April 23, 2014
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U.S. Figure Skating's Senior Past President Endorses Ron Pfenning to Succeed Pat St. Peter
Benjamin T. Wright – U.S. Figure Skating President, 1973-1976. (Photo: Skating Club of Boston)
Mr. Benjamin Wright, who served as President of U.S. Figure Skating from 1973 to 1976, has endorsed Mr. Ron Pfenning to be the next leader of the American National Governing Body for figure skating.
In a strongly worded announcement Mr. Wright slammed those within the U.S. skating community for what he termed "an avalanche of detrimental articles and messages concerning Mr. Pfenning's candidacy for the USFS Presidency. It reaches the level of character assassination and is far removed from the true facts which he (Mr. Pfenning) reflected in his own statements."
Mr. Wright went on to add, "Suffice it to say that the objective of the delegates to the 2014 USFSA Governing Council meeting in early May is to elect the person best qualified to lead the USFSA for the next several years, which certainly will be turbulent ones for the survival of the sport of figure skating as we know it. Strong leadership is needed, especially in the ISU. I believe that Ron is the best qualified person to lead the USFSA during these perilous times and I therefore endorse his candidacy."
Mr. Pfenning is seeking to become the 33rd elected leader of U.S. Figure Skating in it's 93-year history and is running against the Board of Directors recommended choice Mr. Samuel Auxier, current USFS First Vice President and Head of the Midwestern Region. The election will be held during the 2014 U.S. Figure Skating Governing Council slated to take place from the 1st thru 3rd of May in Seattle, Washington.
Comments (1)
I read an interview with Ron Pfenning that was posted on FSU, and I liked his emphasis on the need for more transparency and responsiveness in the USFSA. The fact that he has previous experience working within the ISU is a plus too. But given that his most recent history with the ISU ended badly, I'm not sure how that would bode for him working with that organization. OTOH, I think what the USFSA needs to do is marshal support from other federations against the current direction of the ISU, so maybe it doesn't matter if he's not the ISU's favorite person?
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