President News Letter

Dear FHANA Membership,

It has been a very busy month for the FHANA Board and the organization as a whole. We recently held our annual in-person meeting, where we welcomed Will Bron back following his re-election and introduced our newest board member, Sarah Medler. We look forward to the contributions Sarah will bring to the team.

The meeting held on Friday, March 13th, was highly productive as we addressed a full agenda. It was also a bittersweet occasion as we bid farewell to Eric Smith. After nine years of dedicated service, Eric has retired from the board and his professional career to focus on raising and training horses. Last week, Josh and I traveled to Wisconsin to present him with his retirement plaque alongside his friends and family.

I am pleased to share several organizational updates:

– 501(c)3 Foundation: The paperwork for our new foundation is complete. We will file it as soon as all board member signatures are collected. The foundation’s website is now live, and we will begin pursuing health investigations related to the Friesian horse. You can view the charter at https://www.nafhf.org.
– Website Dashboard: The member dashboard is fully operational. We are currently tracking interface analytics to improve accessibility; if we notice members are having difficulty navigating certain links, we will adjust the design accordingly. Please visit the FHANA website to explore the financial data, inspection information, and comparison charts. Notably, our financial status and membership statistics are currently some of the strongest we have seen in years.
– Financial Audit: We have re-engaged Young and Wadlington to prepare our 990 tax return and have expanded their scope to include a full financial audit. This process may take up to four months, and we will share the results and any identified anomalies with you once it is finalized.
– Committee Structure: Committees have been assigned and board liaisons appointed. We have also reorganized the Marketing and Sponsorship structure by placing the Sponsorship committee directly under the Marketing committee to streamline operations. If you are interested in joining a committee don’t hesitate to reach out or use this link (Committee Volunteer Form)

In May, FHANA is hosting a webinar with Doeke Hoekstra you wont want to miss and I will be traveling to the Netherlands for a five-day visit to meet with the KFPS. Our agenda includes discussions on stallion viewing during the 5th Circuit Inspections, member education classes, joint marketing initiatives, and stallion processes.

Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to our volunteers and board members. Your time and commitment to the health and welfare of the Friesian horse are invaluable to this organization.

I wish you all a wonderful spring. Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Respectfully,

Marquis Laude
President, FHANA