Kim Willis for ACF President

[kim willis 57]

The Election of the American Checker federation
Asking for your vote
My name is Kim Willis. I am from a small town of Barnett Mo. I want to tell you all about myself. Many of you all know me but maybe you don't so I am going to tell you all about myself.
I was born in 1957, i was a very shy child. I remember when we would go and visit my papa and granny. Being the first born I was always running around with my papa. I was like always going with papa no matter wherever he went.
As for my papa he would take me with him and the one place he would take me was the local barber shop. I never knew why because papa never needed a haircut because he was almost bald. But he would go anyway. And one day as we were going to his favorite place the barbershop i asked him why he went there and he said because he like the conversations and the checker games. I just giggled because he knew when he went there he would always get a game. I would sit on his lap and watch while i had a soda pop or a sucker. This was amazing to me i would watch him win game after game. I really hated when we had to go home.But knew that I would get to come back during the summer and stay for a week or two.
So one time I got to stay 2 weeks with my favorite papa and be his sidekick. And as he did for years he would feed the animals and get all his chores done would say come on kimmy lets go. So we would jump in the old truck and off we would go to the barbershop. And here was all these farmers sitting in the babershop waiting to play checkers.
I always watched and then it happened one day a little boy came in the barbershop with his papa and seen the old farmers playing checkers and wanted to play a game. So papa said to me ok kimmy you want to play? I said yes and then i got to play this little boy. But my papa said you better win or your walking home. Well i lost. My papa then said you better get walking i cried but went out the door to start walking home. But papa wasn't going to let me walk he told me to get in the truck and headed home.
Papa then asked me did i like playing. I said yes but i hated losing and i wanted to win. This was my first lesson that papa taught me. If you loose you need to get back up and try again for the game of checkers has many lessons to learn. But never give up.
This was my time i will never forget it has been apart of my life. Then when my papa past away that put the checker game in my memory.
I then grew up got married had my children raised them and life went by without the game of checkers until in the late 80's. This was the time of internet and computers.And we went on the internet. This is where VOG (vinco online games) i went and entered the world of checkers again. I would go in to the checker room everyday and would watch players play. I then became a system operator or as many would call it a monitor.
I met many checker players there learned who they were and found many went to checker tournaments. Then i met Ron Suki King. My name was Momma and he would say lets play. Of course i hadn't played since i was a child and he just stomped me. Then he said he would teach me I was hooked then. I remember him teaching me simple things but there was something that always happened he would fall asleep while he was teaching me and i had to kick him out for the night. But then he said i should go to the Nationals in Niagra Falls. So i went i never won a game but i did get a bye. But i found i was the only woman there and many told me to go home for this was a mans game and i had no place there.
This is where I made my mind up to learn more about the game. Over the years i attended many tournaments.
This had opened that memory i had stored from a child.
Now I hope i haven't bored you all but I am running for this position because I believe we all have a mission and mine is to a advocate to this game. And be there for every person no matter what age, no matter where your from or the color of your skin.
When i came into the ACF i seen many members now our members are declining we need to get busy and talk. invite. help those who are teaching. I want to be that person. To be the voice be there if needed. Give information, as i am now a Players Rep. This to me is very important. its not just for master players it is for every player all over the world. We need to connect join together to keep the game of checkers alive.
We also need more referee's for tournaments.We need to have regular zoom meetings with district managers. We need open venues for how we can help to get more members. And for those who are teaching our game help them to expand the knowledge we might have and that they may not have.
Plus the Youth. We need to work on this. i see that we have a few that are teaching the youth but I want to ask that we get together and work on this problem getting kids in this game. There is many lessons to be taught.
I want each and everyone know that i will do all i can. And I will always be there for each and everyone of you.
My Platform
1) To be there for ALL players
2) Help with information for those who teach our game.
3) Be available to everyone.
4) To promote the game.
5) Never leave anyone behind,that is past, present, and our future players, children, new adults just starting, and our senior players.
My contact info is always available
Kim Willis
20145 Hillpoint Rd
Barnett Mo 65011
phone 573-375-0591
email
vincomomma@yahoo.com
Kim Willis

[John Acker]

We have already had 22 years of unprofessional, ineffective governance under Millhone's administration. Why should we expect anything better from one of his cronies?

[kim willis 57]

I would like to sit this straight. Mr.Acker I am no ones crony. I am a advocate for All players. All i hear from you is negative things. So the vote will tell all.

kim

[John Acker]

I will never vote for you, and neither should anyone who wants actual change in the ACF. Count on that.

[JR Smith]

Nice article on The Checker Maven - Copied from Bob Newell’s The Checker Maven website. http://www.bobnewell.net/nucleus/

American Checker Federation Election

The American Checker Federation (ACF) is having its most important election in decades, as its long-
time president, Alan Millhone, has decided to retire from the post. Mr. Millhone has been a major
figure in the Anglo-American version of the game, both in America and abroad, but now a successor
will be elected.

The candidates are Kim Willis and Victor Habgood. The Checker Maven sent both candidates
interview questions, but by press time only Mr. Habgood responded. His statements are given below.
Ms. Willis did state her position on the ACF Forum and her remarks can be read there. We sought her
permission to reproduce them here but again we did not get a reply by press time.
If you are an ACF member, be sure to vote. If you're not a member, consider joining to promote
organized checkers in the United States and beyond.

Victor Habgood (picture)

Tell us something about yourself.
41 years old, grew up in Oklahoma. Now I live in Brazil, IN. Started playing checkers competitively at
15 and began tournaments at 16. I am a retired Naval Officer that served over 7 deployments and
was promoted 8 times in my career. I have two kids (14 and 12). I love church and being a part of a
community that is making a difference in people's lives every day.

Tell us about your interest in checkers.
I love playing competitively online and in tournaments. I have been working on artificial intelligence
approaches to the game for about 6 years now. I haven't had anything huge come from it yet, but I
have some really cool ideas.

What qualifies you to be ACF President?
Leadership from the military and from being a business owner. I also am one of those that has been
somewhat pushed to the side, as many
other members feel.

What's your vision for the future of the ACF?
I think it is bright! There are still lots of people within the ACF that are motivated to make a
difference. These efforts are just lacking in direction and coordination. I think we need to master the
online world. Everything from marketing, videos, website, tournaments, and more. We have to build
a solid foundation of people who are going to move the needle. We need to organize them and then
take that to make concrete action plans. Also, we need to be transparent to our members and
potential members about what we are doing and why. We want to attract as many as possible.

Anything you wish to add?
I don't have anything personal against Alan or Kim. I think Alan did the best he could and that wasn't
always easy. I would rather focus on the future and making checkers fun again! Imagine jumping
online over a weekend and playing in digital tournaments with real money (fairly regulated) with
hundreds of players from all over. Those types of things are really possible and will happen if I am
lucky enough to be elected. I feel that I represent a large variety of people and represent our best
chance at taking the ACF to the highest levels possible. I pray for everyone that this game brings
peace and joy that it was meant to to all of you!
Mr. Habgood, thank you for your responses.
____________________________________________________________________________
Copied from Bob Newell’s The Checker Maven website. http://www.bobnewell.net/nucleus/
Both candidates posted information on www.USAcheckers.com forum and
https://www.facebook.com/usacheckers/