Letter from NWBA CEO David Shaffer
Greetings Members!
I have been in my position now for just over a year. And what an amazing year it has been. As I have traveled all over the country, I have met so many athletes, parents, coaches, officials, industry partners, donors, and supporters. Throughout those conversations, one thing has become crystal clear - This is a tight group that supports one another fiercely and promotes wheelchair basketball daily. I have received so many warm welcomes, words of encouragement, and thoughtful suggestions. It is very evident to me why, when someone steps into this community, they almost never leave it. You know better than I do that our organization is powered by volunteers. Hundreds of you give of your time and talents consistently. In dozens of ways, and at dozens of levels, selfless individuals lift our organization. Our athletes, my staff and me, owe you a deep debt of gratitude.
I came in at an amazingly busy time. In my first year we have seen hundreds of competitions at every level. We have had two rounds of National Championships. We have had five different National Teams selected, and attend, International Championships. We have hosted an International Classification event for the first time ever. We have had two classes of Hall of Famers Inducted, this year being the first ever All Female Class. We have also been working hard to bring new Partners and Donors to our sport.
A few months ago, the Board of Directors and our National Office Team came together to craft a new Five-Year Strategic Plan. This plan takes us from this year through the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles. This will be a huge opportunity for our organization to capitalize on the greatest volume of coverage, eyeballs, and introductions to our sport that we have ever seen. Our Board sees that we must do everything we can to have ourselves and our organization in a position of strength leading into, during, and after those games. So, they led us in crafting an aggressive and ambitious plan.
Last week, we held our Annual Assembly. There was a lot of great discussion and conversation that took place and I want to personally thank each one of you who took part. A recording of the event can be found here.
There were numerous votes that took place during this meeting. One of them was the election of a new Board Member. I would like to welcome that new Board Member, Margaret Stran. Margaret is exceedingly qualified and will bring an incredible amount of knowledge, experience, and ideas to the position.
Lastly, we are less than three months away from the Paris Paralympics. Our Men’s and Women’s Teams have been training hard all year. With a series of camps and ‘friendlies,’ both domestic and international, they are single-minded in their focus - To reach the top of that podium!
So, please tune in and root on our men and women. Please invite your friends and post all over social media. Let us use the opportunity to showcase to our greater communities how awesome our sport is!
Our most promising path to growth and success includes the greatest amount of engagement from you, our Members. We need each and every one of you to help us succeed. I hope you will take on the challenge with us.
See you on the court!
Bylaw Amendments
NWBA Membership voted on ten (10) amendment proposals, and each were passed to update the NWBA Bylaws. The bylaw amendment proposals along with their passed status are detailed on the NWBA Annual Assembly webpage. The implementation of the amended bylaws is put into practice within 30 days or as soon as practicable. The updated Bylaws will be posted on the Governance Documents page of the NWBA website at www.nwba.org/aboutpoliciesprocedures.
Board of Directors Open Position – Election
During the Annual Assembly, NWBA Membership elected Margaret Stran to the Board of Directors. Margaret will serve a four-year term (2024-28). Margaret takes over the role of previous Board Member, Dan Ferreira, who has been a part of the Board since 2016.
Stran is the Associate Director of the University of Alabama Adapted Athletics program. She has been at UA since 2003 and completed her Ph.D. in Kinesiology in 2007.
"I am honored to serve on the board of the NWBA, and I look forward to working to further its mission and values."
Margaret is a two-time Paralympian, representing Team USA at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games, helping the U.S. Women’s National Team capture a silver medal. She was also a part of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic squad that returned to the podium for a bronze medal. She also earned a silver medal at the 1994 World Championships in England.
Margaret played collegiately at the University of Illinois, where she led the program to three consecutive national championships (1992-94) and was two-time all-tournament performer. She went on to play for the Music City Lightning, becoming the first woman to play for the men’s Division I team. Upon her arrival to UA, she played for the Crimson Tide, earning the Sportsmanship Award in 2005.
As a Coach, Margaret was the first-ever Women’s Collegiate Head Coach, coaching at UA from 2003-07. In addition, she was an assistant on the U.S. National Team staff that won gold at the 2010 World Championships in Birmingham, England and served as the head coach for the U23 Women’s Team that won gold in Sydney, Australia. Margaret got her first taste of coaching in 1999 as the head coach of the BlazeSports Jr. team.
Board of Directors – Appointments
Following the Annual Assembly, the Board of Directors elected two (2) Appointed Directors. New members Greg Smith and Carlos Terrazas will serve a two-year term. Carlos meets the Independent criteria as determined by the NWBA Governance Committee per the NWBA Bylaws.
Greg Smith
Greg Smith – An instrumental force in driving a small regional CPG brand into a dominant brand in a large category, Greg Smith is the Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Mt. Olive Pickle Company, a role he has served in for over two decades. His leadership played a critical role in growing the company into the largest and best-selling brand of Pickles, Peppers and Relishes in the United States, grossing over $600 Million. He used advanced data analytics to develop business sales strategy to increase distribution and rationalize product mix for greatest efficiency and profits, and manages all marketing efforts, including media buys, social media and co-op opportunities.
Greg’s son, Jonathan “Adam” Smith, was a member of the Charlotte Rollin’ Hornets and will be attending Auburn University to play wheelchair basketball in the Fall.
"I am humbled and excited to join the NWBA Team,” said Smith. “I look forward to serving this community and sport that has given my family so much over the years."
Carlos Terrazas
Carlos Terrazas – Carlos Terrazas brings experience in disability inclusion through his role as Global Disability Inclusion Manager at McDonald's Corporation. Carlos helps employees understand the nuances of disability and works with the company to shape and implement its global disability inclusion strategy. He is particularly proud of the work the team has accomplished so far to help build a more disability-inclusive hiring process and workplace for employees in their offices and company-owned restaurants. Additionally, he brings a variety of experience from past roles as a consultant and being a proud alumni of the University of Cambridge and the University of Arizona - where he had the opportunity to play for the men’s wheelchair basketball team.
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