WFTDA Announces New Staff Members

WFTDA is is pleased to announce that three new positions have been created and filled within the association: a full-time Tournament Director, and two part-time positions--Referee Training and Certification Coordinator and Membership Data Manager.

WFTDA Executive Director Juliana Gonzales said the new staff positions will strengthen the association and accelerate its momentum as it continues to experience steady growth in membership.

“These positions mark another significant step in the growth of our sport. With six staff now dedicated to the promotion and development of flat track derby, WFTDA is equipped to build new programs to better support and grow our membership,” Gonzales said.

Janis Kelley, of St. Paul, Minnesota, will join WFTDA as the organization’s first Tournament Director. Kelley has diverse leadership and project management experience in a broad array of fields, including acting as the Bout Production Chair for Minnesota RollerGirls. She will be helping WFTDA move toward a growth-oriented, centralized model for WFTDA’s annual Playoffs and Championships, as well as possibly adding tournaments over the next couple of years so that more WFTDA members can access competitive tournament play.

WFTDA has also hired Sarah Hipel as the Referee Training and Certification Coordinator. Hipel is an operations manager for a private healthcare corporation in Austin, TX. She has been working as a volunteer in the Games Pillar of WFTDA for several years and was critical to launching the officiating clinic program in 2010. Hipel is tasked with evaluating and streamlining WFTDA referee training and certification programs, as well as improving our educational programs for officials.

Niki Gallo Hammond was hired as the WFTDA Membership Data Manager. Hammond has professional experience as a business systems analyst and technology project manager. Most recently, she completed a multi-year project transitioning Girl Scouts of the USA to a new membership database system. She is excited to help build technological tools that will make accessing demographics about the modern derby movement easy and fast.