The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) has formed an Advancement Committee. Appointed by ASHA President Fred K. Sarver, who serves ex officio on all committees, the new committee will be chaired by longtime horsewoman and former director Sandra Lilly of Princeton, WV. Vice Chair is Director Victoria Gillenwater of Tennessee, and members who have agreed to serve are Kayce Bell (Alabama), John Conatser (Kentucky), Lisa Duncan (Kentucky), Peter Fenton (California and Kentucky), James Lawson (Ohio), Barbara Molland (California), Claire Panke (Indiana), Jimmy Robertson (Kentucky), Dr. William Shanklin (Ohio), Joan S. Todd (Indiana), Paul Treiber (Wisconsin), Dr. Nancy Trent (Kentucky) and April Vercoe (Ohio).

The formal charge of the new committee is to represent the association's membership in relating to its professional staff and advising the board of directors regarding the association's advancement efforts for the American Saddlebred breed, including its programs for education, communication, promotion, development and market research.

An organizational meeting of the committee has already been held by teleconference, explained Alan F. Balch, Executive Secretary of the ASHA, and its first formal meeting is scheduled for Friday, July 14, at the Crowne Plaza Campbell House Hotel in Lexington, KY, beginning at 9 a.m. "The committee obviously has a very ambitious agenda," he said, "and its meeting will take the entire morning. In part, the committee will prepare for the open ASHA members forum, to take place that afternoon beginning at 1:30 p.m., also at the Campbell House."

Both the committee meeting and the open members forum will be attended by University of Kentucky marketing professors Robert Dahlstrom and Steven Skinner, who have been engaged by ASHA to conduct an extensive market research program. The open forum will be conducted by Dahlstrom and Skinner as an "Appreciative Inquiry," where all attendees will be invited to relate their own energizing experiences of success in the breed, recognizing what is best in the American Saddlebred breed, noting its strengths, appreciating its value, to enhance and inform the advancement process, which is now underway.

All members are encouraged to attend the open forum, and also to submit topics for consideration by the Advancement Committee to [email protected], or by fax to (859) 259-1628.


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