Congratulations to our newly elected 2018 NDA Board members! Welcome new member Angie McClelland to the board, and welcome back returning board members Heidi Helmer, Gracia Huenefeld, and Miya Higgins.


Your 2018 NDA Board:


Jane Fucinaro—President
Heidi Helmer—Vice President
Margo Hamilton—Secretary
Kathy Hanford—Treasurer
Miya Higgins—Junior Representative
Gracia Huenefeld—Board member at large
Kathy Lewis—Board member at large
Angie McClelland—Board member at large
Judy Seward—Board member at large

The first meeting of the 2018 board will be January 8, 2018, at 7:30 pm, at Misty's Steakhouse (Havelock) in Lincoln, NE. All NDA members are welcome to attend. 

We look forward to serving you!

NDA Juniors are fundraising by offering an awesome piece of swag this year!

This full-zip hoodie sweatshirt is a special commemorative edition for the 40th Anniversary of our Cornhusker Classic! You can order it in either black or red. There is a small NDA logo on the left front chest, and a large imprint of our special 40th Anniversary Cornhusker Classic logo on the back.*

All proceeds from the sales of this garment will go toward fundraising for the NDA Juniors. Thank you for your support! After your purchase, hoodies will be distributed at the Cornhusker Classic on May 26–28, 2017. Get your order in by May 12!

*Please note, the back graphic will NOT be covered by the hood in the final product.

The annual banquet was a rousing success, and congratulations on the election of your new 2017 Board of Directors:

Jane Fucinaro, President
Laureen Van Norman, Vice President
Heidi Helmer, Secretary
Kathy Hanford, Treasurer
Miya Higgins, Junior Rep
Margo Hamilton
Gracia Huenefeld
Kathy Lewis
Judy Seward

Your new board will be meeting for the first time Monday, January 9, 2017. They are eager to serve you, and welcome your suggestions, comments, or questions. Please feel free to contact us any time.

The USDF Convention is in our Region this year, and we want you to go.

Every year, the USDF holds its Annual Convention in a different city. This year, the convention is in St. Louis, MO, right here in Region 4! It takes place November 30-December 3, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch.

The USDF Annual Convention is an awesome opportunity to get involved with dressage on a national level, get insights into how our national governing organization comes up with the rules and policies we all live by, have your voice heard in committee meetings, and get access to amazing educational sessions with experts from around the country.
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For a recap of how some of our members enjoyed the convention last year, take a look at two first-person articles, "Dressage in the Desert" by Melissa Ward and "A USDF Convention Story" by Laureen Van Norman, in the January/February 2016 issue of The Contact.

Because the convention is such a wonderful opportunity for our members, and it's practically being held in our backyard, we want to make it easier for you to attend. So we are willing to pay your registration fee ($175 for adults, $90 for 21 and younger). This registration will get you into all the educational sessions (except those requiring separate tickets) and all open committee meetings.
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HOW IT WORKS:

We're paying for 5 registrations!

NDA will pay for five (5) USDF Convention registration fees. These five grants are being made available to current members, and 4 winners will be chosen in a random drawing at the October 10th NDA board meeting. The remaining slot will be auctioned off at the NDA Year-End Banquet.

How to enter:

To get your name in our drawing, just send an email to Heidi Helmer (hjhelmer@gmail.com) by 5:00 pm on Monday, October 10. We'll draw names that night and notify the winners by Tuesday, October 11.

If you win:

If your name is drawn as a winner, we will notify you immediately. You have until the following Monday, October 17, to confirm your acceptance of the grant, and register online for the Convention. If you have not confirmed and registered by 10/17, your spot will be forfeited and we will draw another winner.

Hurry—you only have 5 days left to enter the drawing!

The year-end awards banquet and Annual Meeting is coming up on November 19, 2016, at Ashland Golf Club. Make sure you get registered today to ensure your place at the gala!

Don't forget, this is your opportunity to vote for our new board members and officers, shop for holiday gifts at the Silent Auction, and receive year-end ribbons and trophies for your hard work at shows throughout the year. We can't wait to celebrate with you—get your registration forms in today!

We need volunteers at Omaha's International Horse Show!
Help us man the NDA booth and earn your volunteer hours.
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The International Omaha Horse Show (May 5-7, 2016) is a world-class jumping and dressage competition taking place in Omaha at the Century Link Center. This is an amazing opportunity to see athletes and horses from all over the world compete in Grand Prix stadium jumping and Grand Prix dressage. This year's show is a precursor to the 2017 World Cup, and will have two CDI 4* events—Grand Prix Dressage and Grand Prix Freestyle.

Just like last year, NDA will have a booth all set up and ready to help educate visitors about dressage, as well as spread the word about our club. We'll need people in 2-, 3- or 4-hour shifts on Friday, May 6, 2016 and Saturday, May 7, 2016 from 9:00am - 6:30pm at the CenturyLink Center in Omaha.

It's really easy:

• 2 people in the booth at all times
• Be a friendly face for visitors!
• Answer questions about NDA and dressage in general
• Accept membership registrations
• Sell a couple hats or coloring books

We're also looking for people to help us set up the booth on Thu (5/5) and tear down the booth on Sat night (5/7) after the evening entertainment. (If you'll be at the show that night as a spectator, it would be really convenient if you could just stop by the booth and help us disassemble on your way out! Many hands make light work and it should be super quick.)

You will have to pay for parking, but you can enjoy the shopping/shows before or after your help in the booth. There will be Grand Prix dressage at 6:00 pm Thursday night (well after booth setup, and it's FREE), and Grand Prix Freestyles at 4:00 pm Friday. The International is always a ton of fun with super high caliber horses and riders to watch, and we'd LOVE your help!

It's a really fun time, a great venue, and an awesome opportunity to see world-class riders. If you can help us volunteer, or have any questions, please email Melissa Ward or reach her by phone at (402) 350-3673 ASAP.

Every year at the NDA Annual Meeting (held this year on November 14 at Parker's Smokehouse in Ashland), the NDA membership elects new board members to serve terms of varied lengths. This year, we have 3 board positions to fill—this is an excellent opportunity for you to get involved if you've been thinking about joining the NDA Board of Directors. The positions that will be opening up effective January 1, 2016, are:

1. Term expires in 1 year (through 2016): This Junior Representative position, currently held by Jenae Tilford, is up for election every year. If you are under the age of 21, you are eligible to run for this office. In the event that there is no junior member nominated for this position, it may be filled by an adult member.
2. Term expires in 3 years (through 2018): This position, currently held by Dara Liss, is a 3-year term, up for election as scheduled. The member elected to fill this position is committing to serve 3 years. (Thank you, Dara, for 3 wonderful years on the board!)
3. Term expires in 3 years (through 2018): This position, currently held by Emily Johnson, is a 3-year term, up for election as scheduled. The member elected to fill this position is committing to serve 3 years. (Thanks, Emily, for serving on the board for the past year!)

What are a board member's responsibilities?
You may be wondering, "If I am elected, what exactly will I be expected to do?"

Primarily, you are committing to attend regular NDA Board of Directors meetings in which the board discusses and votes on regular NDA business, rule changes, finances, events, and general management. These meetings are typically once a month and last approximately 2 hours, though special meetings may be called if necessary. Please make sure you are available to attend as many meetings as possible; attending less than half of the meetings in a year will result in automatic removal from the board. There may be other business conducted by the Board of Directors in between meetings via email. (For full details, check out the NDA Member Handbook.)

Basically, this is your chance to help shape NDA into the best, most educational, most successful dressage organization it can be. If you've got ideas, we want to hear them!

How do all the different board positions work?
At the annual meeting, the NDA members will hold a general election to select our 3 new members for the Board of Directors. 
The newly elected board will confer about which board members are seeking or would accept an officer position (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary).

• If there are any contested offices (more than one board member seeking an officer position), a written vote will be taken for that position.
• Otherwise, if only one board member is interested in an officer position, a hand voteby all members will be taken in order to approve each office.

I don't know...I've never done anything like this before.
It's okay—we're friendly! You don't have to have any previous experience working on a Board of Directors—though if you have, that's great, too! Whether this is your first time, or you've run for (or served) the NDA Board in the past, you are completely and totally welcome. We're looking for people who have great ideas and a desire to promote dressage in our community.

Okay, I want to throw my hat in the ring!
How do I do it?Great! We're super-excited to have you! To nominate yourself, all you have to do is send us a short bio describing yourself, your history in the dressage community, and what you might bring to NDA. Before the annual meeting, we will email the bios to the NDA membership to review. At the annual meeting on November 1, you'll be asked to introduce yourself (if you're unable to be present, please arrange to have someone else introduce you on your behalf), and then the election will be held. If you are elected, your term will begin on January 1, and your first NDA meeting will be during that month. And remember—you must be an NDA member in good standing to be on the board, so make sure you renew your membership for 2016! You can do so at the annual meeting or online.

I don't want to run for the board, but I do want to vote.
What do I need to know?First, if you know anybody you think might make a good board member, PLEASE share this information with them and encourage them to nominate themselves! Then, make sure that you are at the NDA Annual Meeting and Year-End Awards Banquet so that you can cast your vote during the election. If you can't be there, you may assign another NDA member to vote on your behalf (by proxy). Your proxy must be an NDA member in good standing and must be present at the annual meeting. Just fill out the proxy box on the Banquet Registration form. Make sure you get your registrations in before October 24!
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Also, make sure you review the proposed bylaw changes that we wil be voting on during the Annual Meeting.

If you're coming to the year-end banquet, get your registration in NOW!
The deadline is Saturday, October 24!
If you're planning to come to the year-end banquet and awards ceremony, you MUST send in the registration form and payment! Contact Jane Fucinaro right away if you have not sent yours in!

At the 2015 Annual Meeting on November 14, 2015, we will be voting on two proposed changes to the language of the NDA bylaws. (The bylaws can be found in the NDA Member Handbook for your reference.)

Please review the explanation and proposed language in the document below so that you can come to the Annual Meeting prepared to vote!

​Thank you!