FORT WORTH, Texas – The American Paint Horse Association (APHA) will host its annual Convention and Membership Meeting September 30 – October 2, 2010, at the Radisson Hotel at Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee. During the Convention, the 2010-2011 APHA Executive Committee will be voted on and announced
The Executive Committee is made up of members of the APHA Board of Directors, which is comprised of individuals elected by the APHA membership. The Board of Directors decides policy and direction for the Association. The Directors, in turn, elect from their numbers a seven-member Executive Committee. The Board of Directors and Executive Committee work with the Executive Director of APHA and the professional staff of the Association to implement and enforce all rules and programs.
In an effort to give the Board of Directors sufficient time to consider the candidates for the October election, the nominating committee reviewed applications and announced three candidates during the Association’s May Workshop meeting. The three nominees to the APHA Executive Committee include: George Ready of Hernando, Mississippi; Mike Short of Edmond, Oklahoma; and Susie Shaw of Parsons, Tennessee.
George Ready of Hernando, Mississippi, has always shown, raised and maintained horses, and has been involved with APHA since 1985. Ready’s children have shown in APHA competition since 1999. His son, Banks, is a former AjPHA president. Ready has also served as an APHA show manager. A National Director for six years, he’s also worked as a director and vice president of the Zone 6 Committee. A member of the Youth Committee for one year and the Rules Committee for one year, Ready has been the vice chairman of the Professional Horsemen Committee for three years. Ready is an attorney with 30 years of experience, serving as a commissioner, judge, state senator and special assistant attorney general.
Mike Short is a resident of Edmond, Oklahoma. He has 25 years of experience in APHA as a judge, trainer, breeder and promoter. A National Director since 1995, he is a current member of the Oklahoma Paint Horse Club. His club involvement has also included the Empire State Paint Horse Club and the Gulf Coast Paint Horse Club, and he served as the Texas Paint Horse Club president for two years. A member of the APHA Advisory Panel, Short has served on the Youth and Amateur committees and is the chairman of the Amateur Committee. Short is an operations and compliance director for a senior living facility.
Susie Shaw of Parsons, Tennessee, owns a Paint breeding farm and has been active in the Tennessee Paint Horse Club for 14 years. A current member of the APHA Advisory Panel, Shaw has participated on the Registration Committee and the American Paint Horse Foundation Therapeutic Riding Board sub-committee, served as vice chairwoman of the Ways and Means Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee, and participated in the Nominating Committee for Board of Directors for two years and the Nominating Committee for Officers and Executive Committee. Shaw’s professional background includes human relations management, marketing and advertising.
At the October Convention, the Board of Directors will take nominations from the floor prior to voting, then a ballot vote will reveal the newly-elected sixth member of the APHA Executive Committee.
More About APHA
Currently, American Paint Horses are being registered at APHA’s Fort Worth, Texas, headquarters at a rate of more than 30,000 horses each year. APHA has registered more than 981,000 horses in 59 nations and territories since it was founded 48 years ago, and now serves approximately 76,000 active members around the world. APHA, a non-profit organization, prides itself on community involvement and educating the public about the beauty and talent of the breed. Among its many activities, APHA works to preserve bloodlines and maintain the outstanding characteristics of Paint Horses. For more information, visit the Association’s website at apha.com or call (817) 834-2742.