This fall will see the election of a new, contracted board of directors who will help guide our national organization through some tough times. As the current chair I would like to thank the current Board for their hard work and dedication to Standardbred Canada.

The next few years promise to be filled with more hard decisions as the industry navigates some of the toughest challenges it has faced. As such, the board passed a motion to see the overall size of our board of directors reduce from 29 to 15. This will certainly help SC in reducing the costs associated with the board.

I encourage all of our members to get involved, ask questions and know what your association is about and the direction it is going. I believe that as a director I am elected to serve the interests of SC members and hearing your concerns, influences discussion in the boardroom. We have a duty to do right by the association and its members.

In December there will be elections for a new board who will meet in February. Please vote and have your voice heard. With fewer directors there is going to be a need for solid regional communication to ensure that concerns and information flow well between SC and its members. Keep the faith that our industry will negotiate these tough times and return to prosperity throughout our country. Each provincial economy can benefit from our industry. I encourage industry associations to keep working to educate your local governments on our value. SC and its directors will always be available to help guide the way.