Meeting started at 7.00 P.M. on Tuesday October 7th. 

Members Present were: PJ, Ruben, Behnam, Ahmad and George. On phone we had: Sunil and Patricia.

1: Because of the Covid pandemic, we did not hold elections in 2020 (scheduled to elect 3 positions), as a result, when we held elections in 2021, we elected the 3 positions previously required. In doing this, we went out of sequence between the Odd/Even year’s as established in the By Laws. On October 7, 2025 the board unanimously decided that we will continue to elect 3/4 board members per year, but will eliminate the Odd/Even requirement to provide for flexibility in the future in the event that another catastrophic event occurs in a given year. Therefore, we will update the By Laws to reflect this change. The votes were 7 in favor / 0 against.

2: Kennedy George Pisa will be resigning to the board for personal reasons and we will be identifying a replacement for George: By October 21st we need to evaluate and find replacement candidates. 

3: Tall barriers are being quoted by Tawny Banh and once the quotes are agreed to, we will order them ASAP. The plan is to order 20 Tall barriers.  Also, we intend to replace and upgrade all the Tables using the Butterfly Blue tables used in all major tournaments and clubs in the USA. The plan is to replace them through time. Initially we will replace 10 tables and we will have 10 tables for sale. Table quotes are also pending from Tawny.

4: Member Appreciation Tournament is scheduled for October 19th, and registrations will start on October 17th.  Only members who have join the club prior to the announcement on October 3th /2025 will be able to participate in the tournament. anyone who joined afterwards will not be able to register this year.

5: We will be selling used damaged robot to Mr. Ahmad for $100.00.  Ahmed Ghazi will be doing research to determine potential selling price for the old tables.

6: Financial statement were provided by Ruben and every things was correct and up to date.

My name is Behnam Kazemi.  I have been a member of the SDTTA club for over thirty years during which time I have served on the board in different capacities.

I have served as the club’s president, Vice President and Public Relations Director. 

I would like to continue promoting our sport by attracting more players, and providing existing members an environment conducive to elevating everyone’s level of play from youngsters   to seniors.   I am always ready to listen to and implement suggestions from our members. 

I retired last year as a business owner so I will be able to dedicate more time to the club. This year we had several challenges . Parking fee will be implemented by the city soon. I, as SDTTA representative and other sports have attended and been involved in presenting our case to the city. I will make every effort to keep membership fees at current level of $50/year to help offset additional parking fees. We had the flood problem in San Diego 2 years ago and our club was used as shelter for homeless. I and other members were involve and spent many hours resolving the issue We also spent many hours dealing with discrimination claim by one of our members. This issue is resolved by Municipal Judge. I hope who ever gets picked by the members realizes being on the board is not just showing up once a week. It involves many hour of work behind the scene. This year we were able to have a very successful San Diego Open tournament with great participation and well-run tournament. We have been able to have three coaches that provide free group practice sessions weekly and twice weekly tournaments free of charge to our members. We are going to have member appreciation tournament on Oct 19, 2025 with cash prizes. Close liaison with Mexico table tennis and Mexico open tournament in Tijuana in February 2026 (I will provide more information when available).

I appreciate your vote and look forwards to serving you for another term.

As a civil rights lawyer born and raised in San Diego, I’ve always valued the kind of community and inclusion that the SDTTA has fostered. I’d like to do more than just help Javid set up and take down tables and barriers, and I would be excited to give back to this community that has welcomed me so warmly. My professional experience has taught me to approach challenges with empathy and a commitment to fairness—values that I will bring to the board. I look forward to the chance to help serve and shape the future of America’s finest table tennis club!

Dear Members,

I am excited to share my interest in serving on the board of our Table Tennis Club. With over 30 years in academia and experience serving on several boards, I bring a strong understanding of governance, planning, and responsibility.

Although family commitments prevented me from joining earlier, many of you encouraged me to take on this role. Over the past decade, I have remained actively involved—supporting training sessions, helping organize tournaments, and contributing to facility improvements.

Looking ahead, my goal as a board member is to improve our facilities and equipment, promote more tournaments and events, expand community engagement, strengthen training and development, and ensure financial stability. These efforts will modernize our facilities, grow membership, attract younger players, and secure the long-term success of our club.

It would be an honor to serve more formally and contribute to the continued growth and development of our club. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to working together to build an even stronger Table Tennis community.

Sincerely,

Ahmad Hosseini

I have come to play at this club since the late 90’s and have always enjoyed and appreciated the camaraderie and sportsmanship every athlete or player has displayed. It is a great place to play Table Tennis for all ages and all levels. 

I work at present as a Registered Nurse. I may not have the luxury experience of being on a board of an organization, but I do believe that I have the characteristic and values of a good leader and a good follower. Despite not holding an official board position, I have actively supported the club whenever possible including assisting with Javid’s Monday night training, serving food (Pizza Day) on special occasions of SDTTA and breaking down and stowing tables and dividers at end of play days.

It will be an honor to serve the club in ways that support its growth and development and contribute to making it the best table tennis club in the community. 

Thank you for considering my application and more power to SDTTA Club.

Sincerely,

Mabel Zafra

Hello Everyone, I am Coach Javid.

1-As I approach retirement next year, I’m excited to dedicate more time to our club, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to help drive membership growth and create a brighter future together.

2-I had the pleasure of serving as a board member in 2022 & 2024 during which time I held the position of Secretary. In this role, I ensured the meticulous recording of Meeting Minutes on a monthly basis. 

3-I am eager to volunteer and run for office once again. These are a few notable tournaments I directed and initiatives I undertook during my previous tenure on the board, which only scratch the surface of the many ideas I have for the club’s future growth and development, should I be elected as a board member,

4- Mini Olympic Vol #1.

5- Mini Olympic Vol#2.

6- Borko Cup 

7- I obtained USATT Certified Coach certification to establish my volunteer Monday Night Group Training Class since 2022 for SDTTA members of all ages and skill levels, aiming to enhance their skills and take them to the next level. 

8- I proposed implementing online registration for our weekly RR, replacing the previous requirement of registering every Thursday and Sunday night before RR Tournaments. I extend my sincere gratitude to Maurizio for making this initiative a success. 

I kindly request your votes and support in my candidacy for a board member position, as I strive to contribute to the improvement of our club. Thank you for your support.

Kind Regards, 

Javid M Khazaeli

SDTTA has 3 board positions up for election this year. Members who have been with the club for at least 1 year are eligible to be nominated. Anyone who fits this criteria may send a photo of themself along with a brief campaign pitch to board@sdtta.org. Submissions must be sent in by October 31. These campaign materials will be posted on the website and displayed on the club’s clipboard.