Voting progress
Voting has concluded. 537 members voted!
Election Results can be viewed here.
The Board of Directors remains unchanged for the 2024 season.
This is your home for all 2024 Nordecke Board of Directors election info!
Schedule
Nomination/Declaration period: 12/18-12/31/23
Voting: 1/2-1/15/24 (voting closes at 9am on 1/15)
Transitional Board Meeting: Thurs 1/18/24 at 6:00pm
New Board assumes office 2/1/2024
Roles and Duties of each Board position. Directors must be over the age of 18.
Nomination/Declaration Form Here! You can nominate yourself. Must be logged in to view and complete form.
Questions included:
– What makes you a good fit for the role?
– If elected, what do you feel the first business for your role should be?
– Have you previously served on the Board? If yes, what role(s) and year(s)?
Election Info
(Administered by Election Buddy)
How do members vote?
- The current membership list will be uploaded to Election Buddy, which will send out a unique voting link once voting is open. Members will only be able to vote once.
- Members will receive three reminders to vote from Election Buddy.
Once voting has started, no one will have access to the voting results. Once voting has ended, the results will be published by Election Buddy for all to see. This means that even Nordecke Election Administrators will not have access to results until voting has ended.
- The ballot will show each role with the responsibilities listed as they are on the Nordecke website.
- Any current Board member that is running will have (I) next to their name to indicate incumbent candidate.
- Each candidate will have a photo and an information link to view the candidate’s answers to the two questions they answered when declaring for candidacy.
Candidates
This section will be updated periodically throughout the Nomination/Declaration period, so that members can review candidates and their experience/goals prior to voting. Candidates are listed alphabetically by first name.
Updated – 1/1/24 3:00pm.
Katie Sherer
Have you previously served on the Nordecke Board of Directors? If so, what role(s) and year(s).
I have been around the Crew world since its inception, starting from my days as a ball kid in Ohio Stadium. I’ve been a season ticket member at various points throughout life and most recently have been a Nordecke STM since 2016. I was never affiliated with any supporters group prior to the Nordecke collective. I started to volunteer my time during Save the Crew with the community events and then subsequently with TIFO activities. Over the years I have become more involved with the activities of the Nordecke organization. I bring experience from those who never felt like they had a place to belong within the section. With this experience, I hope to reach out to others that may be in the same circumstances with the expanded Nordecke section. I hope to show everyone that no matter their interests and skills, there is somewhere for them to get involved within the organization.
I have 15 years of experience in project management and working in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams. I have demonstrated the ability to maintain professional decorum in high stress situations. These skills enable me to guide the numerous activities that the Nordecke organization is involved in throughout the year within gameday and beyond and be a liaison to the front office to lobby for the needs of our membership.
In my current role as chairperson, I have spearheaded the bylaws revision that began back in April with a committee of volunteers. We have worked over months to critically examine the current bylaws and post-COVID operations and worked to align the bylaws with such operations. We also hired external legal counsel that specializes in 501c7 organizations to ensure that the organization is operating within the legal guidelines and have engaged in back-and-forth discussions to finalize the bylaws which the new board can bring to the membership for voting in 2024.
I also organized the Nordecke Cup, with assistance of a few volunteers, from registrations to team divisions, as well as behind-the-scenes details with the front office.
In the run up to the Cup, the board worked around the clock on very short turnarounds for both the Eastern Conference Final and MLS Cup. The collective board successfully ran two ticket lotteries in back-to-back weeks, with Board Members and Deputies contributing to sending out invoices, transferring tickets, and processing refunds for 1000+ orders. On top of the ticketing for both events, many aspects of gameday and travel were simultaneously being hammered out in real time with board members working collaboratively across roles to make the logistics come together.
In addition to the major activities, I participated in more than 80 meetings over the course of the season between the board, front office, ownership, and Nordecke partners, running or organizing the majority of those meetings or supporting other Directors in activities. These ranged from planned meetings to spur of the moment meetings that required urgent attention to the matters at hand. Beyond the organized meetings, there were ongoing conversations with the board and front office on matters across the spectrum.
The first order of business if I should be elected would be to complete the bylaws revision that was started in 2023. With a much larger organization, bringing the antiquated bylaws up to date will help increase the efficiency of the organization and bring transparency to the operations of the organization.
The other major goal I have for 2024 is twofold. I would like to continue the effort to educate the masses on the difference between Nordecke the organization and Nordecke the section and get more of the section involved with the organization. In conjunction with this, I want to educate our members how they can get involved with the organization and create spaces where there is a low barrier to entry for folks to meet each other. In 2023, the board has laid the groundwork to have social events outside of gamedays and watch parties with partners, both non-profit and businesses, throughout the city.
Kristina Balevska
Have you previously served on the Nordecke Board of Directors? If so, what role(s) and year(s).
No
What makes you a good fit for this role?
I’ve been around the Nordecke from the beginning of the group in 2008. My experiences will be insight from the past and try to incorporate what made the section grow.
If elected, what do you feel should be the first business for your role?
To hear the people’s voices and to work with the supporters. The original motto of the growth in the past was to work with the people who make the section what it is today. Listen to the concerns and be the voice for them.
Scott Haag
I have not previously served on the Nordecke Board of Directors.
What makes you a good fit for this role?
I bring strong experience from serving as a member if the Board of Directors of non-profit organizations. In these roles, I have served with people of diverse backgrounds and viewpoints, just as I would on the Board of Directors of The Nordecke. As a longtime Crew fan and season-ticket holder since 2009 and member of the #SaveTheCrew research team, I truly understand and appreciate the history, culture, and legacy of our team and fan base.
I also have strong and vast experience interacting with people of all walks of life, including US Presidents and CEOs of large corporations as well as members of our society struggling to just get by day-to-day. I am a strong networker and will harness that skill to collaborate with the Crew front-office and other pertinent parties and entities to enhance the experience and benefits, both gameday and otherwise for all members of The Nordecke.
If elected, what do you feel should be the first business for your role?
If elected, I will lead with the best interests of all Nordecke members at heart. This will include collaborative establishment of clear policies, such as the clear date driven window for Nordecke memberships. As a leader, I will oppose arbitrary reopening of membership, as transpired leading up to the MLS Cup Final match. I will also encourage collaboration with all fans and supporters groups, whether or not they are members of The Nordecke. I will also work to establish and maintain strong relationships with local businesses and organizations, be it a provider of free food and drink for gameday tailgates or local non-profits with whom we may collaborate to support and benefit our fellow Central Ohioans.
I have not.
What makes you a good fit for this role?
I will be upfront. I do not have the same experience as the current director. I have worked primarily on political campaigns in the city region for the better part of the last three years. In those roles, I have crafted media content for social media channels and media partners. I have copywriting and graphic design experience that worked to my benefit in those past opportunities. This involved being the Director of Communications for a consulting firm, and being Director of Communications for campaigns in other cities. Ultimately, I am a fierce lover of this sport and of this team. I am incredibly excited at the idea of working on behalf of folks who feel the same way I do.
If elected, what do you feel should be the first business for your role?
I would like to see a re-vamp of the current social media strategy. I feel we would benefit massively from a more consistent posting calendar and a cohesive design strategy. Not all of us are in or active the Facebook groups or the slack – and outward facing social media channels act as the primary method of engagement for those folks.
Yes – currently serving as the Communications Director
I’m a good fit for this role because I believe in the mission and the people of the Nordecke. I want to ensure the long-term stability and growth of our community as well soccer in Columbus. My personal skill set, though not perfect, has led me to the Communications role, where I do my best to keep both Nordecke members and all fans of the Columbus Crew well informed of the Nordecke’s activities, beliefs, and values. I have solid communication skills with both internal and external parties. I am pragmatic, and I do my best every day to represent the Nordecke well to the public. Columbus Crew fans are leaders and trendsetters in the American soccer landscape, and it’s my duty to ensure that we maintain that reputation.
I have three main guiding principles:
1) Be kind
2) Build for the future
3) Support Columbus
I have been a season ticket holder since 2014, and an active member of the organization since 2021. We moved our seats to the section starting in the 2022 season. While I’m newer to the organization, the history and culture of the team and group is apparent. As the section grows, I believe it is important to use that history to grow the organization as well.
Having spent 13 years in education and education related fields, I have deep connections to ensuring that community is a place that is accepting of all. All of my teaching experience has been with diverse populations across various socio-economic and cultural backgrounds. In my professional career, I have held many leadership roles working to positively impact the organization’s growth. Through these roles, I have been able to build connections within the organization and by bringing in outside partners to support the mission and vision of the schools.
Beyond that, during my tenure as the Community Director, the Nordecke has had an increase in engagement with the greater Columbus community. For the 2023 season, 34% of the operating budget went to community partnerships and donations. As a 501c7 social non-profit, this funding is directly related to the membership dues paid each year. Our predominant source of funding comes from memberships, and is used to support all of the causes and initiatives we take on each year. This means that the largest portion of the money we take in from memberships went to make the community a better place. Some examples of what was done with this is the purchase of 17 season tickets for CRIS. This was the largest single expenditure in our donations, however it allowed refugees to attend their first Crew game.
In addition to the season tickets, Nordecke continued its sponsorship of the Columbus Eagles. We also held an online auction of Crew memorabilia where the proceeds were donated to the Jonathan Mensah Foundation. We were able to make a sizable donation towards getting transportation for the schools in Okafoor, Ghana. We continued our partnership with Adaptive Sports Connection to provide funding for accessible sports equipment around the city.
A new initiative this year started during the Nordecke Cup. We created an Amazon registry to gather toiletries and other necessities for the unhoused and in need populations in the city. We have so far been able to create nearly 200 kits, with continuing donations for creating at least 200 more at the next Nordecke Night Out event. The first round of kits was donated to The Gladden Community House Food Pantry, with the goal of targeting other organizations throughout the year.
Over the course of the season we were able to donate over 1000 tickets to organizations around the city. This included various community organizations, schools, and youth soccer teams. We were also able to donate merchandise and tickets to organizations to include in various raffles and silent auctions. Many of these organizations were first time partners and were excited about the opportunities.
With the ticket lottery deposits for both the Eastern Conference Final and the MLS Cup, members were given the option to donate that to our community causes. This money was donated to Adaptive Sports Connection, DonateLife, and our 2 members who recently went through the organ donation process.
Working with our Merchandise Director, Brad Holloway, we continued our partnership with Steve Sirk to donate proceeds from his book to the West Virginia Hospice in memory of Randy Sims. On the day of the MLS Cup, the board made an additional donation of $1,996 to the West Virginia Hospice.
Continuing the work with merchandise, during the month of June, any pride related merchandise purchased benefited several local organizations. This included partnerships with Kaleidoscope and Bravo.
Throughout the season, we had the opportunity to highlight various local organizations both on the plaza during games, and during tailgate as well. These organizations included Donate Life, Adaptive Sports Connection, Final Third and the Nations Cup, Dress for Success, and League of Women Voters. Other organizations that were interested in partnering but were unable to find a time to do so included Franklin County Public Health, LifeCare Alliance, and Maryhaven Gambling Addiction Services.
While all of these initiatives and achievements were under the umbrella of Community, I was not the only one who worked on them to accomplish the goals. The board members work together to collaborate and achieve results as a whole. It is important that the community within the board exists because no one person can accomplish everything required of the role. It is a group effort. I supported many of the initiatives that fall in other roles on the board. Constant communication between board members and deputies is necessary to ensure a functioning board.
There are two major goals I have for the upcoming season as related to the Community Director. In addition to these goals, I am always seeking input for various community organizations to partner with. Many of the organizations we are connected with were brought to me by members or continuations of previous board relationships.
The first is to partner with Ravi Pandey, or whoever is the Partnerships Director, to create a community festival during the week of the All-Star game. The idea behind this is to highlight our various business and community partnerships throughout the city. It is also to show the city what soccer fandom in Columbus is truly like, rather than whatever the MLS will put on during that week. Many of these conversations have already started internally, and need to continue with various city departments. These conversations need to begin early in the new year to ensure that all of the necessary permits are gathered, and that there is time to complete all of the necessary processes to ensure a smooth event.
The second goal I have is to work with Brian Klein, our webmaster, to create an area on the website highlighting the various community partners. In this section, not only would it give a brief description of who the organization is, but it would also include links to their official website, donation page, Amazon link, or any other related website.
Beyond these goals, I would like to work with our community and business partners to create opportunities for members to interact outside of the game day experience. Columbus is a vibrant city, with many opportunities for volunteering, as well as some amazing social outings. By working with these organizations, I would like to see the Nordecke grow from soccer fans, to community supporters. This means having regularly scheduled events beyond the Town Halls and game day activities. Many of our community partners are always looking for volunteer help, and by setting up an event for our membership, we can deepen those connections. Utilizing our business partnerships for social events helps to build a community within the organization. Through these connections, the hope is the section will become a more unified voice in support of the team.
As a longtime Crew fan (since 2007), season ticket holder (since 2009), and member of #SaveTheCrew (research team), I truly understand and respect, the history and culture of our team, fanbase, and supporters groups.
In addition, and specific to the role of Community Director, I have served as a member of the Board of Directors and specifically as Philanthropy Chair of multiple non-profit organizations. This includes serving as multi-year Philanthropy Chair of a Central Ohio 501(c)(3) non-profit which directly benefitted Central Ohio children’s charities. I personally vetted and established relationships with numerous Central Ohio children’s charities. As Philanthropy Chair, I oversaw what resulted in over $300K being raised by our organization, of which 100% of the funds went directly to our partner charities and of which 100% of the funds went directly to benefit Central Ohio children.
I am also well connected with leaders and key decisions makers in other philanthropic areas of focus including but not limited to pet charities including no-kill animal shelters, food pantries and community gardens, and healthcare related non-profit organizations such as The James, Pelotonia, and those which support and assisting families battling devastating illnesses, and supporting and assisting the differently abled.
In addition to the above noted experiences and connections, I am also experienced in interacting, communicating, and collaborating with members of all walks of life in our community including US Presidents of both major parties, CEOs of various corporations, and members of our society who are struggling day-to-day just to survive another day.
As Community Director of The Nordecke, it will be my mission and focus to expand inclusive opportunities for Nordecke members to support and give back to all members of the Central Ohio community.
If elected, my first order of business will be immediate discussion and collaboration with my fellow board members ensure alignment our role-specific missions to ensure that we are all serving Nordecke members and the image and legacy our our organization, as well as the greater Central Ohio community to the best of our abilities.
Along with mission alignment across the Board of Directors, within my specific role, I will immediately reach out to my connections with various non-profits throughout Central Ohio with various missions and areas of focus to establish dialogue about potential collaboration between the Nordecke and their respective organization. This will also include vetting the organization and presenting them to my fellow board members before establishing official partnership. The vetting will include but not be limited to documented assurance that the charity and their mission are legitimate and align with the mission and vision of The Nordecke and that 100% of any funds raised will go directly to benefit those members of the community of whom the charity was established to serve.
It will also be my mission and part of the vetting process to ensure that Nordecke community support becomes and remains non-political. Our mission is to enhance our image and to support the Central Ohio community, enhance fan inclusivity within The Nordecke and Greater Crew community not only on gamedays but well beyond the pitch. This can and should be done by avoiding politically sensitive topics and rather supporting community missions (e.g. animal shelters, food banks, cancer and other healthcare related organizations, etc.) which all of us can support regardless of political philosophy or affiliation.
The Nordecke is for all of us!
I participated in Tifo on occasion prior to the new stadium opening in 2021 and wanted to get more involved, more so after the team was saved. I volunteered countless hours for the first Tifo to deploy at Lower.com, and have participated in the production of nearly every Tifo since. In addition to first team Tifo, I’ve worked with CapyBrava to execute on multiple Tifo displays for Crew 2.
I served as deputy to the previous Creative Director for half of the 2022 season before becoming Director in early 2023. I oversaw 6 displays for the 2023 season, some of which came from my own concepts that our artists were able to iterate on to deliver some incredible results. One display needed a very large last minute change due a Crew roster change and the result was incredibly successful.
I want Tifo to continually evolve. We have managed to create massive displays in a not so massive space to work. We tried some new techniques this year, different silhouettes, different deployment ideas. There has been discussion on further finding ways to integrate the rest of the section and stadium into displays and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do for some of our biggest games to amplify the hype. It takes a village to make these displays happen, and I want to continue to be a driving force behind Tifosweat to be the best in the league.
Scott Spencer
Have you previously served on the Nordecke Board of Directors? If so, what role(s) and year(s).
Collin Hill
Have you previously served on the Nordecke Board of Directors? If so, what role(s) and year(s).
No
What makes you a good fit for this role?
In a previous life, I was an Intern Assistant General Manager and Gameday Operations Supervisor for the Chillicothe Paints. In this role, I oversaw ticketing, promotions, pre/mid-game entertainment, group events, partnerships, and logistics. During my tenure, the Paints improved attendance and held the highest attendance in their league.
If elected, what do you feel should be the first business for your role?
First order of business would be to expand the Nordecke footprint with more game day engagement. I would hope to create a game day experience that improves membership totals as well as match day experience for members and non-members alike.
I’ve been involved in game day and tailgating operations for a couple of years and heavily involved this last year; showing up in the morning to set the stadium and hang banners, deploying smoke, deploying tifo, serving food and mixing drinks at tailgate – done a bit of it all, even been in the Capo stand during the game.
Apart from that, I have experience in theater production and show management in the live venue space and that’s what I see from this role. I’m not here to mix the best drinks or serve the best food or yell the loudest at the field of play. I’m here to be sure the stage (stadium) is set and decorated, the venue (tailgating area) is clean and available, the program (smoke, tifo, drumming, capo) proceeds as planned and scheduled, and that the experience is done safely and respectfully and in a welcoming – raucous but welcoming – environment to cheer on the Crew.
For as much as I would like to say this role creates the magic that is the buzz of game day, it’s the fans that do that. It’s all of us showing up and cheering on our Crew, I just want to create the environment for that experience.
Tickets as it should be for every person on the board, plain and simple, sorting out the ticket allotment that we use to fund some of the activities of this organization, needs to be priority 1 for the incoming board.
In this role specifically, I want to create active, direct partnerships with all the supporters groups that want to be a part of the match day experience, and create an opportunity for all supporters groups to share what they are proud of. YNA create a signature cocktail they are proud of and want people to try? I’ll grab a glass and I’ll get one for you too. Black Flag firing up the grill? Let me get you a plate. La Turbina create a new banner? Hell yes! Let’s hang it up together. GCGBAG interesting hosting a watch party? Let’s bring everyone we know to support them.
It’s the bringing together of passionate individuals and groups of passionate individuals that creates this unique community, this unique Columbus Crew experience.
Kourtney Sullivan
Yes, I am Currently serving as the Director for Nordecke Matchday Operations, I have been involved with the Nordecke and the supporter groups since 2010.
Some of my 2023 Achievements include:
– Recruiting Volunteers to ensure the best game day experience for fans
– Safely issued and coordinated the deployment of between 350-400 smoke grenades
– Integrated and mentored 7 new Capos from diverse backgrounds to lead chants during home matches
– Spearheaded and participated the 1st ever all female Nordecke Capo team
– Synchronized volunteers to deploy and take down 45+ fan made banners, 20+ Crew, and Crew 2 matches throughout 2023
– Coordinated with Crew Front office to broadcast stoppage time via digital clock from the Capo Stand (aka Clock Lady)
– Assisted in timing and deployment of smoke during all Tifo displays
– Managed the transfer of over 5000 Nordecke tickets to members
– Facilitated the purchasing of drums for the Nordecke Drum Corp
Tyler Kendall
Additionally, having a background in logistics and management, I was able to work with new vendors to onboard them and increase our product offerings. I also explored ways to reduce our shipping and packaging costs by adding additional shipping options/carriers and chose cost conscious packing options from various vendors. I will continue to find ways to be cost conscious and use our membership dollars in the best way possible while offering quality and in-demand products. I will continue to have an open dialogue with the membership base to ensure that voices are heard and that the merchandise being presented represents our diverse community.
One focus in 2023 was to find ways to work more closely with the community director, Heather Giles, and with our various community partners to create merchandise that supports them, as well as bring additional awareness to our common goals. We were able to create merchandise that not only supported these community partners but a portion of the proceeds from the sales were donated directly back to them. I also continued our relationship with a small local business to offer holiday Hot Chocolate bombs that have sold out numerous times and has provided them with additional business outside of the holidays. A secondary focus was to have more than 1 new product released for the year; this was accomplished with 3 different product launches directly by Nordecke…the Hell is Real sticker sheet, the Nordecke Pride flag, and the Nordecke pride bandana. In conjunction with our direct product release, I worked with Supporters Supply to have partnered releases that benefit Nordecke including multiple Nordecke jerseys and various TIFO shirts. We also have an ongoing partnership with Homage for Nordecke related merchandise. An additional focus for 2023 was to find ways to increase the visibility of our merchandise on the website, this was accomplished by having periodic sales, offering recommended products based on items in cart, and offering new products for sale throughout the year.
Having a background in logistics and management I have a high attention to detail and a strong desire to work in collaboration with others to achieve a common goal. Being able to handle multiple expansive and high dollar projects has allowed me to further develop and hone in my organization skills, prioritize key components that affect the outcome of the projects, and provide a quality customer service to those I interact with on a daily basis. I feel that my 15 years of experience in the logistics and project management field will greatly be beneficial in the role of membership director.
Travis Hastings 
Have you previously served on the Nordecke Board of Directors? If so, what role(s) and year(s).
N/A
I have customer service experience, willing to take criticism, I’ve worked years of retail, I’m great at communicating, not afraid to ask for help or questions, and generally keep an even head in most situations.
Ensuring merch is done in a timely manner. Help create new and exciting merch for members more than just once a year.
Ravi Pandey
I currently serve as Partnerships Director since November 2022.
What makes you a good fit for this role?
This was the first season we had tailgate in the North Lot of LDC. My goal was to replicate as much of the MegaTailgate as possible from HCS, particularly as it relates to providing free beer for all attendees. This season, I’m proud to say that we’ve had free beer for every home game through the generosity and support of our various brewery partners. In return, we’ve hosted numerous away watch parties at their respective establishments. In addition to this success, I’ve also worked to establish restaurant partnerships with local establishments such as Pecan Penny’s, Walrus, and Bobcat’s Bar.
If re-elected, there are a few goals that I have set for myself at this upcoming season:
- Solidify and expand our brewery partner relationships for both away watch parties and tailgate.
- Expand the number of restaurant/food partners.
- Organize family-friendly away watch parties for key games.
- Work with community to organize Nordecke Night Out events for current members as well as those interested in learning more about the Nordecke.
- Solicit ideas and feedback from Nordecke members for potential partnerships.
I have 1 ½ seasons of experience in this role.
During the past season, I developed full bus and hotel travel packages for two MLS Away matches as well as a bus/tailgate package for the US Open match in Pittsburgh. In 2022, I organized a Supporters bus to Cincinnati for Hell is Real.
I have researched, and organized hotel blocks for 7+ Away matches over the past 2 seasons, providing Crew Supporters with discounted, “one stop shopping” options for Away match accommodations.
I’ve worked with local supporters groups (both Crew groups and opponents) to plan tailgate/pregame activities at away matches. For Hell is Real matches, I’ve organized pre-match activities at Cobblestone OTR as the primary Crew Supporters hub and meeting spot.
In conjunction with the Crew Front Office, I’ve worked with the Front Offices of numerous teams to obtain Away Fan requirements and guidelines and have communicated these to Crew Supporters, and have worked as the conduit to allow Crew Supporters to have flags/banners approved for entry into stadiums. Additionally, I have worked with opponent’s ticket offices to coordinate the purchase of Away Supporters section tickets.
For the Eastern Conference Final in Cincinnati, I organized the pre-match activities at Cobblestone, researched and arranged hotel blocks, and secured potential bus transportation in the span of 5 days.
Now that the MLS schedule has been released, my first action as the 2024 Travel Director will be to create and distribute a survey to all current Nordecke members to determine where and how the membership would like to travel to Away Matches during 2024. This is also something that I did at the beginning of the 2023 season.
Simultaneously, I would contact area bus companies to determine the potential price of charter buses for those Away matches that are within a reasonable driving distance to begin to estimate the cost/person to provide transportation to those matches.
Kevin Clark
No
I’ve traveled to away days at Cincinnati, Charlotte, Nashville, Atlanta, Colorado, Pittsburgh and Portland over the last three seasons. I intend to do another 2-3 away days in 2024 and have a personal goal to visit every stadium in MLS. Through my travels for Crew games, I’ve been able to observe what works for travel arrangements and pregame activities. I believe there are also opportunities to enhance the experience for traveling supporters.