2018 Audi Club North America – National Board of Directors Election – Meet The Candidates!

The Audi Club North America National Board consists of nine Directors. Each year three of the board positions are up for election. This year five candidates have been nominated. Please review the candidate statements and select three (3) names to serve a 3-year term from January 2019 to December 2021.

Active and Associate members in good standing may vote. Have your membership number available to enter on the ballot. An independent CPA firm, Wegner CPAs, collects and tabulates the ballots. Each Member may complete one ballot.

The candidate statements (500 words or less) are intended to give some background on their Audi Club experience and philosophy on club matters. Electronic Ballots must be completed and received no later than November 30, 2018. An Election Ballot email was sent on Friday, November 16, 2018. The following candidates are submitted for election to a three-year term on the National Board of Directors beginning January 2018.

CANDIDATE STATEMENTS (alphabetized by last name)

Ryan C. Compton, #35256, Potomac Chesapeake chapter

I grew up in the Ohio Valley, obsessed with automobiles since birth, so you’d think that racing would have been genetically in my blood.

It wasn’t until I bought my first Audi (’05 TT225QC) and received an email from Audi Club to join them for the St. Pete ALMS street race in 2007 that my brain locked on to sports car racing and its connection to what we drive on the street. Standing in the pits as the R10 TDI charged in for a stop, I fell in love with a brand that exhibited hard work, precision, style, and excellence in a way I had not experienced before.

After I attended my first HPDE in 2007 at Summit Point, I quickly went from spectator to participant. One day on the track and I was hooked. After years of track time with my local Potomac-Chesapeake Chapter, I became an HPDE instructor, an Event Master, and member of our local Chapter Board. I attended IMSA and WEC races (Daytona, Sebring, Petit Le Mans, COTA, Laguna Seca, VIR, Paris ePrix, etc.), spending as much time with the Audi Sport Experience folks as I could manage.

More Audis have followed–all manuals so far!  I have “sold” many and have converted several friends and family to the brand. It is my “Audi Family” that has meant the most to me as a member of Audi Club. I was truly surprised by the friendships that started through our shared interest in Audi. Some of my very best friends today are Club members, and its telling about the caliber of people that make up our club. What’s even more telling is how many remain Club members even when no longer owning an Audi!

In my professional career, I assist numerous non-profit and membership organizations with their legal and strategic issues and currently serve on the Boards/Committees of Critical Exposure and the DC Bar Pro Bono Center. As an intellectual property and technology attorney at DLA Piper, I have advised the Club. My interests and career cross over in my legal representation of a well-known racing organization and my participation at The Racing Attorney Conference each year.  I believe my talents in the non-profit, legal, and automotive disciplines will help the Club achieve its goals and strategic growth.

In discussions with current Board Members and Club staff, I’m impressed with and excited about the revitalization of the Club. I envision a club that is expanding in membership and reach, working in partnership with other organizations with aligned goals, and creating a place with different opportunities for Audi owners to enjoy their membership and association with the club. Member value is all important, we can strengthen a club that values the modern Audi owner and allows them to have a variety of experiences to match their interests and build their own “Audi Family.”

Ryan Compton lives in the Washington DC region with his wonderful and understanding wife (and Pit Crew Chief) Marcy, and various cars, guitars, and cats.

 

Ted Dannemiller, #33024, Georgia chapter

Servant leadership drives me in private life, my work, and my passions and hobbies. Collaboration has been our key success factor in Audi Club GA, meaning we put the interests of the members and the Chapter ahead of our own agendas. We’ve developed a solid leadership team with broad experiences in leadership and management, and have developed volunteer organizers for many different events. We focus on solid governance, and a balance of oversight and support to Chapter and National activities.

ACNA is in a long period of transition, and we must serve a more diverse member base of owners, enthusiasts, and more socially-conscious drivers of our increasingly complex brand.  We must also engage our external stakeholders: Audi of America, tuners, track operators, and vendors who support our membership in so many ways. I have engaged the Drivers Education Working Group to participate and learn as we develop standards of excellence for instructing and conducting HPDEs. The Audi Club GA IS my social group and I have developed trusting and lasting friendships with people who are not always like me, but who share a passion for the unique feel of ACNA. I am currently serving on the Audi Club North America’s Board of Directors as its Vice President.

Dan Garber, #48601, Northwest chapter

I’ve been actively involved with Audi Club NW since 2013 when I bought my first Audi. I have a lifelong passion for cars and driving and an equal desire to volunteer and help shape the future of the organizations I attach myself to. My participation with the Northwest chapter of the Audi Club has fueled my passion for the brand and the future of the club.

During my time on the NW Board, I’ve worked with my fellow board and club members to develop creative ways to increase our charitable giving, diversify social activities and create a more partnered and mutually beneficial relationship with our local Audi dealers.  I am excited at some of the things we have started in the NW region and see a huge opportunity to help other regions expand and evolve their local programs.

For my family, the Audi Club has played a pivotal role in our lives.  I have developed life-long friends, extended our family and even expanded my network of professional connections and contacts within our community and beyond. I’m blown away that by simply choosing a proven brand producing an amazing vehicle and driving experience, I’ve also added significantly to the quality of my family’s life.  Our family will always be a loyal Audi owner and hope to add to the growth of the Audi Club so that others have a chance to experience the community we have found.

Patrick O’Neal, #15834, Golden Gate chapter

I am asking for your vote for the Board of Directors, of the ACNA, because I want to help guide our national organization toward an increasingly successful professional organization that grows the membership and serves all the Audi Club members throughout North America. I believe we should have a balance of social, technical, track, and driver safety events.  We need to be good listeners to all our members, and to provide more opportunities for fun events, and expand opportunities to increase membership.  In addition, we need to be mindful of our beneficial partnership with Audi of America.

I am an inveterate Audi enthusiast since owning my first Audi, a 1970 100 LS. I have been an Audi club member since 2001 and currently own four different Audis. I have been an active participant in Track and Social events for the last 10 years. I love track events as much as social events, but I feel there should be a balance.  I currently participate in Audi events in four different chapters because we have homes in Seattle and Arizona with family in California. Now I would like to broaden the scope of my commitment to the Audi Club by becoming a national board member.

This is why I am qualified. I served successfully as a board member for six years in the Golden Gate Chapter, one of the most successful chapters. Board members in Golden Gate actually operate the organization like a small viable business, and each Board member is assigned duties based on their experience. I served as the Legal and National Representative based on my legal and organizational work experience. I also organized and led the monthly board conference call using on-line tools so all board members could view the same documents in real time.

I have extensive event master experience organizing social drives, track events, rallies, and large multi marque auto shows. I have been the Audi event master for the last seven years for the Legends of the Autobahn™ held during Monterey Historic Car week. The event is held jointly with the national and local BMW, Mercedes, and Audi car clubs. This is a complex event coordinated with the two other clubs. This experience has provided me with insight into the operational and organizational management of the other two clubs. I believe we could utilize many of their successful practices to advance the success of our club.

I am retired from my career working in a professional capacity for a large national employer. I worked as a management and legal analyst working with State governments all over the nation to advance program requirements. I primarily had oversight and legal responsibilities with Appeals and Legislation for the eight western States. I helped promulgate regulations, reviewed legislation, conducted audits, organized and led national workgroups, and helped develop national policy. I worked with people from all over the country that helped me better understand our different ways of communicating.

I hope to have your vote. Thank you for your consideration.

Talia Spain, #50417, Georgia chapter

My love for Audi goes back further than I have dates to share. However, my Audi experience began in June of 2014 with my then second Audi, a 2008 A4 I later named Ursula. After buying the car, I joined the popular Audi forum, Audizine, for all my modification questions. From there I met up with local Atlanta Audi enthusiasts who seemed to only hang out casually with each other. I immediately felt like I was a family member and decided we needed to find other people such as ourselves. In August of 2014, I began the local Audi club, Four Rings ATL with my newly found 11 Audi fanatics.

From Four Rings, I found out about the group Audi Club of North America. It became clear to me after my first event, a driving excursion through the North GA mountains called HelenBack, that Audi clubs were more than just friendly people. Audi clubs are families! Over the next 2 years I sat on board meetings with Audi Club of GA before officially being elected to the board in 2016.

Being on the National board I hope to bring my wealth of event planning knowledge, my expertise with social media as well as fresh ideas on how to grow and retain membership for the club. I hope to gain your vote to help continue grow our Audi family across all chapters.

Vote for 3 Candidates – Have your member number ready to enter on the ballot. Keep an eye out for the Election Ballot email which was sent out Friday, November 16th.

Audi Club North America, Inc. Bylaws, amended November 30, 2009

Article 3.8 Privileges and Voting Rights:

Active and Associate members in good standing shall be entitled to exercise voting rights…

Ballots will be mailed and/or distributed electronically to active members to elect the Board of Directors…

Audi Club North America, W359N5920 Brown Street STE 103, Oconomowoc, WI, 53066-2488

(262)567-5476