Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 12, 2022)—Voting is now open for the 2023-25 USA Ultimate Board of Directors election. All current and eligible members are encouraged to learn more about the candidates and cast a vote through their online member accounts at play.usaultimate.org.
There are two board seats up for election this year – At-Large and Elite Athlete.
All current USA Ultimate members in good standing are eligible to vote in the At-Large election, while only elite athletes as defined by Section 5.6(b) of USA Ultimate’s bylaws, are eligible to vote in the elite athlete election.
Voting is quick and easy!
- Log into your member account.
- Click on the “Voting” icon.
- Choose the election in which you wish to vote. (Only qualified elite athletes will be presented with that option.)
- Follow the voting instructions.
The polls close on Friday, December 30.
MEET THE CANDIDATES
As part of their campaigns, and to help voting members learn more about the candidates, each person running for the board of directors was asked to submit information regarding their candidacy using the questions outlined below. Read more to meet and learn about this year’s candidates. *Note: With only one candidate running for each of the two available board seats this year, candidates will be running unopposed.
AT LARGE
Jimmy Donnellon
Describe your professional experience, expertise and/or skill set(s) (e.g., finance, legal, marketing, etc.) and how they relate to and add value to supporting USA Ultimate’s mission of advancing the sport of ultimate in the United States.
Three years as director of operations for Colorado Ultimate/Altitude Youth Ultimate (AYU) after working 15 years in sales and marketing. Now work as director of operations for FastSigns of Colorado Springs and also 15 years as president of Colorado Springs Ultimate Network. My experience gives me background as an event organizer on the national stage while building community on the local level to start youth and adult programs and initiatives.
Provide a brief description about what you would uniquely bring to USA Ultimate to support and accomplish the goals outlined in USA Ultimate’s current strategic plan.
I have decades of experience as an Ultimate player and organizer. I have been a captain of club teams and have coached youth and college teams. I’ve coached and played at the national level. While director of operation for Colorado Ultimate/AYU, I work with the community through the pandemic to double the national growth in memberships from 2020-2021 with playing opportunities for youth and adult including summer camps, 4v4 tournaments, YCC practices, middle school clubs, and community-wide fundraising. I also worked with USA Ultimate, the AYU board, and players from around the country to address the racial injustices in Aurora, Colorado. I was a member of the Youth Task Force and help develop the rules for 4s Ultimate (running the first 4s tournament during the pandemic).
Provide a brief statement outlining why you feel you are a strong candidate to serve on the USA Ultimate Board of Directors and/or why eligible USA Ultimate members should vote for you.
I have the experience to help see the bigger picture and the understanding that I need to listen to the community to develop plans to direct the sport.
ELITE ATHLETE
Caleb Denecour
Describe your professional experience, expertise and/or skill set(s) (e.g., finance, legal, marketing, etc.) and how they relate to and add value to supporting USA Ultimate’s mission of advancing the sport of ultimate in the United States.
I spent nearly ten years working for a start-up production company. Early on, I wore many hats for the organization: hiring, managing, and supervising contractors, representing the company at industry conferences, and acting and modeling. After a few years, I shifted into a marketing role focused on Social Media and Community. The company had little to no social media presence when I took on this role. I led the build-out of almost twenty different channels across multiple platforms, ending with over five million followers. I also coordinated with volunteer moderators to manage community activity on our homegrown social networking site, which grew to over two million registered users. In addition, I worked with event planners worldwide to help them run safe and fun community events. One unique hat I wore was Commissioner of Grifball. For those unfamiliar, Grifball is a sport our company invented within the video game series Halo. As Commissioner, I ran competitive leagues year around that featured over 200 teams and 1,000 athletes. I created and oversaw multiple committees, including; rules, sportsmanship, scheduling, streaming, map/fields, and marketing. As the sport grew in popularity, I worked alongside Microsoft (owners of the Halo Franchise) to legitimize it as an official component of future game releases. This is an excellent example of my ability to grow an organic, community-driven sport into a mainstream platform in partnership with one of the largest companies in the world. Throughout my time at the production company, my main objective was to facilitate growth deliberately and thoughtfully, staying true to the company’s roots while creating a more inclusive and engaging space for the community. Today, I work in tech sales as a Sr. Inside Account Executive, managing enterprise accounts. In this role, I ensure timely renewals while expanding accounts and collaborating with various internal stakeholders. My professional experience and expertise put me in an excellent position to help advance the sport of ultimate in the US.
Provide a brief description about what you would uniquely bring to USA Ultimate to support and accomplish the goals outlined in USA Ultimate’s current strategic plan.
What makes me unique is the wide range in which I participate in ultimate. For example, in my 16 years of ultimate, I have: -Served as the Youth Coordinator for Austin Ultimate -Helped organize city-wide leagues and local tournaments -Volunteered at YCC events and Without Limits College Women’s Skills Clinics -Served on equity, travel, and strategy committees -Attended multiple USAU Coaching Development Program sessions -Serve as the current Elite-Athlete rep for the Observer Working Group -Coached high school (Great River Girl’s), college (Texas State Women’s and San Jose State Men’s), and masters (Surly C.O.U.G.A.R.S. Women’s) -Competed as a semi-pro (Austin Sol and Minnesota Wind Chill), pick-up, league, college (Colorado State Hibida and CU Boulder Mamabird), club (Bay Area Journeymen, Austin Doublewide, Austin Cosa Nostra, Minneapolis Sub Zero, Minneapolis Drag N’ Thrust), masters (DC Descent), and national team (WUGC and WUBC) athlete On any given week, you can find me playing ultimate at lunch with a local pick-up group, participating in committee work, practicing with a national-caliber mixed team, or preparing for Team USA. What I will bring to the USAU board is representation and understanding of many perspectives of ultimate players in the USA, from Todd at summer league to our most elite players. My goal is to use my unique experience and learning across all levels of Ultimate to ensure that USA Ultimate’s strategic plan is executed in a way that lifts all current players and reaches new ones too.
Provide a brief statement outlining why you feel you are a strong candidate to serve on the USA Ultimate Board of Directors and/or why eligible USA Ultimate members should vote for you.
I have spent the last 16 years involved in ultimate; captaining, coaching, organizing, and volunteering. If nothing else, know that I love ultimate because it has brought me so much joy and community. As a member of the board of USA Ultimate, I will use the opportunity to help grow the sport in a deliberate and inclusive manner.
