Candidate Qualifications Announcement

The International Candidate Qualifications Committee has announced its slate of officer candidates for the 2026 election, to be held from May 1 to May 30. Please make sure your Club president’s email is correct and on file with Optimist International so that your Club will get a ballot to vote beginning May 1. Information on voting will be sent to you in the near future.

 

The slate is as follows:

 

President-Elect: 


  • Chris Jernigan (NCW)


Board of Directors-At-Large: 


  • Danielle Dupont (QuW)
  • Tom Shearer (CapVa)


Vice Presidents-Elect:


  • Northeast & Great Lakes Region: Dan Mills (MI)
  • Southeast Region: Bonnie Jean Sherbert (SC)
  • Mid-Atlantic Region: Lorin Richter (AC)
  • Middle America Region: Sandi Schmidt (IL/IA)
  • Great Plains Region: Maureen Crombie (SWIS)
  • Southwest Region: Michael Cheves (TXO)
  • West Coast Region: Anne McBride (AZ)
  • St. Lawrence Region: Christian Bourassa (QuW)

 

Any self-nominations must be submitted to theresa.ovelgoenner@optimist.org by April 1. If none are submitted, the slate is elected automatically.


How to self-nominate (click the image below to download a PDF):