04/25/2025
๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซโ๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ฌ
Hello fellow FHANA members,
This week has been productive at the FHANA office in Lexington. We have made significant progress in various areas, including the processing and mailing out of registration papers, BBook II registrations, awards, inspection results, and inspection logistics.
The FHANA office has undergone a thorough cleaning, a new desk has been installed for the Executive Director, office furniture has been rearranged, and obsolete computer equipment has been removed. A newly donated desktop computer and monitor have been set up.
To round out the updates to the office, we are pleased to announce a new Executive Director, Joshua Wenger, has been onboarded. Mr. Wenger formally was offered the position yesterday and he has accepted the offer.
Mr. Wenger underwent a series of interviews, background checks, office on-boarding, and was introduced to the FHANA office and staff on Wednesday. He brings extensive management experience from the US Army and a wealth of knowledge about our Friesian horses. Mr. Wenger will commence his work on May 6, 2025, and will be employed full-time at the FHANA office.
Regrettably, Katie Wenger (our FHANA Board Secretary) will be stepping down from the Board to mitigate any potential conflicts of interest.
In the past week, we have implemented several new policies and procedures:
* A new employee handbook
* A travel policy for FHANA employees and members seeking reimbursement
* A new Credit Card Policy
* Expense claims forms
* Travel forms
* Sample contracts for vendors
* Streamlined payment process for vendors
* Streamlined accounting software management
We have also engaged a CPA firm to assist us in aligning and revising the Chart of Accounts. The first draft of the revised Chart of Accounts will be completed tomorrow, followed by a meeting between the CPA and members of the Board.
We have completed and mailed all inspection reports, linear scoring sheets, as of last Friday. If you do not have them, please contact the office or your regional representative. We continue to process BBook II registrations, with approximately 70 applications currently under review. These registrations present challenges due to the high number of incomplete or missing DNA information, which necessitates verification with the University of Kentucky, EQUIS, and the KFPS. This process typically takes 2-3 hours per application, assuming all necessary information is available.
We have implemented several updates to the FHANA website, including new webinars, 2025 documents, and data.
Earlier this month, the Awards Committee held a virtual awards ceremony to recognize participants and winners. We will announce the accomplishments and winners within the next week. The awards are currently being prepared at the FHANA office and will be distributed within the next week.
We extend our gratitude to all members for their patience and support during this transition. The Board has dedicated significant effort to these initiatives, and we remain committed to improving our relationship with the membership.
Thank you,
Respectfully,
Your Board of Directors