Pioneering Holistic Optimization for Efficiency, Networking, Innovation, & eXcellence!
Pioneering Holistic Optimization for Efficiency, Networking, Innovation, & eXcellence!
The Phoenix Project is a transformative initiative designed to usher Board 12 into a new era of efficiency, innovation, and growth. As President, my vision is to restructure our board, ensuring a leadership framework that fosters accountability, transparency, and streamlined decision-making. By redefining roles, improving communication, and enhancing governance, we will create a stronger foundation for our officials and provide the necessary support to elevate their performance on and off the court.
Modernization and forward-thinking are at the core of this initiative, bringing cutting-edge technology and progressive solutions to the way we operate. From upgrading our digital presence and refacing our website to implementing an electronic payment system and leveraging data-driven referee training, I am committed to making our organization more accessible, efficient, and future-ready. These advancements will not only enhance the experience for our officials but also improve game assignments, training methods, and overall operations.
To ensure long-term success, business development will play a crucial role in expanding our resources and opportunities. We are the business, and you are the shareholders; take stock of our future. The Phoenix Project is more than just a plan—it is a movement to revitalize, innovate, and strengthen IAABO Board 12, positioning it as a leader in basketball officiating for many more years to come.
✓ IAABO International constitution compliant | Promoting the general purpose of the Association – increasing the effectiveness of the same
✓ Board 12 constitution compliant | Art. II-Purpose §2; Art. VI- Duties of Officers §1. Duties of the President (gen); see also Id at (c). Art. VI- Duties of Officers §2. Duties of the First Vice President, (c); Art. VI- Duties of Officers §3. Duties of the Second Vice President, (c).
1. Restructuring Board 12 leadership functions
• Redefine the roles of the Vice Presidents
➢ 1st VP COO – Chief Operating Officer
➢ 2nd VP CDO – Chief Development Officer
• Public Engagement Committee (under the Chief Development Officer)
➢ Social Media Subcommittee
• Restructuring the background investigation process
2. Staff and Business Development
• Increase membership
• Revolutionize training and development
• Reimagine mentor program
3. Modernizing & enhancing internal services
• Enhancing the Board’s website
• Electronic payments
• Major tournament hospitality
1. The First Vice President will also be known and assume the role of COO – Chief Operating Officer
COO: Works closely with the President to ensure the effective execution of the Board’s mission, policies, and strategic objectives. Clarifying that the COO:
• Co-manages the day-to-day operations of the Board.
• With the president, ensures organizational decisions comply with the association’s governing framework.
• Explicit primary oversight of currently assigned committees
COO: Will lead in the financial analysis and budgeting requirements for the Board.
• The First Vice President shall initiate and submit an initial budget for the succeeding fiscal year to the finance chair, who will then, in concert with the finance committee, draft a budget that recommends pay and non-pay for non-critical items and reductions or increases for any item. Ensures this budget process is completed and submitted to the first vice president by December 31 preceding the targeted fiscal year.
• Ensures financial reconciliation of the preceding budget with the Commissioner’s Office and Treasurer by August 31 so that the new budget may be informed by it.
• With the President and Commissioner, identify opportunities for financial growth, including fundraising, sponsorships, new clientele, partnerships (with the President), and grants.
• Acts as the primary operational authority for all committees, the executive board, and the general membership.
This blueprint enhances accountability by integrating governance, financial oversight, and leadership development into one executive position.
The COO acts as the primary operational leader, ensuring efficiency and strategic execution while allowing the President to focus on high-level vision and external relations.
The Second Vice President will also be known and assume the role of CDO – Chief Development Officer
CDO: Works closely with the President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) in executing the association’s mission. The CDO is primarily responsible for overseeing organizational growth, training, member engagement and adjudication, technology innovation, and event planning (Clinic and Banquet). This role integrates the functions of the Judicial, Banquet, and Technology Committees, ensuring they align with the association’s strategic development goals.. Clarifying that the CDO:
• Primary focus on governance and ethics oversight.
• With the president and COO, ensure organizational decisions comply with the association’s governing framework.
• Explicit immediate oversight of currently assigned committees.
The CDO: Will advance (in concert with the Interpreter) the training and development of all members of the Board.
• Oversee, by enabling the chair, event logistics (clinic, banquet, and others), including venue selection and financial responsibility of these events, awards presentations, and program development.
• Develop engagement initiatives to strengthen relationships among members, sponsors, and external partners.
• Identify new technological solutions to improve efficiency, including online training resources and data management systems.
• Develop strategies to expand membership, enhance member retention, and increase engagement through innovative programming.
2. Creating the Public Engagement Committee and placing it under the purview of the CDO; adding the social media subcommittee. Its primary responsibility is to:
• Enhance (positively) the public perception of the Board.
• Increase the Board’s public visibility with outreach and marketing.
• Highlight the general work and accomplishments of Board 12 members; continuously. solicit feedback and improvement (through surveys, interviews, etc.) from our officials.
3. Restructuring the Background Investigations to fall under the purview of the CDO
The CDO ensures long-term sustainability, effective communication and outreach, and development and training modernization while supporting the President and COO in driving the association’s success.
1. Increase membership
To effectuate my plan, it will require a mix of outreach, incentives, education, and community engagement. To help with this idea, I plan to create a Board 12 Footlocker—a uniform assistance program called The Ref Locker.
In addition to the initiatives by our Interpreter, to help boost our membership goal:
• Support and partner with the Intramural Sports program at the University of Maryland
• Partner with our public and private school clients to identify and recruit interested students to become officials. Aggressively attract them during the summer months and incorporate them into our summer training sessions.
• Maintain and publish our own referee training camp or clinic—open sign-up to the public for those who wish to become an official—(requires striking a word to the constitution Art. VII- Executive Committee, §3. Duties of the Executive Committee(j)).
• Partner with league tournaments, job fairs, community day events, etc., to set up an exposé table.
2. Revolutionize training and development
In concert with the Interpreter as the lead, this initiative will be accomplished using data-driven methods and a more engaged learning experience. These methods include:
• Study the feasibility of incorporating VR training sessions. 360 VR group study(RefReps); explore a partnership to explore further and develop the technology. The study indicated some preliminary positive results and future development that was hindered due to COVID.
• Approve the use of wearing technology that aids in reaction time, fitness, and movement, which is designed to optimize performance.
• Mic’d up training sessions so mentors and trainers could provide real-time corrections.
• Stabilize the mentor program supported by dedicated funding.
3. Reimaging the mentor program
Here’s how we sure up the foundational benefits of mentorship with our newly reimagined mentorship program:
• Should maintain an authorized strength of at least ten mentors to pair with mentees;
• Provide a fee of at least 40 per mentee per mentor a year (from dedicated funds).
• To be eligible for the fee, the mentor must commit to following the mentee for 2 years, plus:
- Mandate the mentor to attend at least two games a season per mentee, and they are provided $20.00 per game observed and where mentorship was provided after the game;
- The mentor must be available at least 2 days a week for 2 hours for questions and mentoring—mentor and mentee must talk at least once a week whether they meet for a game or not;
• Mentees must be assigned a mentor from their birth to at least two years as a condition of any status change (rec to jv, jv to v, etc.); older members who desire a program mentor may have one assigned from the eligible list
Create a framework for the program in the beginning (in academia, this is called an IDP or Individualized Development Plan) that includes:
- Duration of the mentoring relationship
- Frequency of meetings
- Format (in-person, virtual, or hybrid)
- Guidelines for interactions
• Routine training for mentors to ensure they understand their role and how to guide their mentees effectively.
• Communicate expectations for both mentors and mentees. This includes confidentiality, commitment, and the importance of open communication.
1. Enhance the Board’s website and enable the members’ section of the Board’s website
The Board 12 website can be used for so much more. Under my direction, I will:
• Facilitate the decluttering of our website to make it more visitor-friendly and your mailboxes
- Create email addresses for executive committee members
• Enable a “members’ section” of the Board’s website (password wall) – the Portal to Transparency
- Minutes – general meeting and executive committee meetings (not in executive session)
- Leadership directives
- Historical election results
- General contract information binding the Board
- Members’ news you can use (save the dates, etc.)
- Membership directory (subject to “do not publish” for inactive members)
- Referee profile system to verify/view their ranking, track certifications, link to arbiter schedule, list of committee assignments, etc.
- Donation/fundraising link
• Explore selling advertising space
2. Phase-in electronic payments
I recognized that some officials have some favorable views of our current paper check system; I get it—it has worked for dozens of years. I shared this sentiment. I also recognize that the world around us is progressing and that it will be ideal for us to reduce our paper consumption. With these competing but not mutually exclusive postures, I will approach a transition to electronic payments with a practical, transparent, and phased-in process. My plan is to:
• Identify a cohort who wishes to begin permanent electronic payment
- Would have to agree to the native once-a-year disbursement structure
- Propose to provide the Treasurer's Office with a technical assistant to facilitate these payments at $500.00 a year (as the need exists).
• Identify a cohort who wishes to begin permanent electronic payments twice a year (Dec. and April) at no fee. For any other payments outside of this schedule, the member will be responsible for the vendor fee. (Treasurer will continue to have the assistance of the tech assistant).
• Lobby to constitutionalize the requirement of electronic payment as the PRIMARY pay format for Summer and Fall basketball beginning in May 2027. Winter and Spring ball will remain optional. (Treasurer will continue to have the assistance of the tech assistant as needed).
• Establish an open enrollment period to sign up for electronic pay - every May (end of Spring ball).
• Lobby to constitutionalize the requirement for electronic payment as the PRIMARY pay for all basketball beginning May 2028. The technical assistant will be phased out.
• During the transition period, everyone will have 1 hardship or emergency disbursement at no fee charged. Note: any fee disbursement schedule will be decided with general membership input in the form of a workgroup.
3. Tournament hospitality
Many times (not all), our officials are excluded from hospitality amenities while we’re servicing major all-day, multi-day tournaments. This is understandable but frankly discourteous. I get it, they’re not there to feed AND pay us. Here’s my plan in bullets:
• Arrange ahead of the tournament for a space inside and/or outside of the venue
• If you have a pickup and a grill, authorize a Board expenditure to pay for food and drinks, your fuel, and the equivalent of a game fee for the wear to your equipment.
• Where this is unactionable, pay for delivered catering. Feed our officials!