By now, anyone reading this blog knows that democracy and accountability are core values for the CoCo. That’s been the case from inception, and it’s because we believe that players and directors deserve to have an organization that listens to them, represents them, and acts in their best interests.

Today, we continue that commitment to the player community by announcing that the CoCo will be holding its third annual leadership elections. All of the CoCo’s leadership positions are elected. That means that if you want to shape the direction of Scrabble in North America, you have the opportunity to step up and do it. We know there are many players with ideas for how to improve the community, though not everyone is willing to put in the effort to actually bring about the change they want to see. This is your chance to translate your energy and enthusiasm for Scrabble into tangible impact on a community we care about.

CoCo members who reside in North America are eligible to run for election to serve as Executive Director or a Member of the Board of Directors. The Executive Director leads the organization. The Board is the principal decision-making and governance body. All elected Board Members serve two-year terms, while the Executive Director serves a one-year term. You can learn more about each role on our Leadership page. People elected to leadership positions in this election cycle will begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2023. This cycle, three Board seats and the one Executive Director position are up for election.

The CoCo’s current leadership team has overseen some great successes. In three short years, our membership base has grown to nearly 350 players, and it continues to increase with every new tournament. After returning to live tournament play barely one year ago, we’ve recruited two dozen directors and organizers and sanctioned tournaments in 14 different cities, including great places like Austin, Boston, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Portland. In July, we collaborated with WGPO to host the largest WESPA-rated Collins tournament in the world this year, and secured corporate sponsorship from Scopely, Inc. to run a world-class stream.

All that is to say, there has never been a better time to join the CoCo team as we explore new flagship events, new initiatives, and new strategies for player recruitment. To run for election, click the button below to register as a candidate by Nov. 12, 2022. After registration closes, we will announce the candidates here, and voting will open for two weeks.

The CoCo is run by a community of great volunteers and leaders. We’d love to hear from you, and we welcome all interested candidates.