The nominating committee of the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders’ and Exhibitors’ Association (TWHBEA), in order to comply with the Associations’ bylaws, is required to present its slate of officers to the TWHBEA Board of Directors prior to November 15 of each year.

The 2013-14 TWHBEA Slate of Officers

President: Steve Smith (TN)

Senior Vice President/Membership: Walt Chism (TN)

VP Admin/Fiscal/Audit: Christy Lantis (CA)

VP Breeders/Futurity: David Williams (TN)

VP Owner/Exhibitor/International: Denise Bader-Keyser (Germany)

VP Performance Horse: Ford Gates (AL)

VP Pleasure Horse: Jessica Hlebak (NC)

VP Marketing: Joyce Moyer (OH)

VP Training/Equine Welfare: Dr. Linda Montgomery (AL)

Member at Large By Laws/Enforcement: Tom Kakassy (NC)

Member at Large Youth: Sherry White (MI)

Secretary: Dee Dee Miller

The TWHBEA Executive Committee is required to appoint five people to serve on the nominating committee. These appointments must be made prior to October 1 of each year.

At its September 27th meeting, the executive committee appointed Joe Rankin, Stephen Brown, Dr. Linda Montgomery, Spencer Benedict and Mike Hicks to the nominating committee. The alternates, in order, included Tommy Hale, Bill Adams, Mick Salm and Nancy O’dell Plunkett.

The nominating committee initially met on Tuesday, November 12, but that meeting was deemed invalid according to TWHBEA’s legal counsel because of a procedural error regarding the use of alternates. Dr. Linda Montgomery had resigned from the nominating committee to pursue another term on the executive committee and the alternate chosen to replace her was not the first alternate as voted on by the executive committee.

Following that meeting, two more resignations were submitted and the nominating committee reconvened with Mike Hicks, Spencer Benedict, Tommy Hale (1st alternate), Bill Adams (2nd alternate) and Mick Salm (3rd alternate) comprising the group.