Last Call for Board Candidates – 2024 BOD Election

Posted on April 4, 2024 by mroth51

From: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Apr 4, 2024 at 4:14 PM
Subject: Last call for Candidates – 2024 BOD Election
To: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>

Hello PNWTOA members –

Thanks to all who joined for last night’s annual member meeting. For those who couldn’t make it but would like to review what was discussed, a recording of the meeting is here. Passcode: =C0@0G&o Meeting minutes are here.

One of the key items from the meeting was that multiple incumbent Directors are interested in declining to run for reelection if there are a sufficient number of candidates to replace them.

Board service is an excellent way to learn more about the ins and outs of all levels of tennis officiating at both a regional and national level, and provides great networking and growth opportunities for motivated candidates.

We currently have only one new, non-incumbent candidate, so we’re extending the window for any of you who are interested in running for one of these seats to throw your hat in the ring. Please reply to this email by end of day tomorrow, Friday 4/5/24, if you would like to appear on this year’s ballot.

Thanks everyone,

Scott Pennington, President

310.430.3685
pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com

Posted in Elections, Meetings | Tagged | Leave a comment

2024 Annual Member Meeting – April 3, 2024 @ 7pm

Posted on March 26, 2024 by mroth51

From: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Mar 24, 2024 at 7:00 AM
Subject: PNWTOA 2024 Member Meeting – 4/3/24 7pm

Hello PNWTOA Members,

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday evening April 3rd at 7pm, when our annual member meeting will take place on Zoom. All current members will receive the Zoom link closer to that date to hear from the Board of Directors about the past year in review as well as give feedback on areas where you would like us to focus.

Also at the member meeting, we will set the list of candidates for the 2024 Board of Directors election. Like every year, the 3-year terms for 3 Board seats are expiring, and all members have the opportunity to place their names on the ballot for this year’s vote, which will take place during the period between our April and May meetings.

Anyone who is interested in running may reply to this email to indicate your interest, or you can throw your hat in the ring in person (on Zoom) at the April 3rd meeting, or nominate a fellow member.

As always, if you have questions or feedback about any of the above or are a prospective member interested in joining the PNWTOA, don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any Board member for assistance.

Looking forrward to seeing everyone April 3rd!

Thank you,

Scott Pennington
President, PNWTOA BOD
310.430.3685
https://pnwtennisofficials.com/

Posted in Elections, Meetings, Membership, News | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

PNWTOA Contract Update + Term Limits Poll

Posted on February 8, 2024 by mroth51

From: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Jan 25, 2024 at 11:51 AM
Subject: PNWTOA Contract Update + Term Limits Poll

Hello PNWTOA Members!

Happy New Year!

We hope all of you enjoyed a wonderful holiday season and are excited to be on court in 2024.

The PNWTOA recently executed our contract with USTA/PNW for 2024, agreeing to terms for their hosted and directed events that maintain our rates from last year despite the section’s request to reduce our wages in light of the belt-tightening some facilities and events are experiencing.

While we sympathize with this reality and are proud of our status as USTA partners in “Growing the Game,” we are first and foremost advocates for the essential services our members provide, and for continuing to ensure that those services are fairly valued.

Our rate card for non-“USTA hosted and directed” events, which reflects the same terms as our contract with the section, is available to view here, and we are pleased to report that these rates are in many cases favorable to current rates in other regions of the country.

As a reminder to the dozen or so folks who have not yet paid the annual PNWTOA $30 dues for 2024, being a paid member allows you to benefit from this kind of advocacy on your behalf by receiving solicits from our assignors. If you still need to pay dues for this new year, the details on how to do so can be found here.

Another benefit of paid PNWTOA membership is the ability to vote in our annual Board of Directors election as well as run for one of the three open seats each year. This year, a bylaws amendment will appear on that ballot to clarify and reconcile issues around term limits for Board members. In advance of putting this amendment before the membership for a vote, we want to get your feedback on the issue, so today you will also be receiving a one-question poll. Please take a moment to answer that poll when you can. You can also access the poll here: https://forms.gle/xxEtbrT4pEuYQ8316

As always, if you have questions about anything above or any other PNWTOA-related topics, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any Board members, or simply reply to this email.

Thanks everyone,

Scott Pennington
President, PNWTOA BOD
310.430.3685

Posted in Membership, News, USTA | Leave a comment

Deadline Extended: USTA Chair Umpire Workshop in Portland, 11/4

Posted on October 30, 2023 by mroth51

From: Scott Pennington <scottpennington@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Oct 29, 2023 at 12:11 PM
Subject: Re: 11/4 USTA Chair Umpire Workshop in Portland
To: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>

Hi all –

The USTA has kindly extended the signup deadline for this workshop until 6am PT tomorrow morning, Monday 10/30/23.

We still need two participants to enroll in order to go forward with the workshop.

Please consider enrolling per the instructions below. If you have any questions or issues, don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly today!

Thank you,

Scott Pennington
310.430.3685

On Wed, Oct 25, 2023 at 10:34 PM PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials> wrote:

Hi all –

A timely message here for anyone in our section interested in chair umpire training and/or improving your chances to attend a Chair Umpire Center of Excellence.

We have organized a USTA Chair Umpire Workshop next Saturday, November 4th at the University of Portland in Portland, Oregon. The UP Varsity tennis facility will be used for the on-court instruction, with members of the tennis team available to play practice matches for chair training.

However, in order for the workshop to go forward, we must have at least 4 registered attendees by the deadline of this Saturday, October 28th at 12 noon. Currently, we do not have enough folks registered, and we would hate to have to forego this opportunity for valuable chair training in our section, especially so close to the start of ITA duals in January, which represents the lion’s share of the chair opportunities in our section for most officials.

Whether you missed the Seattle-area Chair workshop this summer or live closer to Portland such that this UP site would be more convenient, we encourage anyone currently chairing matches or aspiring to chair matches to consider registering for this workshop.

Not only is the instruction and feedback itself invaluable, and not only does demonstrating potential in an in-person workshop improve your chances to attend a USTA Center of Excellence, but as an added bonus, being held immediately at the beginning of the new USTA certification year (starting 11/1/23), workshop attendees will get a head start on the Continual Learning Credits (CLCs) required for 2023-2024.

Whereas only 4 CLCs were required this year ending 10/31/23 (and some of you still need to complete those in the next week to avoid decertification), 8 CLCs will be required for the ’23-’24 certification year, and 2 of those 8 required credits can be knocked out by attending this workshop.

We encourage everyone who might be interested and available next Saturday, November 4th to strongly consider registering to attend. You can do so by logging into the USTA Officiating Learning Center at http://lrc.learn.taleo.net/ustaofficiating

Select “In-Person Education” and under “In-Person Workshops,” scroll down to “Pacific Northwest” (you’ll probably have to click “Load More” to see the PNW section). Just click the blue link for the workshop and complete the registration process.

Again, the deadline to register is 12 noon this Saturday, 10/28/23, so please sign up as soon as you can!

Feel free to reply to this email or to me personally with any questions.

Thanks, everyone!

Scott Pennington
PNWTOA
310.430.3685
scott.pennington

Posted in Certification, Instructional, Portland, Training | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

2023 Sectional Award Nominations

Posted on October 3, 2023 by mroth51

From: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, Sep 22, 2023 at 4:47 PM
Subject: 2023 Sectional Award Nominations

Dear TOA Membership,

As we drift into Fall, we are excited to celebrate those Officials who stood up, stood out, and had a breakthrough year in Tennis Officiating.

Award Nominations: This year, we are asking the entire membership to nominate deserving fellow officials for these two awards:
Perry Hines Official of the Year – Perry Hines was a beloved PNW Official who was a friend, a mentor, and an icon to tennis officials throughout the USA. His namesake award is the PNWTOA’s annual recognition of a member who has demonstrated general excellence in officiating.
Mike Robb Rookie of the Year – This is the PNWTOA’s annual award to recognize a newly certified official for outstanding performance in the first stage of an officiating career.

Please submit your nominations for both of these awards by replying to this email. THE DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS IS TUESDAY OCT 3, 2023. For the Perry Hines or Mike Robb awards, please consider nominees from the Fall of 2022 – Fall of 2023 work period reflecting our newest certification cycle. Based on your nominations, the PNWTOA Board will select candidates for the Perry Hines and Mike Robb awards at our next meeting on Oct 4.  The membership will vote for the winners over the following month and the results will be announced at the November Board meeting.

Thank you all for your support,
Denise Alexander
TOA Awards Chairperson

Posted in Awards | Leave a comment

Board of Directors Election and June Workshops

Posted on May 15, 2023 by mroth51

From: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, May 11, 2023 at 2:12 PM
Subject: Board of Directors Election and June Workshops

Hello PNWTOA Members,

Hope this message finds everyone well, with another ITA season in the books and plenty of summer outdoor events ahead of us.

Our 2023 Board of Directors Election concluded last week, with Mick Horton (who assumed Siamak Hajarizadeh’s seat earlier this year), Krishnan Gowri, and Jacob Moya being elected to new 3-year terms, which will begin in July.

Thanks to all who voted – wonderful to see a turnout in excess of 50%. Here are the results:

Please join me in again thanking Siamak (who had served on the board since its inception) as well our outgoing Directors whose terms will conclude in June, Camilla George and Tony Hernandez. All three made invaluable contributions to the PNWTOA during their board service, and will continue to do so in non-board capacities going forward. The next time you see them at a tournament, a workshop, or across the net, please consider letting them know how much we all value the dedication and selflessness they have demonstrated in these roles.

Finally, a reminder that we have two USTA In-person training opportunities in June:

  • Roving Workshop — 6/10/23 at Bellevue Pro Club, Bellevue, WA
  • Chair Workshop — 6/24/23 at Central Park, Kirkland, WA

Registration for these trainings is live through the USTA Officiating Learning Center at http://lrc.learn.taleo.net/ustaofficiating – log into your account there to sign up and reserve your seat.

If different workshop locations or disciplines would be more helpful to you, please let us know. We can schedule workshops for Roving, Line, Chair, and Referee in any part of the PNW – we just need to gauge from you, our members, what and where to organize based on need/demand.

As always, if you have questions about the above or any other topics, don’t hesitate to contact us at: pnwtennisofficials or reach out to any Board member directly.

Stay tuned for more PNW officiating news this summer, and in the meantime, be safe and have fun!

Thank you,

Scott Pennington, PNWTOA President
scott.pennington@gmail.com
310.430.3685
pnwtennisofficials.com

Posted in Elections, Instructional, News, Training | Leave a comment

2023 Annual Meeting, Election, Announcements

Posted on April 5, 2023 by mroth51

From: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Mar 18, 2023 at 3:24 PM
Subject: 2023 Annual Meeting, Election, Announcements

Hello current and prospective PNWTOA members,

Hope everyone is enjoying a great 2023 so far! As we prepare to move into spring, please mark your calendars for Wednesday evening April 12th at 7pm, when our annual member meeting will take place on Zoom. All current members will receive the Zoom link closer to that date to hear from the Board of Directors about the past year in review as well as give feedback on areas where you would like us to focus.

Also at the member meeting, we will set the list of candidates for the 2023 Board of Directors election. Like every year, the 3-year terms for 3 Board seats are expiring, and both new candidates, as well as those incumbents, have the opportunity to place their names on the ballot for this year’s vote, which will take place during the period between our April and May meetings.

Anyone who is interested in running may reply to this email to indicate your interest, or you can throw your hat in the ring in person (on Zoom) at the April 12th meeting, or nominate a fellow member.

The Board has recently finalized updates to the PNWTOA’s Schedule of Minimums and concluded a contract with USTA/PNW that memorializes those terms to officiate the PNW section’s hosted and directed events. This rate card reflects a number of increases over 2022 and we’re pleased that our assignors and others who set terms with events in our region have an even stronger position from which to secure fair compensation for our members. A link is attached to this email, and this updated version will be posted soon on our website.

Finally, we are pleased to announce two in-person training opportunities in June: USTA workshops for Roving (6/10 in Bellevue, WA) and Chair (6/24 in Kirkland, WA). Registration for these trainings is live through the USTA Officiating Learning Center at http://lrc.learn.taleo.net/ustaofficiating – log into your account there to sign up and reserve your seat.

As always, if you have questions or feedback about any of the above or are a prospective member interested in joining the PNWTOA, don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any Board member for assistance.

Hope to see many of you on April 12th!

Thank you,

Scott Pennington
President, PNWTOA
310.430.3685
scott.pennington@gmail.com
https://pnwtennisofficials.com/

2023 PNWTOA Minimum Fee Schedule.pdf

Posted in Elections, Meetings, Membership, Training | 1 Comment

February Update: News & Reminders

Posted on February 8, 2023 by mroth51

From: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Feb 4, 2023 at 7:00 AM
Subject: February Update: News & Reminders

Hello Current & Prospective PNWTOA Members,

Hope all of you have had a happy and healthy start to 2023 and those of you working ITA matches have had a great start to the season.

Thank you to all existing members for the timely remittance of this year’s dues – we’re happy to report that all active members are current.

Please join us in congratulating Mick Horton, who has been appointed to fill our vacant Board seat, which is one of three that will be part of this year’s election. We are grateful to Mick for joining us near the end of this seat’s term to contribute his considerable skills and experience for the TOA’s benefit.

Here is a roundup of some timely deadlines and information that we’ve all received recently:

— USTA Chair Umpire Center of Excellence May 3-8 Plantation, FL – 2/5/23 deadline to apply. For anyone looking to take their chair skills to the next level in a challenging environment with elite National trainers, this is the best opportunity available. Apply through your USTA Officiating Learning Center Account at http://lrc.learn.taleo.net/ustaofficiating
— ITA Seattle Town Hall – University of Washington, 2/9/23 – ITA National referees and trainers Anthony Montero and Andrew Rogers will present and do a Q&A about the latest ITA rule applications and best practices in advance of the ITA Division 1 Women’s Team Indoor. This is an excellent (and rare) opportunity to discuss all things ITA chairs and roving with two of the best in college tennis. Register to attend at: https://forms.gle/fArSwn6cUJvSh8vR9
— USTA Mentoring Program – We are thrilled that over 1/3 of our membership is participating in this program, which pairs mentors and mentees from all over the country. That said, just like the national program, there are more registered mentees than mentors, so if you are interested in becoming a mentor in any discipline, simply reply to this message or sign up here.
— USTA Continual Learning Webinar Series: As the USTA continues to evolve its training and certification processes, they are offering new interactive webinars that include Q&As. The new series begins this month, on 2/22/23, with two more in March. Those certified in OfficialsFirst should have received an email detailing the curricula. RSVP here, or watch them (and all archived webinars) later here.

As always, please don’t hesitate to reply to this email with any comments, questions, or suggestions on the above or any other topics. We look forward to seeing everyone soon on court!

Thank you,

Scott Pennington
President, Board of Directors
Pacific Northwest Tennis Officials Association
310.430.3685

Posted in Certification, Membership, News, Training, Washington | Leave a comment

PNWTOA Dues/Board Vacancy

Posted on January 2, 2023 by mroth51

From: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Dec 29, 2022
Subject: PNWTOA Dues/Board Vacancy
To: PNWTOA Membership

Season’s Greetings, everyone –

A quick note of thanks to all of you (more than half!) who have paid your $30 dues for 2023.

For all those who still have the dues payment on your to-do list, all the information you need can be found on our website: pnwtennisofficials.com.

**New this year: dues can be paid electronically with no fees through your bank account’s online Zelle feature. Simply navigate to Zelle in your online account and send the payment to: zelle@pnwtennisofficials.com. Otherwise, you can use PayPal for a $1.59 fee, or mail a check per the instructions at the link above.**

Finally, for anyone interested in filling the vacant seat on the PNWTOA Board of Directors for the remainder of its term (through June 2023), and hopefully running in the April election to keep the seat for the next 3-year term, please reply to this email communicating your interest. Board service is a great way to get more involved with issues that affect all our members, such as training, certification, and pay. If you have run for election in the past we encourage you to consider reaching out about this opportunity.

Thank you all again for a wonderful 2022, and we look forward to an even better 2023 both on and off the court.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

PNWTOA Board of Directors
pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com

Posted in Elections, Membership | Leave a comment

Portland USTA Chair Workshop – 10/8/22

Posted on September 22, 2022 by mroth51

From: PNW Tennis Officials <pnwtennisofficials@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Sep 22, 2022 at 2:50 PM
Subject: USTA Chair Workshop – 10/8/22 Portland, Oregon

Hello, PNWTOA Members:

Please see the attached flyer for details on a just-announced USTA Chair Umpire Workshop to be held at the University of Portland on Saturday, October 8th.

The sign-up window is fairly brief – registration closes on 10/1 – so if you’re interested, please log into the USTA Officiating Learning Center at http://lrc.learn.taleo.net/ustaofficiating and sign up asap!

Feel free to reply to this email with any questions. Hope all of you had a great summer and are looking forward to this upcoming autumn season!

Scott Pennington
President, PNWTOA

Oct 22 PDX chair clinic flyer.pdf

Posted in Instructional, Oregon, Portland, Training, USTA | Tagged | Leave a comment