Skal USA Executive Committee Meets For 2018 Winter; Selects Two Key Issues

RALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Skal International—USA board met for its annual winter meeting in Raleigh, North Carolina, to focus on building new Skal Clubs throughout America, enhancing its communication platforms, recommending growth based policies for Skal International, and selecting two of the key issues it will advocate during the coming year.

"We had an extremely productive meeting," said President Burcin Turkkan, who is a member of Skal Atlanta.  "The Executive Committee is very focused on the key challenges of growth and relevancy.  Our decisions should be very meaningful in the coming months and years.  We celebrated the openings of Skal Richmond and Skal Southwest Florida, our first new clubs in 17 years which were chartered in 2017, as well as looking forward to several more new clubs planned for charters in 2018."

Turkkan is a leader who is part of the positive change happening within the Skal organization.  As a spokesperson for the Young Skal movement globally, she exemplifies the emergence of youthful tourism activists in her elevation to the national presidency.  Turkkan was born in Turkey and is bilingual.

"We are also excited to be advocating this year on our two key issues, which are "Freedom to travel with security" and the "Preservation and protection of cultural, historic, and natural tourism sites." 

"In the first instance, we want to make it easy for people to travel, as long as security issues are met.  This would include simpler visa processes, shorter processing and interview wait times, more multiple day on site transit visas, and other ways to streamline the visit authorization processes around the world.  Skal USA does support careful qualification of visitors by countries to address both terrorism and abuse of visas by potential violators," said Turkkan.

"In the second case, we support the protection, maintenance, and access to historic, cultural, and natural attractions, starting with those here in the United States, such as our National Park System, buildings on the National Historic Register, and our state and local parks.  Skal USA will speak out in support of these sites and join others when any are threatened in either the United States or around the world," she concluded.

Turkkan is joined on the Skal International—USA Executive Committee by Holly Powers, Skal Boston, International Skal Councillor; Lisa Conway, Skal New York, Vice President of Administration; Alton Hagen, Skal Kansas City, Vice President of Finance; David Ryan, Skal Sacramento, Vice President of Membership; Jim Dwyer, Skal Northern New Jersey, and Richard Scinta, Skal Orlando, Directors of Membership, and Steve Richer, Skal Washington, Director of Public Relations and Communications.  Art Allis, Skal Tucson, and JoAnne Ford, Skal Nashville, are the two Auditors.

SKAL International USA is currently the largest National Committee in Skal International with over 2,000 members and 49 clubs nationwide.  For more information on SKAL International and SKAL USA, and to find out more about membership, go to www.skalusa.org.  

For additional information contact:
Steve Richer, Skal USA Public Relations and Communications
228-596-7004
[email protected]

SOURCE Skal International USA

Related Links

http://www.skalusa.org/