Lonestar SC BoD Announcement
Aug 21 2012 - LSC Staff
BoD Club Update - 8/21/2012
Today’s message is about an important subject matter - the office of the President of the Lonestar Soccer Club. After several years of service, Rod Favaron has decided to step down as President. In his place, Ann Bishop assumed the role of President effective August 8th.
Today’s message will fall well short of the accolades Rod deserves for a job very well done - not only a job well done but one that has been absolutely instrumental to the success enjoyed by Lonestar. For Rod’s tenure, one thing stands out: finance/accounting. Quietly behind the scenes, Rod forged an extremely solid financial/accounting operation for Lonestar. Given the number of transactions each year and the timing of income, it was a serious challenge. But today, Lonestar is on solid ground. To give you just one data point, Lonestar has reduced its total indebtedness from a high of almost $1,000,000 to an estimated $250,000 (as a side note, $250,000 is the estimated balance on the Line of Credit as of May 2013 and is collateralized by two club owned tracts of land valued in excess of $2,500,000 which means Lonestar has a very strong Net Worth). Another important milestone was the merger with the AU Capitals. Rod (and Ann) worked very hard to make the merger happen and the benefits to the organization are more apparent than ever. Those are just a couple of the high points; but there are so many things Rod helped spur for this organization. I hope each of you take a couple of moments to recognize the time and energy Rod has invested in our club over the past few years. It’s a tough assignment to be President of Lonestar; it’s hard on the family and it’s hard on one’s profession. Along the way, Rod always had a smile and a great attitude in his role as the leader of Lonestar. His fingerprints are on everything that Lonestar enjoys today.
Now Ann, but first a little preamble. Folks sometimes ask questions about the Board of Directors of Lonestar. How do I apply? How do I get a seat on the Board? It’s not a secret club and really not too difficult – there’s plenty of opportunities for involvement. A great deal of work is accomplished each and every day by the current Board and our professional staff. So jump in, get involved and prove yourself over a substantial period of time. From these ranks, people are promoted to a position on the Board of Directors of the Lonestar Soccer Club. But please remember this – Lonestar is an organization with annual revenues approaching $5,000,000 (and an equal amount of operating expenses which highlights the importance of operating “in the black” given the scope of these numbers). Lonestar owns property, has a $1,000,000 Line of Credit, numerous contracts with everything from its professional staff to the City of Austin. Our staff of full and part-time employees exceeds 50. And these valued employees pay their rent, mortgages and other bills with the salaries they receive from Lonestar. The fiduciary responsibility that the Board has to our players, parents and staff is enormous. It is for these reasons, that election to the Board of Lonestar was designed in this manner and the process to become a member is purposely challenging. To date, the process has worked well.
So Ann Bishop. To say that Ann is a qualified leader is a gross understatement. In her “real” job, Ann was appointed Executive Director of the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) in 2004. Her position is simply one of the most important and prestigious public positions in the State of Texas. Under her leadership, ERS administers programs that provide retirement, deferred compensation, and flexible benefits for nearly 200,000 state employees and retirees. ERS manages a $23 billion investment portfolio and is responsible for managing the Texas Employees Group Benefits Program, which provides health care coverage to more than 500,000 state and higher education employees, retirees and their families. Ann holds a business degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a juris doctorate from Texas Tech University School of Law. Along the way, Ann somehow found time to also serve as President of the AU Capitals and has been a member of our Board of Directors since the merger. Ann loves the game of soccer and is a tireless advocate for our club. Ann is smart, fearless, tough and clearly possesses the experience necessary to lead Lonestar. Please welcome her and if the opportunity presents itself, offer your thanks to Ann for tackling this important position.
So the season is upon us. 2012-2013 marks the ninth year for Lonestar. I had the distinct pleasure of being a part of the creation of Lonestar back in 2004. I’ve been involved with the club since that time and have seen countless changes, some fairly dramatic. I am confident that at no point along the way has Lonestar been in a better position in all respects: financially, organizationally or administratively. Our ELT and professional staff has few equals in the game of youth soccer from coast to coast. The programs they’ve redefined and the increased focus on the development of our youth players is absolutely on target. All combined, the future is very bright for Lonestar.
Good luck this season. And as always, “We are Lonestar!”
Buck Baccus
Past President, Board Member
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