Former national player, Dr Shellyanne Wilson is expected to become the second-ever woman to be elected president of the T&T Table Tennis Association (TTTTA) as head of the "Love All" slate when the 2023 annual general meeting and elections of officers take place at the National Racket Centre (NRC), Tacarigua on Sunday (January 22) from 2 pm.
This is as Dr Wilson, who is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, where she read for a BSc in Chemistry and Management, and a MSc in Production Management, is the sole candidate for the position.
She completed her PhD at the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM), University of Cambridge, Manufacturing Strategy while she lectures Quantitative Methods, Production and Operations Management, Operations Planning and Control, and Business Strategy and Policy.
Prior to joining academia, Dr Wilson worked in the manufacturing sector in Quality Management in a multinational consumer goods company and Manufacturing Management in a large food manufacturer here in T&T.
Back in April 2021, then 75-year-old Merle Baggoo became the first-ever female president of TTTTA during their virtual annual general meeting replacing David Joseph after the late withdrawal of 12-time national champion Aleena Edwards, who was the TTTTA’s general secretary under Ian Joseph’s leadership in 2017 and ’18.
The other members who were elected to serve back then included general secretary Bob Roopnarine, Kevin Lewis, and Richard Copeland as first and second vice presidents, Kenneth Parmanand as treasurer, Leah Fraser as assistant secretary, and Dave Ramoutar as the public relations officer.
However, five months into her tenure Baggo opted to step down from her position with Lewis being elected to the position as acting president before Copeland was officially named to the position at a specially arranged general meeting to fill the vacant position.
What followed was a number of resignations from the TTTTA with Parmanand, Ramoutar, and Lewis all stepping away leaving Roopnarine, Copeland, Fraser, and Anil Ramlakhan, who was voted in as treasurer at the special AGM as the only sitting members of the executive.
In a press release to the media, Roopnarine said: "Upon the advice of president (Ag.) Richard Copeland, the TTTTA will also hold a Special General Meeting on January 22, 2023, from 1 pm at the NRC. Purpose of SGM is for the sole purpose of the proposed constitutional change for article 6.1.12
"Elections shall be voted by slate for the following positions president, vice president, second vice president, third vice president, secretary, assistant secretary, second assistant secretary, treasurer, public relations officer."
This change will take place at an SGM immediately before the AGM.
According to a source close to the TTTTA, so far the 47-year-old Wilson-led slate is the only one that will be contesting the elections on the weekend and along with her candidates they are expected to be voted in as the new executive members.
According to their manifesto, Wilson and her "Love All' team vision is for the betterment of the sport T&T with a main mission to provide a facilitating environment for growth, development, and success in the sport,
The manifesto added that the priority areas include the principles of good governance and administration by formulating and implementing strategic plans, and monitoring and evaluating performance, guided by the principles of transparency, integrity, and accountability.
In addition, Wilson said they plan to raise the profile of the sport of table tennis through the inclusive engagement of recreational and competitive players and spectators, through the use of technology and partnerships with schools, industry, religious organisations, and media.
With regards to the players, Wilson, the Lecturer of Operations Management and Head of Department of Management Studies at the University of the West Indies in St Augustine, and her team hope to engage in talent identification and development, where high quality coaches will lead programmes to hone player physical fitness and technical skills, and on the administrative side of things, they intend to prioritize making financial sustainability efforts by engaging in robust planning to identify budget requirements and actively seek to diversify revenue streams while engaging in optimising cost areas.
The other candidates on Wilson, a member of the 2004 T&T women's Senior Caribbean Table Team gold medal team along with Edwards, Natalie Montes, and Rheann Chung are Curtis Humphreys (first vice president), Jelani Bramble (second vice president), Ernest Fraser (third vice president), Patrice Valentine (general secretary), Nigel Morgan (assistant secretary), Sharon Bravo-Phillip (second assistant secretary), Rabindra Outar (treasurer), and Everton Sorzano (public relations officer).
Love All candidate slate:
President: ShellyAnne Wilson
First vice president: Curtis Humphreys
Second vice president: Jelani Bramble
Third vice president: Ernest Fraser
General secretary: Patrice Valentine
Assistant secretary: Nigel Morgan
Second assistant secretary: Sharon Bravo-Phillip
Treasurer: Rabindra Outar
Public relations officer: Everton Sorzano
Annual General Meeting agenda:
Call to order and roll call
1. Call to Order by President (Ag.)
2. Roll call of all present
3. (Ag.) President’s opening remarks
4. Reading, correction and approval of 2022 AGM minutes
5. Business arising out of minutes
6. President’s report 2022
7. Secretary’s report 2022
8. Treasurer’s report 2022
9. Zonal reports
10. Appointment of Returning Officer
11. Election of Officers
12. Other business
13. Adjournment of meeting