I am writing today to inform you of a number of changes that are taking place on the BABS Board of Trustees.

On Tuesday afternoon, Laurence Hasson informed the BABS Board that he was stepping down from his position as Chair with immediate effect. Laurence joined the Board in 2021 as Vice Chair, and has dedicated those past three years to serving the barbershop community with passion and integrity. We want to thank him for his service and dedication, and wish him all the best for his future endeavours.

Following on from this, in my capacity as Vice Chair, I have assumed the role of Acting Chair, and will be serving in this role going forward until March 2024 where I will stand for election, to be formally elected by the BABS Council, as Chair at the AGM

. 
Further to this, our Director of Marketing, Simon Miskin, has stepped down from his role with immediate effect. Simon will continue to perform a role within BABS as Marketing Manager, and we thank him for his service on the Board, and continued service to our organisation. Our current Director of Membership, Peter Bryant, will be moving into this role with immediate effect.

 
Finally, our Director of Finance, Liz Smith, has announced that she will not be seeking re-election to the Board of Trustees, and shall be stepping down at the AGM in March. Liz has served BABS through some of its toughest financial periods over the last couple of years, and we are enormously appreciative of her efforts.

 
The rest of the Board, Matt Thomas (Director of Events), Simon Arnott (Director of Music & Education), Alistair Lamyman (Director of Administration), and Aurélie Gandour (Director of Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging) will be remaining in their current roles.

 
In order to ensure stability going forward, the Board is co-opting two long-standing BABS members, Derek Parmenter (Past Special Events Director and Past Chair) and Peter Cookson (Past Chair), to assist during this transitional period. Alan Goldsmith (BABS Past Music & Education Director and Past Chair) will also be assisting the Board. They all bring a wealth of experience that will be invaluable as we head into our 50th year celebrations.

 
A further email will be sent to all members next week, advertising the current and upcoming vacancies. Director of Membership and Vice Chair will be for an immediate start, with Director of Finance to start in the Spring. All information will be contained within the upcoming message.

 
I would like to take the opportunity to recognise that the past few weeks within the barbershop community have been tumultuous for all parties, and I want to reassure BABS members that we have not lost sight of your concerns, and are continuing to have conversations to address these. We will be in touch regarding the Sing2024 pricing very soon as we know this is a priority. I will also be exploring ways in which my new Board and I can communicate and consult more directly with you all in the future, as we aim to be as transparent as possible.

 
I know that with this new Board in place, we will be able to find a way forward. 

Shanna Wells
Acting Chair
The British Association of Barbershop Singers