After months of evaluation and assessment, we are excited to announce  
with confidence that we are moving forward with the development of an  
online membership environment for US Fencing.  We are currently in the  
final stages of contract negotiation with Hang-a-Star, who will  
provide us with a comprehensive membership solution that will meet the  
needs of the entire organization.  Additionally, it’s important to  
note that they have agreed to bill us for ½ of the development in this  
fiscal year, and ½ in the subsequent fiscal year to help us with our  
current cash flow considerations.

As you can imagine, this was a difficult decision as a number of other  
vendors also submitted solid proposals that would also meet the needs  
of the organization.  Factors which differentiated Hang-a-Star from  
the other proposals and led to the selection include the composition  
of the staff team, the array of resources they bring to the table, the  
level of customer service that can be provided, and their demonstrated  
experience in providing similar solutions to other NGB’s and large  
sport organizations.  As a result, we are confident that they are the  
right fit for all of us.

We are grateful for the significant contributions from those who  
played an integral part in this process, and a special thanks is in  
order to David Sierra, who effectively worked with our staff in  
developing the necessary assessment protocol as the lead in the  
Technology Development Task Force.  As we now move forward with the  
discovery phase, we recognize that the vast degree of technical  
knowledge, insight, passion for the sport of fencing, and commitment  
to excellence that resides in this group will serve as a tremendous  
asset in developing the solution that meets the needs of all  
stakeholders across the organization.

As mentioned before, we are targeting an initial rollout of the  
solution at Summer Nationals, and are working with the Resource  
Development Committee to provide the opportunity for a large portion  
of our stakeholders to be able to experience the new environment.  On  
behalf of the US Fencing, I want you to know that we are aware there  
will be bumps in the road as we move forward with this project.   
Please be patient with us and support us as we take this exciting step  
in the history of US Fencing.