Nine members of the Executive Committee, along with ACE’s association manager, Jeffrey Seifert, met on March 21-22 in Dallas, Texas, for one of the Executive Committee’s three in‑person meetings each year. Two members attended on one day, each via Zoom. This was also the final weekend‑long meeting of my presidency.
I am proud of the thoughtful discussion and healthy debate throughout the weekend as we worked to determine the best path forward for ACE. Each board member brought their own experience and perspective, and that helped us make well‑rounded decisions. Our main focus was to bring current projects and past discussions to a clear resolution so the incoming Executive Committee this fall will not need to take immediate action. My hope is that they can begin their term by building strong teamwork and using the foundation we have created to move ACE toward its full potential.
Some of the key discussions centered on building agreement, consistency and collaboration. Topics included event pricing, multiday regional events, transition planning, responsible records management, volunteer needs and recognizing volunteers who have shown exceptional dedication.
Other business items included the following:
- Reviewing proposals for future flagship event locations
- Discussing results from the recent member survey
- Addressing disciplinary actions
- Updating reimbursement guidelines
- Planning for IAAPA Expo 2026 and ACE’s 50th anniversary celebration
- Reviewing a proposed Constitution update for the 2026 election ballot
- Considering a confidentiality proposal
We were also joined by ACE’s legal affairs manager, Al Wolsky, who provided helpful insight on transition planning and how to keep ACE on a strong path. His guidance supports the Executive Committee in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility to ACE, its mission and its members.
In addition, we reviewed the action item list. This list is updated during meetings and monthly calls to ensure every committee member understands their commitments and how their work supports ACE’s mission and strategic plan.
I want to thank all the members who joined us, both in person and virtually, for giving their weekend in service to ACE. I am also deeply grateful to the families who shared their loved ones with us for the weekend.
It can be a long and demanding few days in a hotel conference room, but the reward is worth it. Watching thoughtful, respectful and energetic discussion unfold — and seeing how it shapes the fun and progress ahead — reminds me why this work matters and why our community is so strong.
The Executive Committee will hold its final meeting of this term on the Saturday before Coaster Con. During this meeting, we will review any remaining old business and discuss new items.
ACE’s annual business meeting will take place during Coaster Con, where the annual reports will be reviewed and questions from members in attendance will be answered. If you are not attending Coaster Con but would still like to join the business meeting, please contact me, Elizabeth Ringas (eringas@aceonline.org), to make arrangements. These arrangements must be made before Coaster Con begins on June 21, 2026.
If you cannot attend but have questions about the annual reports or anything related to ACE, you may email them to questions@aceonline.org.
The annual reports will be available in the Everything ACE community in early June. Please take time to read and review them. This is your chance to see the hard work of ACE’s volunteers and learn more about how we are carrying out our mission and daily operations.
Minutes of this meeting will soon be available in the Everything ACE community. Past meeting minutes can be reviewed in the same community by any member at any time. If you have not yet logged onto the new member platform at RideWithACE.com, you may need to log in and return to the link to access the community. The community can be accessed via “All Communities” under the “Communities” tab on ACE’s website.
— Elizabeth Ringas, ACE President
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