BGonline.org Forums

USBGF Runoff Election

Posted By: Dorn Bishop
Date: Tuesday, 18 February 2014, at 8:35 p.m.

Hello, everyone. As many of you know, I am currently a candidate in a run-off election for the final seat on the United States Backgammon Federation Board of Directors. I would appreciate it if you would cast your vote for me.

Below is some information about my background and vision for the USBGF. I hope that it adequately conveys my qualifications and enthusiasm for this opportunity. The slate of candidates that you have already elected is extremely strong, and it would be my privilege to work alongside them. I believe that the USBGF has a bright future. If elected, I would work hard and do my best to help continue steering the USBGF in the right direction.

I grew up the east coast but have lived in San Diego for about 25 years now. I came out here in 1988 to work for a large law firm named Latham & Watkins where I became a partner. I left Latham in 2001 to serve as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, where I prosecuted criminal cases for the next three years. I never lost in over 20 jury trials, and was never overturned on appeal. Most importantly, I believe those results were just and fair.

For the past ten years, I have run my own law firm where my practice focuses in insurance coverage, business litigation, and white collar criminal defense. I also represent California card rooms and employees in state gambling license proceedings. I believe that my experience as an attorney and businessman will be very helpful in evaluating issues that come before the USBGF Board.

I learned to play backgammon from a book by Tim Holland, and first played socially when my parents took me on a trip to Iran in 1976. Bridge was my passion from age 10 to 30. Then we had our first son in 1993 and I decided to cut back on my bridge playing. It was over dinner, during a tournament with a new bridge partner named Danny Kleinman, that Danny told me that he had written some backgammon books. Thinking backgammon might be a fun hobby to replace bridge, that night I bought copies of Vision Laughs at Counting and Meanwhile Back at the Chouette from the back of Danny's car. Well, backgammon turned into much more than a hobby for me, and I have been hooked ever since.

Based on my background and experience, I believe that I can bring some fresh energy and perspective to the Board of Directors. Having been somewhat disillusioned by my own experience in the bridge world, I am wary that the USBGF not become the American Contract Bridge League of backgammon, or anything close to resembling a potentially bloated, inefficient bureaucracy. That would be a waste of your money and my time.

Yet, there is still much work that can and should be done. In particular, I would like to see educational efforts continue to grow, and for the USBGF to develop a workable master point system that emphasizes results more heavily than tournament participation. I also see the USBGF continuing to serve as a useful resource for tournament news and information; as an organizer of events; as a respected source for player rankings; as a generally-accepted source for tournament rules; and as an active developer of the game through social networking and community outreach.

Provided that modest, attainable goals are set, I believe the USBGF will continue to stay on the right track and will benefit its members. I am excited about its future.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope that you will vote for me. For your convenience, here is a link to the voting page of the USBGF website:

http://usbgf.org/polls/2014-bod-runoff/