2023 ANA Board of Governors' Election

ksammut

I encourage all @anacoins (American Numismatic Association) members to vote in this year's Board of Governors election. You should have received your ballot along with information about each candidate.

Return your ballot so it arrives by June 30th.

Thank you,

Kenny Sammut

Click on the below link to learn more about each candidate

https://youtu.be/2gik8YHw8pg

2ndCharter

Already voted through the email I received.

ksammut

Great. Thank you for voting.

2ndCharter

Actually, Kenny, you were one of the candidates I voted for - we need some new blood on the Board (and certainly not the spouses of former and current Presidents). Good luck!

Dreamcrusher

Hi Kenny, I voted for you as well. You were always a very kind and respectful YN who was involved with many ANA programs. I wish you much success.

ksammut

@2ndCharter said:
Actually, Kenny, you were one of the candidates I voted for - we need some new blood on the Board (and certainly not the spouses of former and current Presidents). Good luck!

Thanks so much for your vote. There are twelve strong candidates for the seven Governor positions. Every vote helps a lot!

I have a lot of ideas that I believe will appeal to long time collectors, those who are just getting into the hobby and the YNs.

golden

You got 3 bullet votes from our house. Good luck! Hope to meet you in Pittsburgh.

ksammut

@Dreamcrusher said:
Hi Kenny, I voted for you as well. You were always a very kind and respectful YN who was involved with many ANA programs. I wish you much success.

I really appreciate your kind words and your vote. The ANA and all of the great collectors I have met attending the summer seminars, for the past seven or eight years, have played a major role in my love for numismatics. It is my sincere hope that many of the YNs stay excited about our hobby and will play a role in its growth. I know I will be doing everything I can to make that happen.

As I look back, the kindness adult collectors shared with me and the fact they treated me as an equal, when I was younger, definitely increased my desire to make numismatics my career. Whether it is working as a grader, running my numismatic eBay store, or eventually my own brick and mortar store, I will always be paying back the ANA for their great mentorship.

Again, I thank you for taking the time to share your kind words.

ksammut

@golden said:
You got 3 bullet votes from our house. Good luck! Hope to meet you in Pittsburgh.

Wow and thank you! I would love to meet you in Pittsburgh. Message me and let me know who you are. I will be arriving Wednesday afternoon and leaving Saturday morning.

golden

@ksammut said:

@golden said:
You got 3 bullet votes from our house. Good luck! Hope to meet you in Pittsburgh.

Wow and thank you! I would love to meet you in Pittsburgh. Message me and let me know who you are. I will be arriving Wednesday afternoon and leaving Saturday morning.

I will be the slightly balding and slightly overweight old guy. Wait a minute, that did not narrow it down at all did it?

johnnyb

As a small time collector, I don’t know where to turn. I see advertisements -auctions and others - for 4 or 5 figure coins but I wonder who will represent the small time 3-figure coin collectors. I love coins and their history and especially pedigrees, but I am a small fish in a large ocean. Who secretly wants to be the next Pittman? Who will be for the small collector as much as the big time dealer? Who loves cool coins because they are rare, historic, and cool?
My ballot is on my dresser but I feel too insignificant to matter. My wife threw it away once, should I even bother to vote or just let it go to the recycler? Can someone post a cool 3-figure coin as inspiration for me? As the little guy, I don’t know if I should vote or if I am out of my league and should just keep my mouth shut. Not trying to be smart, just maybe lost and wondering…

ksammut

@golden said:

@ksammut said:

@golden said:
You got 3 bullet votes from our house. Good luck! Hope to meet you in Pittsburgh.

Wow and thank you! I would love to meet you in Pittsburgh. Message me and let me know who you are. I will be arriving Wednesday afternoon and leaving Saturday morning.

I will be the slightly balding and slightly overweight old guy. Wait a minute, that did not narrow it down at all did it?

LOL - You definitely fit one of the major coin collector demographics.

ksammut

@johnnyb said:
As a small time collector, I don’t know where to turn. I see advertisements -auctions and others - for 4 or 5 figure coins but I wonder who will represent the small time 3-figure coin collectors. I love coins and their history and especially pedigrees, but I am a small fish in a large ocean. Who secretly wants to be the next Pittman? Who will be for the small collector as much as the big time dealer? Who loves cool coins because they are rare, historic, and cool?
My ballot is on my dresser but I feel too insignificant to matter. My wife threw it away once, should I even bother to vote or just let it go to the recycler? Can someone post a cool 3-figure coin as inspiration for me? As the little guy, I don’t know if I should vote or if I am out of my league and should just keep my mouth shut. Not trying to be smart, just maybe lost and wondering…

Johnnyb, many collectors feel the same way you do. There are dealers who would be happy to have you as a customer, me included. My family and I have a large collection made up of 3-figure coins. Even when I was younger, without much money to spend, I never felt like the dealers I frequented saw me as insignificant. As I love the history of the coins like you, dealers always spent time with me knowing I was not going to be spending a lot but were happy to see I was becoming a true numismatist. Anyone can collect but not everyone is a numismatist.

The ANA is there to support all numismatists as well as those who simply like to collect and have little interest in numismatic knowledge. If you have not already, do your best to come to an ANA summer seminar. Such a great way to meet some very prominent numismatists who treat everyone with respect simply because you love the hobby like they do.

Lastly, only you can decide whether or not to vote. I will say this. There are twelve very strong candidates and only seven positions. Every vote is important and the vote difference between the seventh and eight position will likely be a small handful of votes. In recent past elections, only 20 to 25% of members voted which is the reason I am encouraging everyone to vote. The newly elected board will be making some key decisions over the next two years and I think it is important all members vote.

FlyingAl

You had my vote. I'm hoping you can make something good happen on the YN side of the hobby. Good luck!

pruebas

Thanks for the reminder, Kenny, and GOOD LUCK!

You got my vote as well. As others have said, we need new (and young) blood to reinvigorate the old lady!

mattniss

I haven't always chosen to vote in past ANA elections, but you got my vote this go around Kenny. The old guard can see themselves out.

winesteven

@johnnyb said:
As a small time collector, I don’t know where to turn. I see advertisements -auctions and others - for 4 or 5 figure coins but I wonder who will represent the small time 3-figure coin collectors. I love coins and their history and especially pedigrees, but I am a small fish in a large ocean. Who secretly wants to be the next Pittman? Who will be for the small collector as much as the big time dealer? Who loves cool coins because they are rare, historic, and cool?
My ballot is on my dresser but I feel too insignificant to matter. My wife threw it away once, should I even bother to vote or just let it go to the recycler? Can someone post a cool 3-figure coin as inspiration for me? As the little guy, I don’t know if I should vote or if I am out of my league and should just keep my mouth shut. Not trying to be smart, just maybe lost and wondering…

@ksammut , I voted for you, and hope you make it.

For @johnnyb , welcome to the forum. At your request, here’s a lovely three figure coin that’s part of my #7 ranked Indian Head Cent set (which is a very “unique” set). The coin below, PCGS Price Guide = $625, CAC Price Report = $650.

Don’t feel left out - the VAST majority of collectors base their collections on three figure coins. Not just raw coins, but absolutely graded coins by PCGS and NGC too. I’m sure you should be VERY proud of your collection, and I suspect you get a lot of joy and pleasure from your collection. Continue to enjoy our wonderful hobby!

Steve

Boosibri

I voted for you as well Kenny. Best of luck to you.

ksammut

@FlyingAl said:
You had my vote. I'm hoping you can make something good happen on the YN side of the hobby. Good luck!

Thank you and I will do my best to promote the hobby to YNs.

ksammut

@pruebas said:
Thanks for the reminder, Kenny, and GOOD LUCK!

You got my vote as well. As others have said, we need new (and young) blood to reinvigorate the old lady!

Thank you so much.

ksammut

@winesteven said:

@johnnyb said:
As a small time collector, I don’t know where to turn. I see advertisements -auctions and others - for 4 or 5 figure coins but I wonder who will represent the small time 3-figure coin collectors. I love coins and their history and especially pedigrees, but I am a small fish in a large ocean. Who secretly wants to be the next Pittman? Who will be for the small collector as much as the big time dealer? Who loves cool coins because they are rare, historic, and cool?
My ballot is on my dresser but I feel too insignificant to matter. My wife threw it away once, should I even bother to vote or just let it go to the recycler? Can someone post a cool 3-figure coin as inspiration for me? As the little guy, I don’t know if I should vote or if I am out of my league and should just keep my mouth shut. Not trying to be smart, just maybe lost and wondering…

@ksammut , I voted for you, and hope you make it.

For @johnnyb , welcome to the forum. At your request, here’s a lovely three figure coin that’s part of my #7 ranked Indian Head Cent set (which is a very “unique” set). The coin below, PCGS Price Guide = $625, CAC Price Report = $650.

Don’t feel left out - the VAST majority of collectors base their collections on three figure coins. Not just raw coins, but absolutely graded coins by PCGS and NGC too. I’m sure you should be VERY proud of your collection, and I suspect you get a lot of joy and pleasure from your collection. Continue to enjoy our wonderful hobby!

Steve

Thank you!

ksammut

@Boosibri said:
I voted for you as well Kenny. Best of luck to you.

Thank you!

ksammut

@mattniss said:
I haven't always chosen to vote in past ANA elections, but you got my vote this go around Kenny. The old guard can see themselves out.

Thank you. I really appreciate it!

winesteven

@ksammut , as noted above, I voted for you, and I’m glad I did.

Assuming you get elected, will you regularly “peruse” this forum, and will you “chime in” on threads where input from an ANA Board member can be beneficial and/or insightful to us? Naturally, you would be speaking ONLY for yourself and NOT for the ANA. We find the input (and requests for OUR opinions) by @Casabrown, the Chairman of the CCAC, very beneficial!

Steve

ksammut

@pruebas said:
Thanks for the reminder, Kenny, and GOOD LUCK!

You got my vote as well. As others have said, we need new (and young) blood to reinvigorate the old lady!

Thank you so much.> @winesteven said:

@ksammut , as noted above, I voted for you, and I’m glad I did.

Assuming you get elected, will you regularly “peruse” this forum, and will you “chime in” on threads where input from an ANA Board member can be beneficial and/or insightful to us? Naturally, you would be speaking ONLY for yourself and NOT for the ANA. We find the input (and requests for OUR opinions) by @Casabrown, the Chairman of the CCAC, very beneficial!

Steve

Steve, great question and the answer is absolutely. I will share some thoughts now and why I see this forum as a great conduit for the exchange of ideas when it comes to the ANA.

Between my social media platforms and the fact, I attend a lot of shows as an ANA District Rep, buyer, and occasional dealer, I get to speak with a lot of collectors and dealers. The funny thing is I hear from dealers saying they are not represented well at the ANA while collectors feel the dealers are better represented than the everyday collector. This is a perception thing as well as a communication breakdown in my humble opinion. I know the ANA staff very well. They are great people and care tremendously about both the collector and dealer.

The association needs both groups to thrive and the Board can play a critical role in making that happen and to make sure the members are included when it comes to new ideas and moving the ANA forward. Personally, the ANA will always be a part in my life as I have chosen numismatics to be my career. Whether running for a board position, donating time and money, or serving on committees, I hope there will be role for me when I am old and gray.

As communication is the key, I welcome feedback from everyone in the hobby. Please take some time to view the ANA forum youtube video to hear about how I want to bring the ANA to all present collectors (so many are not in the ANA but have a passion for numismatics), and to the mainstream. We have to take advantage of today's marketing opportunities. You will also get to know the other candidates by watching the forum. The latest issue of The Numismatist includes each candidate's bio.

I did not mean for this thread to focus on me. There are some great candidates running who share my thoughts about how we can grow our hobby. Tom Uram, who is running unopposed for president, has a lot of great ideas to expand the membership and benefits to members. I cannot speak for the other Governor candidates, but I do know all of them have the best interests of the ANA at heart. I ask all members to take the time to vote.

Kliao

Voted for you as well when I got the mail notice. Good luck to all that are running.

baddogss

I voted.

ksammut

@Kliao said:
Voted for you as well when I got the mail notice. Good luck to all that are running.

Thank you very much!

ksammut

@baddogss said:
I voted.

Hope all members vote no matter who they are voting for.

ksammut

As we head into the last week of voting, I wanted to remind those ANA members who have not voted, to please vote. Ballots need to arrive by June 30th if you mail them in or you can vote online. Instructions to vote online were sent along with your ballot.

Thank you.

daltex

I was disappointed to a greater or lesser degree by all fifteen bios/candidate statements. It seemed that 70% were how much they love coins, 25% what great ideas they have (or have had), and only 5% on what special skills they bring to the board. An organization as small as the ANA simply can't afford to hire professionals regarding any question that might come up. Were there any candidates that have, for example, any accounting or financial expertise so that they could understand an audit? I don't know, and I doubt that anyone who doesn't know the candidates personally does either.

A board composed of people selected only because they have a passion for coins isn't likely to function well. Coin experience is, probably, necessary, but the board needs to be composed of people who have board skills. I'm wary of having too many people who derive their livelihood from coins, as I find it much harder to imagine them as fiduciaries than those who have no such vested interest.

Bottom line is that in the 2025 election I'd like to see more candidates focus on their outside skills and less focus on the passion for coins, because I guess I just assume all of us share that, so it doesn't, and shouldn't, make a candidate stand out. Frankly, a lawyer who doesn't know a penny from a cent but who has a deeply passionate YN for her son is much more appealing to me than a person who has done nothing but deal coins for forty years.

CaptHenway

Vote

pruebas

ANA elected office has always been a popularity contest and right of passage for a coin dealer. First get on the board, then take your turn for VP and President.

Not going to change any time soon.

The staff keep the place running despite the officers.

Kenny, you were my only vote among the entire slate, but I fear you are going to make as much change as Laura was able to do during her tenure, ie. little. (And I do understand you are a coin dealer too.)

ksammut

@pruebas said:
ANA elected office has always been a popularity contest and right of passage for a coin dealer. First get on the board, then take your turn for VP and President.

Not going to change any time soon.

The staff keep the place running despite the officers.

Kenny, you were my only vote among the entire slate, but I fear you are going to make as much change as Laura was able to do during her tenure, ie. little. (And I do understand you are a coin dealer too.)

Thank you for your vote and I agree with you, the ANA staff is excellent.

I have known Tom Uram, the boards next president, for several years. He has a lot of excellent ideas that can make a difference and I like to think I have several myself.

It seems many members have concerns with coin dealers on the board. My own personal feelings are all the board members should act with the best interest of the ANA and the hobby and put aside any personal benefit they may receive by being on the board. Dealers need collectors and collectors need dealers. Both parties should work together to grow the ANA and the hobby.

The ANA has played a huge part in my numismatic life over the past ten years, and I want to begin paying it back for its generosity to me. Helping grow the membership by introducing more collectors 30 and under to the ANA is one of the ways I can begin to do so. I believe there are avenues to introduce numismatics to non-collectors too.

The ANA offers many numismatic educational benefits, but I believe it needs assistance in making collectors aware of these benefits through social media and other avenues. Better optimization needs to take place.

If elected, I will do my best to help this board make a difference. Fortunately, there are several excellent candidates who deeply care about the ANA's future and want to introduce new ideas that will appeal to both present members as well as potential new members.

Like many elections, only a percentage take the time to vote which is disappointing. I hope more members take the time to vote this year.

Again, I sincerely appreciate your vote.

Zoins

@ksammut said:
As we head into the last week of voting, I wanted to remind those ANA members who have not voted, to please vote. Ballots need to arrive by June 30th if you mail them in or you can vote online. Instructions to vote online were sent along with your ballot.

Thank you.

Thanks for the reminder. It was great to meet you at ANA Phoenix earlier this year.

Good luck!

Zoins

In selecting people for the board, it might help to understand the ANA's plans a bit more.

The following from the ANA from the website is good overview information, but it seems like it may be nice to have something like a 5 or 10 year plan. Then we can rate the candidates by their ability to help achieve those plans.

Homepage:

@anacoins said:
The ANA helps people discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of educational programs including its museum, library, conventions, seminars, publications and outreach programs.

About Us page:

@anacoins said:
The American Numismatic Association (ANA) is a congressionally chartered nonprofit dedicated to the study, collection, and appreciation of coins, paper currency, and other forms of numismatic items.

Founded in 1891, the ANA has since grown to become an invaluable resource for collectors, researchers, and enthusiasts alike. With our mission to promote the hobby of numismatics, the ANA offers educational programs, conventions, publications, and online resources aimed at fostering knowledge and camaraderie within the numismatic community.

The association also operates the Money Museum, located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, which houses an extensive collection of rare and historically significant coins, paper currency, and related artifacts, providing visitors with an immersive experience into the fascinating world of money.
[...]
Our Mission

The American Numismatic Association is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to educating and encouraging people to study and collect coins and related items. The Association serves collectors, the general public, and academic communities with an interest in numismatics.

The ANA helps all people discover and explore the world of money through its vast array of programs including its education and outreach, museum, library, publications, conventions and seminars.

ksammut

@Zoins said:

@ksammut said:
As we head into the last week of voting, I wanted to remind those ANA members who have not voted, to please vote. Ballots need to arrive by June 30th if you mail them in or you can vote online. Instructions to vote online were sent along with your ballot.

Thank you.

Thanks for the reminder. It was great to meet you at ANA Phoenix earlier this year.

Good luck!

Thank you and it was a pleasure meeting you.

EXOJUNKIE

I voted. You can’t complain if you don’t vote! 😜

golden

Once again, good luck!

ksammut

@EXOJUNKIE said:
I voted. You can’t complain if you don’t vote! 😜

Thank you for voting.

ksammut

@golden said:
Once again, good luck!

Thanks so much.

daltex

@ksammut said:

It seems many members have concerns with coin dealers on the board. My own personal feelings are all the board members should act with the best interest of the ANA and the hobby and put aside any personal benefit they may receive by being on the board. Dealers need collectors and collectors need dealers. Both parties should work together to grow the ANA and the hobby.

Surely you can understand that there is greater potential for a lapse in fiduciary duty for someone who makes a living off coins compared to someone who has a more arm's length relationship?

Absolutely all board members should act in a fiduciary capacity. I completely agree. But there is more potential to act in a self-interested manner for dealers.

ksammut

@daltex said:

@ksammut said:

It seems many members have concerns with coin dealers on the board. My own personal feelings are all the board members should act with the best interest of the ANA and the hobby and put aside any personal benefit they may receive by being on the board. Dealers need collectors and collectors need dealers. Both parties should work together to grow the ANA and the hobby.

Surely you can understand that there is greater potential for a lapse in fiduciary duty for someone who makes a living off coins compared to someone who has a more arm's length relationship?

Absolutely all board members should act in a fiduciary capacity. I completely agree. But there is more potential to act in a self-interested manner for dealers.

Fortunately, there are seven Governors, a Vice President, and President who make up the board. Should someone get elected who does not have the best interest of the ANA, the rest of the board can and should prevent that person from pushing through their agenda.

Many of the board meetings are open to the membership. Sitting in on a meeting is both interesting and informative.

I think it is healthy to have both collectors and dealers on the board as long as they accept their fiduciary responsibility and put the ANA above their own self interests. Both groups need a voice.

Zoins

@daltex said:

@ksammut said:

It seems many members have concerns with coin dealers on the board. My own personal feelings are all the board members should act with the best interest of the ANA and the hobby and put aside any personal benefit they may receive by being on the board. Dealers need collectors and collectors need dealers. Both parties should work together to grow the ANA and the hobby.

Surely you can understand that there is greater potential for a lapse in fiduciary duty for someone who makes a living off coins compared to someone who has a more arm's length relationship?

Absolutely all board members should act in a fiduciary capacity. I completely agree. But there is more potential to act in a self-interested manner for dealers.

Is this a theoretical issue or are there examples of lapses in fiduciary duty?

airplanenut

@golden said:

@ksammut said:

@golden said:
You got 3 bullet votes from our house. Good luck! Hope to meet you in Pittsburgh.

Wow and thank you! I would love to meet you in Pittsburgh. Message me and let me know who you are. I will be arriving Wednesday afternoon and leaving Saturday morning.

I will be the slightly balding and slightly overweight old guy. Wait a minute, that did not narrow it down at all did it?

Depends... will there be a mustard stain on your shirt?

Project Numismatics

@Zoins said:

@daltex said:

@ksammut said:

It seems many members have concerns with coin dealers on the board. My own personal feelings are all the board members should act with the best interest of the ANA and the hobby and put aside any personal benefit they may receive by being on the board. Dealers need collectors and collectors need dealers. Both parties should work together to grow the ANA and the hobby.

Surely you can understand that there is greater potential for a lapse in fiduciary duty for someone who makes a living off coins compared to someone who has a more arm's length relationship?

Absolutely all board members should act in a fiduciary capacity. I completely agree. But there is more potential to act in a self-interested manner for dealers.

Is this a theoretical issue or are there examples of lapses in fiduciary duty?

Selection of show location would be a potential conflict of interest. As well as selecting the official grading and auction company.

To be clear, I’m not saying that it has been an issue, only that there is potential for a conflict of interest - which is true if any board of directors.