Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1333090
he new year is finally here, and I am hopeful that it will be better than the last. Like you, my family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, employees and customers all dealt with overwhelming personal and professional challenges. However, as I look back at 2020, I am very proud of our organization's response to the pandemic. In March 2020, when states around the country started to issue stay-at-home orders, forcing ice rinks to close and ice sports to be put on pause indefinitely, our organization took the opportunity to provide immediate support and leadership. We quickly gathered important information for employers and employees from organizations such as the CDC, WHO, SBA, DOL, U.S. COC, OSHA and posted it all on our website. As soon as new or updated information became available, we updated our website and made the industry aware through social media, email bulletins and member e-newsletter. Shortly thereafter, we started to offer live online Q-and-A sessions and roundtable discussions led by our instructors and other industry leaders. The feedback we received from our members was so overwhelmingly positive, we expanded it from a bi-weekly webinar to a twice-weekly event. We then took the plunge into online education in April with a live, instructor- led Operations & Risk Management course. Converting the in-person course curriculum wasn't easy, but the input from instructors and class participants helped guide the development of the other online courses that followed. I would like to thank all of our instructors and members who participated in the 11 courses that we offered throughout the year. Once stay-at-home orders began to loosen, we joined our partners, USA Hockey and U.S. Figure Skating, in the creation of the 'Returning to the Rinks' re-opening recommendations document. The document was intended to help ice rink owners, operators, figure skating and hockey clubs to develop their plans for safely re-opening and resuming programs. I am very appreciative of the support we continue to receive from USA Hockey, U.S. Figure Skating, our Board of Directors, instructors and industry partners that allows us to serve our members. Finally, I would like to thank every one of our members for all that you do. Your efforts are vital to providing an essential public service to communities across the country and I am honored to be able to serve you. All the best in 2021, — Jeff Theiler, Chief Operating Officer, United States Ice Rink Association Opening ADDRESS Welcome from Jeff Theiler 2020: A Learning Opportunity THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE UNITED STATES ICE RINK ASSOCIATION JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 // VOL. 24, NO. 1 USICERINKS.COM // INFO@USICERINKS.COM C E O Steve Farbman P R E S I D E N T James McEwen S E N I O R V I C E P R E S I D E N T David Jensen C O N T R O L L E R Mike Schwarz C R E AT I V E D I R E C T O R Rob Johnson A RT D I R E C T O R Mike DeArmond S E N I O R D E S I G N E R Brandon Favre D E S I G N E R S Kelsey Cherwinka, Melanie Schumacher A D S A L E S Bryan Nelson M A R K E T I N G & AC C O U N T M A NAG E R Jessica Disch E D I T O R S : Aaron Paitich, Jessi Pierce M A R K E T I N G C O O R D I NAT O R Elizabeth Boger RINK Magazine is the definitive business publication for professionals in the ice rink industry and is the leading source for information on facility management, operations and programming. PUBLISHING PARTNER 505 North Highway 169, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN 55441 P H : (763) 595-0808 FA X : (763) 595-0016 E - M A I L : info@touchpointmedia.com W E B S I T E : touchpointmedia.com Mission: "To advance the ice rink industry through membership, world-class education, training, resources and events." C H I E F O P E R AT I N G O F F I C E R Jeff Theiler D I R E C T O R , E D U CAT I O N John Monteleone O F F I C E A S S I S T A N T Tom Wacker P H : ( 719) 538-1149 FA X : (719) 538-7838 E - M A I L : info@usicerinks.com W E B S I T E : usicerinks.com A P R O G R A M O F E D I T O R Aaron Paitich M A NAG I N G E D I T O R Jessi Pierce C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S Taylor Dean, Kevin Erlenbach, Don Moffatt, John Monteleone, Casey Murdough, Jeff Theiler, Ryan Williamson E D I T O R I A L B OA R D T.C. Lewis, John Monteleone, Craig Petersen, Jeff Theiler D E S I G N E R S Mike DeArmond, Brandon Favre, Kelsey Cherwinka, Melanie Schumacher 12 / JANUARY.FEBRUARY.2021 USICERINKS.COM T