MICHAEL ATKINS
A recently retired licensed clinical professional counselor, Mike has extensive experience in many areas of chess: organizer, TD, FIDE arbiter, Blitz organizer and TD, state association President (Virginia), tournament clearinghouse coordinator. He is highly independent, the Board member most likely to vote "no" when a motion passes 6-1. When he writes "I have not made deals in order to get motions to pass; they will pass on their own merit or not, and I have always voted each individual motion on its value to the USCF," he is certainly correct, but that is also true of our entire Board. Mike has been especially successful working to develop a USCF Blitz rating system, and for approval of National Chess Day by the US Senate.