CoCo Leadership Elections

Jennifer Clinchy

I’ve been an active member of the Scrabble community since 2013. I've played many tournaments, including two WESPA Championships, and directed more than two dozen in-person and virtual tournaments. As the current Executive Director, I co-launched the CoCo's Newcomer Discounts program, which provides 50-100% off the entry fee to new Collins players and first-time tournament players. This initiative was part of my efforts to expand our community, reach new players, and lower financial barriers to access to tournaments. Other ways in which I've broadened the CoCo's reach is through my role co-directing the Collins divisions of the 2022 Word Cup. Among the successes I contributed to that event include growing the size of the Collins field by more than 300%, meeting directly with Scopely and successfully securing corporate sponsorship, and advocating for the resources and technology to execute a world-class Scrabble stream.

In the year to come, I aim to continue my research and investigation of grant funding, donations, and sponsorship opportunities. The Executive Director role often involves the unglamorous work of ensuring compliance with the tax, insurance, and legal aspects of running a nonprofit, in addition to doing basically everything that needs to happen that no one else is doing. I am actively working on succession planning and resource documentation to ensure that the CoCo is sustainable and will survive changes in leadership. No startup succeeds in the long run when it depends on one or a small handful of people. Strengthening the organization’s infrastructure to guarantee long-term sustainability through fresh ideas and energy from new leaders is a priority. In the meantime, I remain committed to making sure the CoCo has what it needs to be active, innovative, inclusive, and responsive as the Scrabble community evolves.