UNITED STATES EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING GLADSTONE, NEW JERSEY MONDAY, JUNE 20, :00 P.M.

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1 UNITED STATES EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION, INC. BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING GLADSTONE, NEW JERSEY MONDAY, JUNE 20, :00 P.M. EDT MINUTES Board Members Present: Chrystine Tauber, Elisabeth Goth, Chester Weber, Catherine Haddad Staller, Tucker Johnson, Chris Kappler, Murray Kessler, Anne Kursinski, Pete Kyle, Vicki Lowell, Beezie Madden, Misdee Miller, Bill Moroney, Cynthia Richardson, Philip Richter, and Judy Werner Board Members Absent: Derek di Grazia, Georgie Green, and Michael Pollard Council Chairs Present: Mary Babick and Bob Bell Staff Present: Colby Connell, Will Connell, Matt Fine, David Harris, Sonja Keating, Lori Nelson, Justin Provost, Stephen Schumacher, and Karen Adams Others Present: Steve Jennings, Crowe Horwath LLP 1. Roll Call and Determination of a Quorum. Mrs. Tauber called the meeting to order at 1:08 p.m. EDT. Following a call of the roll, it was noted that a quorum was present. 2. Adoption of Agenda. Mrs. Tauber stated that the Board would move into Executive session at the end of the agenda today. Ms. Goth moved and Mr. Kyle seconded the motion to adopt the agenda. There was no discussion and the motion carried unanimously. 3. President s Opening Remarks. Mrs. Tauber welcomed the board to its first meeting at the historic Hamilton Farm and USET Foundation office and thanked the Foundation for hosting us. Mrs. Tauber stated that the Federation is moving forward in a number of key areas which will be reported on in detail in reports coming later in the agenda. One initiative was the restructure of the number and size of our committees to more efficiently use the time of both our volunteers and office staff. Mrs. Tauber said that she is excited for this summer s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio and will be in attending to represent USEF. Mr. Connell has provided a comprehensive report for the board to review. 1

2 Despite all the issues surrounding these Games in Rio, our teams are ready and have a good chance of medaling in all disciplines due to concerted efforts in rebuilding our programs since the 2012 Games. Mrs. Tauber noted that many other of our breed and discipline Championships will take place this summer and she wishes all of them great success. An Affiliate Round table and one-on-one meeting were held in an effort to provide improved communication and opportunity for exchange of ideas with our affiliate leadership. Topics of discussion included competition lite, licensing of officials, a crisis management package, strategic plan, safe sport, concussions, and an increase in flexibility with our policies and procedures. Mrs. Tauber attended the American Horse Council board meeting and National Issues Forum last week in Washington, DC. USEF is actively involved in the Marketing Alliance which is reaching out to our Affiliates on their Time to Ride program to reach newcomers to our sport. Other initiatives include Michelle Obama s Let s Move Challenge, Take a Friend riding sweepstakes, collegiate challenge, and the Unwanted Horse Coalition. Of great importance is a bill proposed by Congressman Hines which would require a warning label in helmets that do not meet ASTM approval. Finally, Mary Babick and Summer Stoffel represented USEF in a panel on microchipping. APHIS has confirmed that they are moving ahead with traceability of imported horses, disease outbreak, and border protection. Shortly, we will be launching the Equine Disease Control Center in partnership with AAEP to provide call center services in the event of an outbreak emergency. 4. Conflict of Interest Declaration. Ms. Keating requested that Directors declare conflicts concerning any item on the agenda at this time. No conflicts were declared. 5. Approval of Board meeting minutes February 29, Mr. Johnson moved and Mr. Kessler seconded approval of the Board meeting minutes of February 29, There was no discussion and the motion passed, with Mrs. Richardson abstained. 6. Consideration of Rule Change Proposals. 6.1 Extraordinary Rule Change Proposals Mrs. Richardson moved and Ms. Lowell seconded the motion to bring all extraordinary rule changes to the table for consideration. There was no discussion and the motion passed unanimously. Tracking ID No Dr. Schumacher stated that this is a positive change for competitors. It moves up the timing of the process for testing of the B sample before a charge is filed. Further, he noted that this change would not impact the ability to re-test. There was no further discussion and the motion to approve this rule change to GR406 passed unanimously. Tracking ID No and There was no discussion and the motion to approve these rule changes to GR and GR related to Western Dressage passed unanimously. 6.2 Referred Rule Change Proposals Ms. Goth moved and Mr. Johnson seconded the motion to bring all referred rule changes to the table for consideration. There was no discussion and the motion passed unanimously. 2

3 Tracking ID No Mrs. Richardson stated that this rule change to GR821.1 regarding opportunity classes is withdrawn. She requested a Presidential modification be given for the 2017 competition year in order to have more time to determine if a rule change is needed. Tracking ID No Ms. Ike stated that after much feedback, the rule has been made more clear and concise. There was no further discussion and the motion to approve this rule change to GR1034 relating to Steward and Technical Delegates passed unanimously. Tracking ID No There was no discussion and the motion to pass this rule change to GR regarding clinic and officiating requirements carried unanimously. Tracking ID No It was noted that this rule will keep hunter breeding judges more active. There was no further discussion and the motion to approve this rule change to GR passed unanimously. Tracking ID No It was noted that each breed and discipline has their own requirements and needs. This allows the flexibility that may be needed for Saddle Seat Equitation judges. There was no further discussion and the motion to pass this rule change to GR carried unanimously. Tracking ID No After much discussion and review of proposals from both the Veterinary and Dressage Committees, the final version of the rule change to GR (listed below) was moved by Mr. Johnson and seconded by Mrs. Haddad Staller. There was no further discussion and the motion passed unanimously. e. All competitions must have in place prior to the start of the competition, an accident preparedness plan and in conjunction with the plan make the necessary arrangements for an ambulance to be on the grounds or on call. In addition, all competitions must have in place an isolation protocol for horses. Competition management is responsible for ensuring that all competition officials and competition staff are advised of the accident preparedness plan and isolation protocol for horses, and that they are is distributed accordingly. Said plan and protocol shall be given to the Steward or Technical Delegate prior to the start of the competition. The Steward or Technical Delegate shall submit a copy of said plan and protocol to the Federation along with his/her Steward or Technical Delegate report. 7. Consideration of Bylaw Amendments. Mr. Johnson moved and Mr. Kyle seconded the motion to put all the Bylaw Amendments on the table for discussion. There was no comment and the motion passed unanimously. Bylaw 311, Section 7 There was no discussion and the motion passed unanimously to approve a change to quarterly meetings for the Administration and Finance Council, the same requirement as the other two Councils. Bylaw 332, Section 2 Mrs. Richardson noted that the Vice President should also be able to perform other duties other than just filling in for the President. Mrs. Richardson moved and Mr. Johnson seconded an amendment to this Bylaw change to 3

4 add in or other duties when requested by the President... There was no further discussion and the motion to add in duties for the Vice President as amended passed unanimously. Bylaw , Bylaw 332.1a, Bylaw 432, Bylaw 504, and Bylaw 401 In order to streamline the committee structure for the FEI disciplines, these five amendments effectively collapse the current structure into eight committees (1 per discipline) to encompass the preceding eligible athlete, national/technical, and high performance committees. There was no further discussion and the motion to approve the Bylaw amendments passed unanimously. Resolution to Create FEI Sport Committees Mr. Kessler moved and Mr. Johnson seconded the motion to approve the Resolution to create FEI Sport Committees, refining the deadline to January 31, There was no further discussion and the motion as amended passed unanimously. USEF FEI Non-Olympic Sport Committees Charter Mr. Johnson moved and Ms. Lowell seconded approval of the USEF FEI Non-Olympic Sport Committees Charter. There was no discussion and the motion passed unanimously. 8. Presidential Modification Summary Report. A report of Presidential modifications granted since the last meeting was presented to the Board for informational purposes. Mr. Moroney stated that staff will review with the Dressage and Eventing departments a permanent rule change to allow nose nets stating specific criteria to cut down on staff and volunteer work as these are the most numerous of all modifications over the past few years. 9. Audit Committee Report. Mrs. Richardson reported that over three meetings in 2016, Crowe Horwath and the Audit Committee reviewed the scope of work, reviewed the draft audit and approved the audited financial statements. No deficiencies in internal controls were noted. Mrs. Richardson moved and Mr. Kessler seconded approval of the report of the Audit Committee. There was no comment and the motion passed unanimously. Mrs. Richardson moved and Mrs. Haddad Staller seconded the motion to appoint Crowe Horwath to perform the 2016 fiscal year audit. Mrs. Richardson noted that the audit team lead would change next year. There was no further discussion and the motion passed unanimously. Mr. Kessler recommended that the Show Jumping Ranking List have a third party audit performed to ensure they are adhering to and disclosing the formulas as the results dictate team selection. 10. Treasurer s Report. Mr. Weber reported on the statement of financial position for the five months ending May 30, He stated that we are in a good position for the year and expect to continue on our trajectory through Hearing Committee Report. Mrs. Werner gave a report on the processes, timelines, and decisions of the Hearing Committee. The board will develop more comprehensive educational materials on the hearing process and will make them available to our membership. 4

5 12. Horse Welfare Initiative Task Force Report. Recommendation on penalty guidelines regarding horse welfare violations. Ms. Goth reported that this task force found that 98 cruelty, neglect, or abuse cases were heard by the Hearing committee since of these were the result of human loss of temper and there were an additional 376 cases ruled as administrative penalty violations. Stewards are currently only issuing warnings which should be violations, so we need to increase education on this. Ms. Goth stated that the task force recommends an increase in fines for category 3 and 4 drug violations, which are those substances that should never be in a horse and should be of sufficient amount so as to really deter future infractions from the same individuals and others. It is important to publicize these infractions and the penalty which clearly indicates the intent to harm. 13. Governance Committee Report. Adoption of a Non-Discrimination Policy. Ms. Goth moved and Mr. Kyle seconded approval of the Non-Discrimination Policy (listed below). There was no further discussion and the motion passed unanimously. The Federation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members and volunteers. Board Orientation Binder Mr. Kessler stated that each current board member and all incoming board members will receive these documents as an introduction into USEF s policies and procedures, board responsibilities, and its governance as a way to understand all parts of our organization. Permanent CEO position Mr. Kessler stated that he wishes to discuss the placement of a permanent CEO during Executive session. At 3:27 p.m., the board recessed briefly, reconvening at 3:41 p.m. 14. CEO Report. Mr. Moroney reported on initiatives in the Competition department, licensed officials, affiliate and member meetings, outreach, strategic planning and staff development and supplied a written report for the board on these topics. Mr. Moroney stated that the update on the building will be discussed during Executive session. 15. General Counsel Report. Ms. Keating reported that the Mateo/Cox and Deporter cases are still pending in the NY and KY courts respectively. The Nominating Committee will begin the nominating process this Fall for the two Independent Director seats currently held by Mr. Kessler and Ms. Lowell. Both seats expire in January. The Eligible Athlete elections will take place this fall including the AAC Board seat currently occupied by Mr. Pollard. His term expires in January. 5

6 Mrs. Richardson suggested that it might be a good change to stagger the two Independent seats so that they do not expire simultaneously. Mr. Kessler said the Governance Committee will review this request and recommend any changes to the board. The US Center for Safe Sport, established by the USOC to handle all allegations of misconduct of a sexual nature, launch has been delayed and is estimated at Q International Disciplines Council Report Approval of addition to the 2016 FEI Calendar. Mr. Johnson moved and Mr. Kappler seconded approval of the addition of Tryon Fall Dressage 2 to the 2016 FEI Calendar. There was no discussion and the motion passed unanimously Approval of special competition status for Palm Beach Masters. This item was erroneously included on the Agenda. It was approved last year by the Board for a 3 year period Approval of USEF Major Events Strategy. Mr. Connell stated that this document outlines how we organize the calendar and how we work with and partner with organizers. Mr. Johnson moved and Mr. Kessler seconded approval of the USEF Major Events Strategy. There was no further discussion and the motion passed unanimously. 17. National Breeds & Disciplines Council Report. Ms. Babick stated that the National sport updates were all included in her written report to the board. 18. Approval of Heritage Designation for Eastern States Exposition. Mrs. Miller moved and Ms. Lowell seconded approval of heritage designation for both weeks of Eastern States Exposition I (ID #131) and II (ID #324095). There was no further discussion and the motion passed unanimously. 19. Old Business. There was no old business. 20. New Business. There was no new business. 21. Adjourn. At 4:06 p.m. EDT, the Board moved into Executive session and adjourned at approximately 5:20 p.m. EDT. Signed and submitted: Karen Adams Recording Secretary 6

7 RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD TO CREATE FEI SPORT COMMITTEES WHEREAS, the United States Equestrian Federation, Inc., (the "Federation") wishes to transition from what is currently known as the FEI High Performance Discipline Committees to Sport Committees for each of the recognized FEI disciplines (Dressage, Driving, Endurance, Eventing, Para-Equestrian, Reining, Show Jumping, Vaulting). This transition shall be complete no later than January 31, The FEI Sport Committees shall be created through this Resolution of the Board. WHEREAS, each of the Sport Committees will be governed by corresponding Sport Committee Charters. WHEREAS, the Sport Committee Charters may be revised from time to time, as approved unanimously by the three Federation Officers. NOW THEREFORE, it is RESOLVED, that effective immediately and until further action by the Federation's Board of Directors the above mentioned committees shall be created and the transition shall be complete no later than January 31, 2017 and in compliance with the corresponding Sport Committee Charter adopted on this 20 th day of June, CERTIFICATION I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing is a true and correct copy of a resolution presented to and adopted by the Federation s Board of Directors at a meeting duly called and held at the USET Foundation Headquarters, Gladstone, New Jersey on the 20 th day of June, 2016, at which a quorum was present and voted, and that such resolution is duly recorded in the minutes. Recording Secretary: June 20,

8 UNITED STATES EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION, INC. MID-YEAR BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING GLADSTONE, NEW JERSEY TUESDAY, JUNE 21, :00 A.M. EDT MINUTES Board Members Present: Chrystine Tauber, Elisabeth Goth, Chester Weber, Catherine Haddad Staller, Tucker Johnson, Chris Kappler, Murray Kessler, Anne Kursinski, Pete Kyle, Vicki Lowell, Beezie Madden, Misdee Miller, Bill Moroney, Cynthia Richardson, Philip Richter, and Judy Werner Board Members Absent: Derek di Grazia, Georgie Green, and Michael Pollard Council Chairs Present: Mary Babick and Bob Bell Staff Present: Colby Connell, Will Connell, Matt Fine, David Harris, Sonja Keating, Lori Nelson, Justin Provost, Stephen Schumacher, and Karen Adams Others Present: Ashley Ward, Parliamentarian and Dr. Lola Chambless, Presenter 1. Roll Call and Determination of a Quorum. Mrs. Tauber called the meeting to order at 8:18 a.m. EDT. Following a call of the roll, it was noted that a quorum was present, with Mrs. Madden and Ms. Kursinski participating via WebEx. 2. Adoption of Agenda. Mr. Weber moved and Mr. Johnson seconded the motion to adopt the agenda. There was no discussion and the motion carried unanimously. 3. Nominating Committee Report. Mr. Weber reported on the work of the Nominating Committee in 2016 to date elaborating on the nominations received and meetings held related to the position of President. Mr. Weber stated that the Nominating Committee voted to put forward Mr. Murray Kessler for the office of President for a four-year term. Mr. Kappler moved and Mrs. Haddad Staller seconded the motion to accept the report of the Nominating Committee. 3.1 Election of the President. Mrs. Tauber opened the floor for additional nominations. Hearing none, the floor was closed from receiving additional nominations. There was no further discussion and Mr. Kessler was elected President by acclamation. Mr. Moroney abstained from the vote. 1

9 Mr. Kessler stated that he was enthusiastic and honored to be elected to this position and looks forward to strengthening the organization for the future. 4. Presentation on Traumatic Brain Injuries/Concussions. Dr. Lola Chambless, Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, presented the Board with information related to traumatic brain injuries, treatment, and outcomes. She agreed to work with the USEF on an educational training video for members and emergency personnel to better identify and treat a brain injury. At 9:25 a.m., the Board recessed to allow time for President-elect Kessler, President Tauber, and Mr. Moroney to sit with press present at the board meeting. At 10:09 a.m., the Board reconvened. 5. Strategic Plan Update. Mr. Kessler guided the board through the process he used and the data sources, key learning and implications, vision and mission, framework and key initiatives, and a summary. Mr. Johnson moved and Ms. Goth seconded approval of the Strategic Plan and authorized use of reserve funds up to $500,000 to allow work to be done on these initiatives. There was no further discussion and the motion passed unanimously. The Board requested that a dashboard be created to track progress and showing benchmarks as they are met. 6. Old Business. There was no old business. 7. New Business. There was no new business. 8. Adjourn. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1:08 p.m. EDT. Signed and submitted: Karen Adams Recording Secretary 2