Q and A with Paul Truong - Part 2

Q&A with Paul Truong (Part 2) - Questions by various USCF members

Q: How does it feel to win this very difficult election?

A: Nothing changed for me on a personal level. It is not about me winning a seat. It is about helping the USCF. I still do the same things everyday. Now I would have a chance to help the USCF a lot more. My #1 motivation has always been about US Chess. I love chess and I am absolutely confident that we can do a lot more for this federation.

I used to tell people my chess promotional ideas. People said it would never work. They said that chess is not marketable. Fine! I am not a confrontational person. So rather than going back and forth with useless arguments, I implemented my promotional ideas through the SPF instead of the USCF.Chess can be big if it is being promoted properly. There is no reason why the USCF cannot expand its memberships and revenues. I believe this board will be motivated to do it.

It is actually fitting because I was a NJ kid. When I came to America, I spent my youth in Northern NJ. I went to school there. My family lived there for years until recently when my father retired and moved to Florida. But I have always considered myself a NJ kid. My first ever tournament in the US was in Edison, NJ, directed by Glenn Petersen. I have known Steve Doyle for years. I played at the Westwood, Hillsdale and Dumont Chess Clubs.

Many of my wonderful chess friends such as Aviv Friedman, Chuck Adelman and David Cole are from NJ. Now I am back to NJ as an elected official of the USCF and I see a great future for chess.

Q: Did you believe that your team can win the 4 seats?

A: I am not sure what you mean by team. Susan and I felt that the most qualified candidates that can help the USCF now are Misha Korenman, Jim Berry and Randy Bauer. It does not mean that other candidates are not qualified. It just means that we believe that they can help the USCF the most right now. It may be different 2 years from now with different priorities.

I wish that Misha would have been elected too. But unfortunately there were only 4 spots. He is the great voice for scholastic chess as well as professional and college chess. I have no doubt that Misha will work closely with this board. He is a great person and a tremendous chess lover.

We had a clear strategy and our goals and mission were very straight forward. We pounded on the issues rather than relying on personal attacks. We pointed out the problems with the organization as a whole and we offered the solutions. When others relentlessly attacked and insulted us, we refused to get into the mud slinging war. It does not do any good for chess to keep attacking each other. There are enough things to do to improve this federation.

Q: Someone said that Susan and you spent less than $50 for this election. Is it true and if it is, how is it possible to win spending that little? It is unheard of.

A: Yes, it is true. Once again, this is what I have been saying all along. It is the same thing as chess marketing, PR and promotion. We do not have to spend tons of money to get good results. I learned throughout my life experience to make things work with what I have.

The USCF forgot or neglected the grassroots way long ago. We did not. We met thousands of people in the past few years. People believe in Susan’s vision. And people campaigned hard on our behalf. They want to see positive changes and she offered the greatest prospect for this to happen.

It is also about the Internet. With today's technology, there is no reason why we cannot update chess news very rapidly. If the two of us can do this, the USCF as an organization should be able to do many times more. I think we were very efficient using this technology to get our messages out instead of using the print media. But we also did not email people. Spamming people will have the reversed effect.

Q: Would you want any position for yourself on this board?

A: No. I want nothing for myself. I am a behind the scene guy. I don’t need or want any glory. I am most happy when I can make magic happen from the background. But I think the other board members will play major roles in reforming the USCF.

Bill Goichberg has an incredible amount of experience. So is Randy Hough. I know both of them for more than 25 years. Joe Channing is a great guy and he has a lot of wonderful ideas. Jim Berry is fantastic and one the biggest chess lovers I know. So is his twin brother Frank. I consider both of them friends. I have great respect for Randy Bauer, especially when it comes to finances and budgeting. Susan of course is a chess magnet. She has the special ability to energize and excite the members.

As for me, I like to be behind the scene doing I am good at. I am not so good being in the front because I am a no nonsense guy and I say what I mean. I will not be bashful in saying what is on my mind when I am asked a question. Some people do not like that.

I think the USCF would benefit greatly with Susan as President. She will bring instant credibility for this federation in this country as well as around the world. Imagine the kind of publicity the USCF can get with her as the face and voice of this federation. She ran her company for more than 10 years. She also has a lot of experience in the non-profit field being on the board of the SPF and Point Hope. She can do it all.

I think Randy B. is the most obvious choice as VP of Finance. He is very successful in this area. I think Bill or Joel could be the critical pieces to help move the USCF along as VP. Jim Berry or Randy Hough would be great as the USCF Secretary. I just want to be a part of the team and help with marketing, PR and promotion.

Q: What are some of your immediate goals for the USCF?

A: Reduce frivolous spending and increase revenues. We have to be fiscally responsible. I see of lot of waste which can be reduced and there are areas we need to spend more on. But we are going nowhere unless we can generate more revenues. I intend to discuss all of these areas with my colleagues next week.

A new era for the USCF

Once again, I would like to THANK everyone who supported me and my team in this very difficult election. There have been times when I asked myself if it is worth it to face the daily attacks, insults and threats, especially from people who have never met me or know nothing about me. No one should have to face that and unfortunately, it has become a fixture in USCF politics for too long. This is one of the major reasons why the USCF lost so many members, volunteers, supporters and sponsors. This has to be changed.

Every time I was down, all I had to do was read your countless supporting posts and emails. You are the ones who energized me and you constantly reminded me that I was doing the right things. This is your election and we are in it together. I hope that our energy and enthusiasm will rub off on other federations as well. We must unite to succeed.

One of the first things that must be changed is the attitude. There should be no "It can't be done". There should be plenty of "How can we make it work?"

We have no time for personal vendetta. A lot of things have to be done to ensure that the USCF will improve and prosper. This federation should not be losing money year after year. We must be fiscally responsible and we must seek new revenue sources.

I am looking forward to meeting my colleagues in Cherry Hill. And for the big question that many of you have asked, would I accept the position of President if I have the support of my colleagues? Yes. I think that I can bring a lot to this federation within the US as well as Internationally. But this is the decision that my colleagues have to make.

Once again, here is my vision to a better USCF.

Thank you again and I am looking forward to meeting, talking and working with many of you in the future. I apologize if I cannot respond to each of your congratulatory email timely as the number is so overwhelming. But please be assured that I appreciate all of your support. And for those who did not vote for me, I will work harder to win your trust and support in the future.

USCF election unofficial and partial results

1. Polgar 1386
2 . Bauer 1087
3. Truong 949
4. Berry 915
5. Korenman 757
6. Jones 733
7. Schultz 711
8. Lux 465
9. Sloan 263
10. Goodall 190

The top 3 will have a 4 year term and the 4th finisher will have a 2 year term.

The number of ballots received as of 9AM this morning was 4513, but that does not yet include Wednesday's mail.

States counted so far:

Region 1: Maine Region 2: none Region 3: Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, DC, W Virginia Region 4: Florida, N Carolina, S Carolina Region 5: Michigan, Indiana, Ohio Region 6: S Dakota Region 7: Missouri, Nebraska Region 8: Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana Region 9: Utah Region 10: Oklahoma, Texas, N Mexico Region 11: Nevada, Hawaii Region 12: Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Alaska.

States not yet counted: NH, VT, CT, RI, MA, NY, NJ, PA, GA, ND, SD, WI, MN, IL, IA, WY, CO, KS, AZ, CA

As I said many times before, we have 7 qualified candidates in this election. Anyone in the current top 7 can help the USCF and I would be happy and proud to work with them. However, a lot of positive changes have to be made in order for the USCF to survive and prosper.

Some of these areas are:

1. Building a strong membership base via grassroots marketing, promotion and strong structural support for the local clubs, affiliates, organizers, volunteers and supporters. We need to develop a high level of mutual respect and cooperation among these groups.

2. Building a strong membership recruitment plan with excellent incentives for organizations to partner with us. There are more active players who are not members of the USCF than there are USCF members. Many of these players do not see the benefits for joining the USCF. This has to change. We must get our message out much better. We must also work with our partners to offer our members and potential members more value and greater benefit for their money.

3. Building a strong support system for scholastic, college, adult, tournament, correspondence, Internet and professional players. As we have seen over the years, adult and college chess suffers from the lack of a cohesive plan to retain scholastic players. We must also recognize that there are many more Internet players than ever before, but we cannot ignore our correspondence or professional players. It is vital to the health of this federation that we have communication and joint effort between all of these membership groups.

4. Building a strong and respectable image and reputation for the USCF. Without this, we cannot get support from the private sector or local, state, or federal government. Any of these agencies and organizations can do a background check on the USCF and this is the chief reason why we keep losing one sponsor after another. We cannot have incompetent and unprofessional people leading this federation. We need to bring in people with proper experience, expertise, energy and passion for chess along with strong records of success.

5. Building a strong, sensible and cost sensitive marketing, promotion and PR project. It does not have to cost tens of thousands of dollars to be effective. I have proven that with the Susan Polgar Foundation. It can be done if we know how. Too many people are bickering about dollars and cents while throwing away opportunities to increase revenues through sponsorships, grants and other avenues.

6. Building a sound and fiscally responsible budget with minimal waste. The savings from the inefficiency alone can fund many additional projects to help the USCF. We must build the USCF into a viable organization. This federation is not running at an optimal level right now.

7. Building a strong relationship and partnership with countless other chess organizations nationwide and worldwide. We need to unite to win. Constant political wars and infighting will only harm chess and the USCF. As a leading federation in the world of chess, we should lead by example and work with everyone to better our sport.

8. Building a strong relationship and partnership with countless volunteers and supporters to help improve many current weaknesses of this federation. There are plenty of people who are willing, ready and able to help, but they are not being utilized properly because of chess politics.

9. Building a strong relationship and partnership with kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools, as well as colleges and universities across the country to promote chess and education. We also have to work with parents of home-schooled students, in addition to organizations that represent them.

10. Building a strong relationship and partnership with countless companies around the world to promote chess and all its benefits. They want to promote their companies, products or services and we want their sponsorship. It is a win-win situation for both sides.

11. Building a strong communication channel with all members, volunteers, supporters and sponsors, etc. We need to get our strong and positive message out to the people.

12. Building a strong business vision and plan. We need to run this federation like any successful and reputable company. All business decisions must make sense financially or help this federation in one way or another. We cannot make business decisions as a way to reward our political supporters.

We cannot continue to function as an unprofessional organization which chases away sponsors, supporters, volunteers and members year after year due to incompetence and destructive politics. Please continue to support the USCF. This is just the first step. Together, we will raise this sinking ship. I am looking forward to many exciting years ahead of us.Thank you for your support!

Susan Polgar

Q & A with Paul Truong - Part 1

This is Mr. Jim Wilkinson, Chief of Staff of the US Treasury Department.

Q&A with Paul Truong (Part 1)

Q: In your opinion, who are some the most qualified candidates in this election?

A: Quite a few. Susan obviously would bring the most positive exposure, credibility and much more to the USCF. Mikhail will be a major asset for the USCF due to his ability to promote, organize and raise revenues for chess. Randy is very competent in what he does. Jim is my friend and he can also bring a lot to the table.

I have never met Stephen but he has excellent credentials. However, his skills can be helpful for the USCF with or without him being elected. I am sorry that we missed each other at the recent National Open in Las Vegas. Don also has a lot of experience but I think it is time for a new direction with the USCF.

Q: In which areas can you help the USCF?

A: A lot actually. Even though my strongest area would be management, I am not for micro-managing. Managing the USCF is the ED’s job. What I can bring is my expertise in Marketing, PR and Promotion. I can help find unique ways for the USCF to gain revenue sources which have not been tapped. I can also help bring the USCF membership level up. Another important area would be professionalism. These areas are badly needed.

Q: Bill Goichberg sent a very questionable election post card to the USCF members. Can you comment on that?

A: What can I say? I was shocked when I heard about it and I was even more stunned when I read it. He can say whatever he wants about me. But to put Susan Polgar in the same category as a convicted felon like Sam Sloan? Is that appropriate for a USCF President? What he said is completely false and he knows it. I am not sure why he did what he did but it's unfortunate that he did.

My professional references were always available to the USCF or for any credible sources. Bill knows this. In fact, one of the USCF staffer did verify my references. I consented of course. I have nothing to hide. However, I am not going to publish them for all to see. Why should I do this while no other candidate was asked of this? I have to protect my former employers as well as myself from unethical and destructive people. There are too many unprofessional and problematic people who are willing to do anything to harm others. Even though I do not work with these companies anymore, I still have many friends there and some of them are sponsors to chess. In fact, I was the ONLY candidate who insisted on having every board member / candidate furnished a verifiable resume. I was told no by Bill Goichberg and Bill Hall last year at the US Open in Oak Brook. They said it was illegal to do so. Therefore, it is wrong for Bill to be disingenious to the USCF members, especially as the USCF President.

My marriage was never a secret. Our friends and families knew about it. Thousands of people knew about it. When Bill asked Susan if we are married, she wrote a lengthy email explaining the reason why she didn’t publicize it in the media and she chose to tell people personally. This was not my decision. It was hers and I have to respec it since it was a matter of life or death to her and her kids. She copied other board members and some other candidates. Knowing this, Bill decided to mislead the USCF members for political reasons. It was very disappointing. Having said that, I still respect Bill for everything he has done for chess for many decades. But if I feel that he is wrong, I will say so.

Q: Why didn’t Susan or you respond to the countless vicious attacks and false accusations by some people on the USCF forums?

A: Do you think it would help if we responded? Does it really matter what we say? Most of these people have never met or know us. We do not have time to keep going back and forth with these people. Both Susan and I were active in the forums until legal threats and insults started and the AUG was abandoned. I believe that it was highly inappropriate for board members to vote to change the rules in the middle of an election.

Q: Why do you feel that you must be elected to be able to help the USCF?

A: Actually, I can help US Chess and the USCF even if I am not elected. I have done it for 5+ years already. But it would be in a different role. I can do a lot more if I am a board member, especially because no other candidates have my specific skills. These are the things I cannot do if I am not a board member.

Q&A about chess and the USCF

Q: How do you feel about college chess and tournament chess?

A: I strongly believe that college chess is a critical bridge between scholastic and adult chess. If we can successfully promote college chess, we will retain many more scholastic players and transition them to adult chess. Otherwise, our USCF adult membership will continue to decline and our sport will be in big trouble.

I have mixed feelings about the various types of tournaments. Many players of all levels enjoy the competition. However, if I were an amateur player, I am not sure that I would spend up to $400 for entry fees, plus another $1,000 in expenses, to play in a tournament with very little chances of recouping the money. I prefer other types of tournaments.

I think club, local and state tournaments are just as fun and very good for chess. If I want to have the feel of big time competition by playing alongside grandmasters, I believe an event like the annual National Open in Las Vegas would be ideal. This has the feel a big Swiss event. However, the entry fees, meals and hotel costs are very reasonable and there are plenty of free side events, such as lectures and game analysis, etc. There are also tons of other fun and exciting things done by the organizers.

Chess as a sport has plenty of room to grow. But all types of chess such as scholastic, college, adult, correspondence, Internet or military chess must co-exist. Therefore, it is vital that we must find the right formula to help our sport grow.

Q: What is going on with the USCF election?

I decided to run in this election because I owe it to my sport to make things better. The USCF is in bad shape. It has been run for years as an amateur hobby organization. We have board members who micro-manage and make political policies, instead of sound business policies in the best interest of the game.It is operated very inefficiently and there is too much waste. The problem is that many board members do not have the expertise or experience that is needed. The USCF has lost millions of dollars in recent years and it has lost money in nine of the last eleven years. In any normal company, every single board member would have been dismissed long ago.

I am hoping to make serious changes to help US chess and the USCF. I have some of the most qualified people willing to help me, including my husband, who is a premier chess marketing, promotion and PR person in the United States. Several other professionals such as Dr. Mikhail Korenman (an incredible chess organizer and promoter for scholastic, college, adult and professional players) and Randy Bauer (a very experienced and successful financial person) are also willing to help.

I am willing to work with every qualified person for the best interest of chess and the USCF. I welcome the cooperation of other chess leaders. But I am not willing to compromise my personal integrity and the welfare of this federation. The best interest of chess should always come first, before personal interests and accolades.

If I win, I expect to be able to help US chess and the USCF a great deal. But I need a strong team with the right experience and expertise and that is why I recommended Mikhail (Korenman), Paul (Truong) and Randy (Bauer).

Q: What are some of the changes that you would like to see within the USCF?

a) Improve its respectability, integrity, efficiency, professionalism, image and reputation.
b) Set up a state of the art marketing, promotion and PR system to help bring in additional revenues and sponsorships.
c) Establish a sound and balanced budget to ensure the viability of the entire federation.
d) Increase the cooperation and support for adult, scholastic, collegiate, correspondence and military chess, which in turn will raise the membership level and lead to more revenue.
e) End chess politics and make every decision based on what is in the best interest of chess and the federation and not for political reasons.

Q: What is your short and long term vision for the USCF if you are elected?

This is an excellent question. There must be short and long term goals for this federation to succeed. Here are the twelve critical areas that must be improved in order for the USCF to grow and prosper.

1. Building a strong membership base via grassroots marketing, promotion and strong structural support for the local clubs, affiliates, organizers, volunteers and supporters. We need to develop a high level of mutual respect and cooperation among these groups.

2. Building a strong membership recruitment plan with excellent incentives for organizations to partner with us. There are more active players who are not members of the USCF than there are USCF members. Many of these players do not see the benefits for joining the USCF. This has to change. We must get our message out much better. We must also work with our partners to offer our members and potential members more value and greater benefit for their money.

3. Building a strong support system for scholastic, college, adult, tournament, correspondence, Internet and professional players. As we have seen over the years, adult and college chess suffers from the lack of a cohesive plan to retain scholastic players. We must also recognize that there are many more Internet players than ever before, but we cannot ignore our correspondence or professional players. It is vital to the health of this federation that we have communication and joint effort between all of these membership groups.

4. Building a strong and respectable image and reputation for the USCF. Without this, we cannot get support from the private sector or local, state, or federal government. Any of these agencies and organizations can do a background check on the USCF and this is the chief reason why we keep losing one sponsor after another. We cannot have incompetent and unprofessional people leading this federation. We need to bring in people with proper experience, expertise, energy and passion for chess along with strong records of success.

5. Building a strong, sensible and cost sensitive marketing, promotion and PR project. It does not have to cost tens of thousands of dollars to be effective. I have proven that with the Susan Polgar Foundation. It can be done if we know how. Too many people are bickering about dollars and cents while throwing away opportunities to increase revenues through sponsorships, grants and other avenues.

6. Building a sound and fiscally responsible budget with minimal waste. The savings from the inefficiency alone can fund many additional projects to help the USCF. We must build the USCF into a viable organization. This federation is not running at an optimal level right now.

7. Building a strong relationship and partnership with countless other chess organizations nationwide and worldwide. We need to unite to win. Constant political wars and infighting will only harm chess and the USCF. As a leading federation in the world of chess, we should lead by example and work with everyone to better our sport.

8. Building a strong relationship and partnership with countless volunteers and supporters to help improve many current weaknesses of this federation. There are plenty of people who are willing, ready and able to help, but they are not being utilized properly because of chess politics.

9. Building a strong relationship and partnership with kindergarten, elementary, middle and high schools, as well as colleges and universities across the country to promote chess and education. We also have to work with parents of home-schooled students, in addition to organizations that represent them.

10. Building a strong relationship and partnership with countless companies around the world to promote chess and all its benefits. They want to promote their companies, products or services and we want their sponsorship. It is a win-win situation for both sides.

11. Building a strong communication channel with all members, volunteers, supporters and sponsors, etc. We need to get our strong and positive message out to the people.

12. Building a strong business vision and plan. We need to run this federation like any successful and reputable company. All business decisions must make sense financially or help this federation in one way or another. We cannot make business decisions as a way to reward our political supporters.

We have the numbers and strength to be a competitive and viable organization. All we need is to take advantage of the opportunities and change our approach to running this federation. Instead of saying why it cannot be done, we have to be willing to sit down and figure out what it would take to make things happen for the best interest of chess and the USCF. Just as in a chess game, we must be able to maximize every single advantage and improve every weakness.

But the most important thing is to vote! Let your voice be heard! Together, we can turn around this federation and build it into a strong and viable organization!

More questions and answers can be found here.