Editorial: September 22, 2023

The nominees for the American Kennel Club’s Class of 2028 have been selected by the nominating committee. They will run for the three available directors’ seats from the expiring Class of 2024. The three directors whose terms are up are Carmen Battaglia, Michael Knight and Karolynne McAteer. Karolynne is ineligible due to term limits. The members of the nominating committee, which comprises delegates selected by the board of directors, are chair and former board member Patti Strand, delegate from the Dog Fanciers Association of Oregon; Marilyn DeGregorio, delegate from the Taconic Hills Kennel Club; Florence Duggan, delegate from the Sussex Hills Kennel Club; Don James, delegate from the Leonberger Club of America, and Barbara Shaw, delegate from the Greater Collin Kennel Club. There are two alternate committee members: Terrie Breen, delegate from the Farmington Valley Kennel Club, and Douglas Johnson, delegate from the Colorado Springs Kennel Club. The committee interviewed seven delegates who submitted applications to be considered to be nominated to run for the board. The seven delegates were incumbent board member Carmen Battaglia, delegate from the German Shepherd Dog Club of America; incumbent board member Michael Knight, delegate from the Texas Kennel Club; Kevin O’Connell, delegate from the Terry-All Kennel Club; Robert Eisele, delegate from the Suffolk County Kennel Club; Sally Feinberg, delegate from the Hatboro Dog Club, Laurie Maulucci, delegate from the South Windsor Kennel Club, and Sylvia Thomas, delegate from the Riverside Kennel Club. The decision of the nominating committee resulted in the selection of the two incumbents — Carmen Battaglia, who has been a director for a combined 28 years (seven terms), and Michael Knight, who if re-elected will be serving his second four-year term — and Sally Feinberg, who is the freshman rounding out this trio of delegates. As of this writing, there are no delegates who have submitted petitions to run from the floor. If there are no other delegates running from the floor, and if the nominating committee’s selection are voted in, one can’t expect too much of a change in the status quo of the thinking and operation of the board. It would be helpful if one knew their views on what they see is the future of the American Kennel Club and suggestions they might have on the issues we face as a sport in this age of designer breeds, the public’s popularity of shelter dogs and the negativity surrounding purebred dogs. That includes their opinions of the dog-show scene as to the size, location and number of dog shows and the approval of so many multiple-group judges. The stock answers of the nominees on the financial stability of the American Kennel Club are not in question, so those worn-out old answers don't serve us as the core of the sport.