Former chairman coopted by board

RETAINING experience was the key factor in Basketball Otago’s board overriding a vote from its clubs.

Previous chairman Karl Andrews was not voted back on to the board by the clubs at the latest annual meeting.

However, the board has unanimously decided to coopt him back on as the constitution allows it to do.

New chairwoman Angela Ruske said the board did not have access to voting numbers from the clubs.

It was unsure if there was unhappiness with Andrews within the clubs.

However, she said the board felt having him involved would be beneficial for basketball in the region.

‘‘Karl has been the chairman for the past couple of years,’’ she said.

‘‘The work he has done around board matters, including getting the strategic plan up and running and keeping finances going in the right direction, has been very valuable to Basketball Otago.

‘‘So moving someone with that amount of knowledge and the procedures that go with that, we thought it was very important to get him back on board so we could continue the positive pro gress that has been made in the past couple of years.’’

As new chairwoman, Ruske said she and the board were hoping to continue building on what the association had done in recent years.

The board is made up of six members, while another two people can be coopted.

Playing numbers have continued to grow and it continues to bounce back after finding itself in financial peril in 2014.

‘‘We’re going to continue through with the progress that has been made.

‘‘It’s important that the decisions that we make at a governance level, that they are positive for basketball as a whole and the game continues to grow through Otago.

❛ . . . we thought it was very important to get him back on board so we could continue the positive progress that has been made in the past couple of years