Welcome to the election season for the American Numismatic Association. It is the first election after the pandemic. As the ANA recovers from the pandemic with the rest of the United States, the ANA must elect the right people to rebuild the association.

The ANA leads leadership to revive the association so that it matches the interest in the market. The current Board appears to lack vision and is led by someone incapable of getting out of his ideological way. It is easy to maintain an ideology when times are good, but an effective leader knows when to adjust when difficulties arise.

The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again, expecting different results.

Unfortunately, there are members of the current ANA Board of Governors that need to learn this lesson.

Primary to the election is the vote for president. For this election, I am endorsing Don Kagin. With no offense intended to Ron Ross, the ANA needs a president that has the experience to navigate the association through the post-pandemic environment. Ron Ross has the right idea for expanding numismatic education. It is that the ANA is in a place that it needs more. The ANA needs a president with a strong business background to lead the ANA forward.

If Ross is not elected, I hope that Kagin will find a way to keep Ross involved with the ANA’s education initiatives.

Joe Boling is the only candidate for Vice President. If Boling ran for the Board of Governors, I would endorse his candidacy. Boling has to be a member of the Board if for nothing else to restore the exhibit committee. Many people vehemently disagree with Steve Ellsworth’s mishandling of the exhibit committee and his alleged plans. As the former chair of the Exhibits Committee, Boling is the right person to fix this situation.

As for the Board of Governors, I am endorsing the following candidates:

• Muriel Eymery
• Mark Lighterman
• Clifford Mishler
• Charles Morgan
• Rob Oberth
• Shanna Schmidt

First, I am endorsing everyone running for the Board of Governors who is younger than me. It is time for the ANA to transform, and I believe that those younger have the ideas. I added Cliff Mishler to the list because he favors change with the intelligence to be a moderating voice.

I will not endorse anyone who wants to repeat the past mistakes to move the ANA forward, which is why I am not endorsing Mike Ellis and Mary Lynn Garrett.

I discussed the issues I have with Ellis in the past. I will never endorse someone who was forced to resign from the Board because of his actions.

Garrett lost my endorsement during the candidate’s forum when she did not embrace the new environment for improving ANA. Garrett wants to turn to traditional fundraising methods to grow revenues and did not indicate that she was in favor of expanding the ANA’s reach using new technologies during the forum. Garrett may have a different view after reflecting on her answers, but in a critical moment the Board needs people who can think beyond whatever they perceive as what worked in the past.

Although I only voted for four of the above list, the ANA Board of Governors will consist of seven members. If you want to vote for seven, I would recommend Garrett over Ellis.

Now it is your turn. Remember, the independent auditing firm has to receive the election ballots no later than July 1. VOTE!