Kiteboarding Australia Annual General Meeting 2020

The 2020 Kiteboarding Australia Annual General Meeting was held on the 29th of October. 
 
There were two main action items.
 
The first was the report presented by president Rhys Higham recapping the challenges and achievements of Kiteboarding Australia over the previous 12 months. The report is attached. The unaudited accounts were also presented and show the organisation's finances to be robust.
 
The key highlights from the 2019-20 financial year were:

• Establishment of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Australian Sailing (AS) for development of the Olympic pathway, 
• Continued growth and maturity of the Season Launch Kiteboarding Expo, National Wave Series and National Freestyle Series, 
• Establishment of a National Foil Committee, 
• Membership and sponsorship growth, which are now at an all-time high, 
• Improved branding, marketing and a sharper external expression of KA’s role in the kiteboarding community, and 
• Rollout of the youth development program to KA affiliated schools. 

The full report can be read here.

The second action item was the election of three board directors. The nominations committee which led the process were delighted with the quality of all of the applications for the board positions. 
 
 We are excited to announce the appointment of Tara Sacks & Alastair Simson, and the re-appointment of Will Chapman for the next two years.  

Tara Sacks, is a director of a legal recruitment company in Melbourne. She trained as a lawyer in the UK and will bring a great legal mind set to the board as well as being a passionate kiter.  Alastair has a corporate strategy background working with some of Australia’s largest companies. He has also served on other non-for-profit boards including the Amy Gillett foundation where he played a part in advocating for road cycling safety including the “A Metre Matters“ campaign. Will Chapman is a former President of Kiteboarding Australia and continues to be an active and passionate contributor to the organisation and the industry.
 
The meeting marks the end of Patrick St John and Rick Elliott’s terms on the KA board. Both Patrick and Rick have made significant contributions to the Kiteboarding Australia board over the last four years. Rick, having previously served as the President of Kiteboarding Victoria and Vice President of Kiteboarding Australia, brought great local engagement and knowledge of the sport. Rick has been a long-time volunteer for our collective associations, always placing safety as a priority. Rick has offered to remain engaged at a State and National level where his experience and wisdom will always be welcome.
 
Patrick, who has a legal background, has assisted enormously in key areas of contracts and commercial issues. Patrick has been instrumental in discussions and negotiations with Australian sailing to establish an MOU to guide the future of kite foil racing. Patrick has been a highly valued member of the Kiteboarding Australia board, previously serving as the Vice President.
 
Kiteboarding Australia greatly appreciates the service of both Rick and Patrick, we wish them the very best for the future, and we know they will continue to support the overall team.
  
As we move into the next chapter, Kiteboarding Australia is very confident that we are well positioned to tackle the many challenges and opportunities ahead.. We once again thank our outgoing, incoming and existing board members for their contribution to Kiteboarding Australia. 
 
The minutes and presidents report from the meeting can be accessed here.