by David Ochs
NAUI BOD Chairman
April 18, 2014

Dear NAUI Member:

Your Board of Directors appreciates your commitment and dedication as a NAUI Leader. We plan to keep you informed about the significant circumstances of our association and the work of the BOD.

As most of you know, the 2014 BOD is seated and the Directors are Dallas Edmiston, Dave Ochs, Lonnie Sharp, Mark Flahan Sr., Michael Feld, Michael Tong, Rick Lorimor, Simon Yu, and Tom Hemphill. The BOD is excited to be of service to the NAUI Membership, and the BOD held its first meeting via teleconference on March 21. During this meeting a number of important pieces of business were addressed. First, BOD Officers were elected and the 2014 Executive Team is Dave Ochs, Chairman; Dallas Edmiston, Vice-Chairman; Rick Lorimor, Treasurer; and Tom Hemphill, Secretary. Second, there is a significant workload this year which creates the need for the BOD to meet more often than in years past, so the BOD set a schedule to meet every other month rather than quarterly. Most of these meetings will be via teleconference; the BOD will meet face-to-face at HQ May 12 & 13. Third, initiatives including bylaws revisions, election procedures, and Public Safety Diver programs were topics of discussion and action.

Much of the work of the BOD is accomplished in committees, and each of the committees will be quite busy this year. The Chairman appointed the following committee chairmen:

• Awards:    Rick Lorimor
• Bylaws and BOD Procedures:     Dallas Edminston
• Elections:     Co-Chair Dallas Edminston & Tom Hemphill
• Finance:     Rick Lorimor
• Membership:     Dallas Edminston
• Planning:     Michael Feld
• Training:     Lorrie Sharp 

Each of the committees will be staffed by at least two directors as well as volunteers from the NAUI Membership. NAUI is fortunate to have a membership with a wealth of experience and expertise, and the BOD intends to utilize the input and talent of NAUI Members to benefit the association.

You can expect to see increased BOD presence at trade shows and other NAUI events. Please keep in mind directors serve as volunteers and are not paid for their service, each has career and family responsibilities, and further the BOD appreciates the need to utilize NAUI funds prudently, so it is not possible for a director(s) to attend each and every event. However, you can be certain your BOD is committed to staying connected and involved with the membership and industry.

Finally, the BOD’s next meeting is a teleconference on April 22.

Your BOD is serious about strengthening and improving NAUI, but it is all of us NAUI Members who are the reason NAUI is a great training agency, and it is the NAUI Membership who must and will be responsible for leading NAUI to a place of renewed prominence in the scuba industry. Thank you for your hard work as a NAUI professional. Your BOD will be working hard for NAUI.

Sincerely,

Dave Ochs, Chairman