IT’S OFFICIAL. THE APTA HAS A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

By Charles E. Vasoll

I never expected that this web site would be the one that would bring the APTA membership the news of a major change of personnel in the APTA office staff. It has been confirmed to me that Marjorie Hodson has replaced Carolyn Tierney as the Association’s Executive Director. Further, Hope Kerr, the long time Treasurer, who was appointed to be the Association’s bookkeeper when she was no longer permitted to serve on the Board of Directors, has also been relieved of her position. I have no details about the background of this change and no announcement has been made by the Association to its membership on its web site or by letter from the President, John Horine.

The office space that the Association rents in Montclair for the Executive Director and where personnel employed by the lessor to carry out its membership data and other office functions, such as answering telephone and e-mail inquires, is also in the process of being terminated. It appears that the total office function will be relocated to Mrs. Hodson’s residence for her to carry out all functions. Ostensibly, this is to reduce costs.

Since it was revealed that "Platform Tennis Magazine" cost the Association almost $100,000 last year, it is easy to understand why the financial picture is not bright. This expense is almost 50% of the revenues of the Association and was the principal reason for a loss of $10,000 in the last fiscal year.

While the number of members may be higher, it has been the result of signing up more leagues and local associations where the membership dues are discounted 50% in return for 100% membership of the group in the APTA. This program to increase membership has been part of an effort to attract more advertisers to the magazine. Unfortunately, it has not succeeded in accomplishing this goal.

This upheaval is not new to the APTA. It has happened several times in the history of the Association and I can personally attest to one of those periods. Two months before I became the Association’s President in 1989, my predecessor dispatched the Executive Director. I came aboard with no one to operate the Association office. After a series of interviews of possible candidates, I was extremely fortunate to have selected Ginna Ohlmuller to fill this important task. At that same time, Hope Kerr was elected to the Board of Directors and took over the duties of Treasurer. With these two very capable women at the helm, the business of the Association was in good hands.

I don’t know what is in the offing for the new, re-styled APTA. I see lots of problems in the placement of the working office in a private residence. I believe it is unlikely that Mrs. Hodson, by herself, can carry out all of the functions of the office. Service of all kinds to the membership is very likely to suffer. I expect some of the leagues and local associations will begin to re-evaluate the need to have 100% membership in APTA. This would lead to a reduction in the number of members and further stall any hope of increasing advertising revenues from the magazine. Even though the magazine has an excellent audience, it is just too small for most advertisers. Therefore the principal means by which the high cost of the publication could be reduced stands even a smaller chance in the future. It seems to me that the office is the "whipping boy" for the failure of the magazine to live up to the great expectations that sold it to the Board of Directors five years ago.

What’s next? No one knows and only time (the clock, not the magazine) will tell.

NOTE: Check out APTA President, John Horine's, reply to this article on December's Volleying Page

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