would take for these efforts as Vice-President. I am committed to making the SAFD the best it can be, both as a Society and as a Non-Profit organization. I hope you’ll agree and cast your vote for me as your next Vice-President.

Secretary:

CT H. Russ Brown: Howdy Campers! H. Russ Brown here. The “H” stands for “Honored” to have served in the position of Regional Representative Coordinator for the SAFD these past few years and even more honored to accept the nomination for Secretary of the SAFD. I am always thankful for the opportunity to give back to this organization that has already given me so much. I am a positive and highly-organized individual with an exceptionally strong work ethic. I also know when to lead and when to be a part of the team. With these skills sets and my open, diplomatic demeanor, I would serve the office of Secretary commendably, represent the SAFD to the best of my ability and be a driving force behind our growth into the future.

I am an SAFD Certified Teacher and Theatre Director for Pasadena Memorial High School in Pasadena, TX. My areas of expertise include Acting, Musical Theatre, Voice/Dialects, Playwriting, Movement & Stage Combat. My proudest accomplishments, however, are my 21-year marriage to my wife, Elizabeth, and our two beautiful and talented children: Auben, 11, and Grant, 17.

“Love is my Sword, Faith is my Armour & Humor is my Shield.”

CT Tiza Garland: I have been an active member of the SAFD for 15 years.  Most recently, I was on the Glossary Task Force which submitted proposed modifications of the SAFD Glossary to the Governing Body in May of this year.  While the role of Secretary differs in its duties from organization to organization, I am well qualified for the position having served as Secretary on the Executive Committee for the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC), the largest theatre organization in the United States with a membership of over 4,000 people, for two terms.  Serving as that organization’s Secretary has provided me with experience in documenting meetings and publishing the approved minutes in a timely fashion for the entire membership to access.  I am familiar with working with a large Executive Committee as well as a large Advisory Board. 

Additionally, I was the Chair of the Stage Movement Committee of the same organization for five terms; this leadership position gave me experience in soliciting support from active members, encouraging activity from passive members, and experience in creating and revising an operations manual for the position.  My experience also includes scheduling and planning convention workshops and programs; highlighting my organizational skills.  I currently serve on Leadership Initiatives and Strategic Planning Committees which has provided me with ideas of branding, reorganizing, and streamlining operations that will aid the SAFD Governing Body achieve certain goals in the near future.   I have recently been accepted to the Higher Education Resources Services Institute for women in administration in higher education, it is certain that my experience in this exceptional training will aid in completing tasks as a member of the SAFD Governing Body with clarity, confidence, poise, and efficiency.

AC Sara Hodges: I came to the SAFD in 2006, knowing nothing about stage combat, and found a family and a passion. I have interned at the Winter Wonderland, the Summer Sling, the Virginia Beach Bash, Carnage in the Corn, and the National, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue serving the SAFD as its Secretary. If elected, I will endeavor to fulfill the duties of my office in a timely fashion, and to support the rest of the Governing Body in any way I can. Thank you for this honor.

Sara Hodges is a graduate of James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA, and has been a member of the Society of American Fight Directors since 2006. Sara has studied and interned at combat workshops from Chicago to Virginia Beach to New York City, and has three national workshops under her belt, as well. Sara's choreography and fight direction have been seen in shows at JMU and in the Harrisonburg area, including The Rover; Almost, Maine; See What I Wanna See; and Twelfth Night. Sara's movement background also includes dance training and martial arts. She holds a black belt in Japanese Goju-Ryu, and is currently studying Shito-Ryu, Goshindo and Jiujitsu

CT Casey Kaleba: I first slung steel with the SAFD back in 1992, when the steel outweighed me and Lewis Shaw was able to use me as a quarterstaff. Eighteen years, sixteen regional workshops, twenty-two tests and renewals (and a few pounds) later I am humbled and honored to be nominated for Secretary of the organization.

The Secretary is, amongst other administrative duties, responsible for two key activities within the SAFD: the keeping of records and distribution of information. The current Officers of the organization have set us on a bold path which will transform the way the SAFD functions internally and revolutionize the way we are perceived in the artistic and academic communities. In order to make this process possible, and to both keep members aware and involved, I am committed to serving as a timely, thorough, accessible and responsible Secretary. As the SAFD continues to grow in the digital age, the Secretary will be one of the most prominent points of contact between the organization, its membership, and our artistic colleagues. I have the drive, the time, the energy, and the desire to serve in this capacity, and would be pleased to do so.

Finally, as an active part of the growing guard in the Washington DC area, I am pleased also to bring focus and recognition to our strong theatre scene, and developing fight community. We have strong teachers, good fighters, and waiting students: I hope that bringing an Officer to our ranks will help boost our community.

I look forward to the chance to serve an organization that has served me so well, and for so long.

AAC Travis Simms: I am honored and ecstatic to have the opportunity to run for Secretary of the Society of American Fight Directors. I have been a member for seven years and the Society has become such a huge part of my life. Earlier this year, I was asked to serve as the Pacific-West Regional Representative and I would be remiss to pass on an opportunity to serve in a higher capacity.

For the last three years, I have been interning and assisting at regional workshops around the country, and this year I took over as the Head Intern at the National Stage Combat Workshop. I believe I have the organizational capacity and communication skills necessary to successfully perform in this position and I would enjoy the chance to better know the membership at large.

Our organization has reached a size and scope that requires a certain amount of evolution. While there have already been some evolutions and others are in the works, I look forward to helping usher in a new era for our Society. I know that we can make our organization larger and greater than it has ever been. With your vote, we can make it happen.

CT Elizabeth "Missy" Styles: The SAFD is an organization very close to my heart. It changed the direction of my career and taught me a new way to look at theatre. Through it, I have also met the most amazing people I have ever known. Over the last several years, this organization has seen a lot of changes, and it continues to grow. There are a lot of questions and possibilities on the horizon. For this organization to keep growing and advancing, it needs people in leadership who have a passion for it, and a personal stake in it. I believe I can offer that, and I want to give back to the organization what it has given to me, focus, direction and support.

CT Heidi Wolf: I am honored to be a candidate for Secretary. I bring to this job a set of excellent organizational, communications, and process-improvement skills; the ability to work closely and cooperatively with others; and the gift of seeing both the big picture and the steps needed to make it a reality. Above all else, I have the desire to use my abilities for the benefit of the SAFD community.

For the past 15 years, I've been a business owner. My company, Order Out Of Chaos, transforms seemingly insoluble tangles into effective smooth-running systems, reducing frustration and stress and improving productivity and earnings. In the 10 years before starting my own firm, I worked as a manufacturing production scheduler and a university admissions/student affairs office administrator, managing complex operational matters and serving as an information resource for diverse constituencies.

I've served multiple terms on the boards of three education and performing arts non-profits, totaling a decade of service. Since joining the SAFD in 2000, I've worked as an intern twice at the NSCW, have been the Northwest Regional Rep since 2007, and coordinated four successful and profitable stage combat workshops in four years.

I look forward to using my skills in service to the SAFD's membership, as your Secretary. Thank you for your vote.

Treasurer

CT Lee Soroko: During the past three years it has been my honor to serve as your Treasurer and I would like to continue in this role for another term. In my tenure I have moved to implement and create a single database system for the processing of both membership status and weapons of proficiency via adjudication, all of which is able to be done on-line for both payment accounting and SAFD record processing. This was part of my 2007 platform for election and as of the 2010 NSCW, this is a promise kept. Prior to my tenure as Treasurer, multiple computer (static) data bases were used to house this information, that in turn would have to be changed and corrected in multiple places. Not only was this inefficient, many of our members have experienced frustrating delays in the processing or payment of SPTs or memberships. With this on-line (dynamic) system for the management of this data, this will no longer be the case.

You can pay for your SPT via credit card (if you wish) and your Fight Master can log-on (if they wish) to immediately denote the results of your test. Furthermore, ALL membership levels (upon his or her permission), is now viewable on our website as a consequence of this system. This is an incredible benefit to the bulk of our members who are trying to gain visibility and employment in the entertainment industry. Now, a potential casting director/employer can view your name, photo, e-mail address, city of residence (PERSONAL ADDRESS REMAINS PRIVATE), current proficient weapons, stage combat teacher and Fight Master Adjudicator. This system will also let you know when your weapons proficiency expires as well as when you qualify for Actor-Combatant or Advanced Actor-Combatant status.

Lastly, two years ago, with the implementation of the Stage Combat Scholarship Program (based on years of SAFD membership), I have supervised the release of $18,385 dollars that has directly gone to support our members wishing to further their skill-set at the National Stage Combat Workshop. It is my desire to continue building on this good program as well as searching out the needed personal to help us acquire additional grants and dollars for our membership. As my predecessor Andrew Hayes has done before me, I want to “continue to fight the good fight”.