Quarterly, Virtual Office Hours facilitate discussion and Encourage Sharing of Best Practices
BRISTOL, RI. (September 11, 2023) – US Sailing, the sport’s national governing body, is proud to return with another quarterly, virtual office hours session called Crew Meetings, inviting US Sailing members and staff leaders to meet and discuss the latest topics in sailing. On Tuesday, September 26 from 5-7pm ET, the second Crew Meeting will invite all US Sailing members to bring their own questions and feedback to US Sailing leadership. During the 2-hour session, attendees will separate into breakout rooms for more concentrated conversation.
The first Crew Meeting, held June 6, covered topics such as race official education, club reciprocity, inclusion, coach development and building adult fleets with 16 US Sailing staff members in attendance.
This is the latest endeavor by US Sailing to connect with its valued members, facilitate discussion, encourage the sharing of best practices, and create space for members to hear from their counterparts and colleagues. The idea stems from two previously held Stakeholder Summits and five Listening Tours aimed at these efforts. The Stakeholder Summits, held in Jamestown, RI in November 2021 and New Orleans, LA in October 2022, provided opportunities for the leadership of sailing organizations to meet with the leadership of US Sailing and share ideas and perspectives about sailing within specific regions of the United States. The roundtable environment between the attendees and the Board of Directors/US Sailing Leadership fostered an exchange of ideas, brainstorming, and ideation for topics including growing and appreciating volunteers, best practices in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and the Siebel Sailors Program.
So far, five Listening Tours, spurred on by US Sailing Board President Rich Jepsen, have been conducted in Chicago, IL in July 2021, New Orleans, LA in October 2022, throughout Arizona in December 2022, St. Pete Beach, FL in December 2022, and Bristol, RI in 2023. US Sailing Board President Rich Jepsen, CEO Alan Ostfield, and SVP Programs & Services Andrew Clouston met with local sailors and leaders from local yacht clubs, foundations, clubs, and commercial sailing schools to discuss how US Sailing can best support their efforts. More Listening Tours at various locations in the U.S. are to come.
“Our first Crew Meeting in June resulted in a lot of productive conversations,” said US Sailing Membership Director Sean Sullivan. “Crew Meetings give our members direct access to US Sailing staff and leaders – a wonderful benefit for members, but also a great opportunity for ideas and collaboration between sailors and us as the sport’s governing body.”
Next Crew Meeting:
Tuesday, September 26 from 5-7pm
REGISTER TODAY: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TMl6Q1mjRX6LCcLK11H1vw
About US Sailing
The United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and advancement for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US Sailing is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US Sailing offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.