OSCO members will be asked to vote for four of the following five candidates:

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Josie Braddy (Oklahoma City)

 

"Chess mom to one player, Elizabeth. We homeschool so don't currently represent a club or team. OSCO Treasurer for 2021-2023 seasons. Love the scholastic chess community of parents and schools working together to provide K-12 players the opportunities to compete at the greatest game ever invented."

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In addition to working as our treasurer, Josie handles tournament registration, works with host schools and venue sponsors, fields questions from parents and players, and makes site visits in advance of every event to make sure no detail is overlooked. This year, she took on considerably more responsibility when she became OSCO’s chief tournament director. At any given moment on tournament day, she’ll be busy entering results, pairing rounds, figuring tiebreaks, or carrying out any of the innumerable tasks a chief TD has to handle in order to ensure a smooth event for the rest of us. So you might not even see her. But if you do, say thanks! –RR

 

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Debasish Roy Choudhury (Edmond)

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Debasish works for IBM as an IT professional. Along with his wife, Sanghamita, he runs the Edmond Chess Club and helps out at the Moore Chess Club. Their sons Arya and Anurag are active players at both clubs and are regular players at scholastic and open tournaments.

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“Every parent should  encourage their children to spend some time on chess,” Debasish said. Along with his family, he’s an enthusiastic advocate for youth chess, looking for any opportunity to encourage other families to give it a try.  Unlike video games, he said, chess is a brain game that requires complex analysis and sustained focus and concentration—skills that also help players in academics. 

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Volunteering for OSCO is important so more kids can have the opportunity to enjoy those benefits, he said, noting that Oklahoma’s scholastic chess community is among the fastest-growing in the nation.  “Many exceptional rising players are representing OSCO at the national level and in many out-of-state tournaments,” he said.

 

 

Guy Holland (Lawton)

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Guy is the chess coach at Lawton Academy of Arts and Sciences. he earned his Bachelors of Science in Anthropology (with honors) from the College of Charleston in 2002, and his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina in 2005. After working for the Supreme Court of South Carolina, he joined the ERISA litigation group at O’Melveny & Meyers in Washington D.C. Mr. Holland is an active member of the District of Columbia Bar. Upon the birth of his second child, he became a stay-at-home father and home educator.

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He has lived in South Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Hawaii, and Oklahoma. He enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures. He adores Norway. His academic interests include mathematical theory, space law, admiralty law, and human adaptation. He enjoys video games, kayaking, hiking, and stargazing.

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Mike Langston (Norman)

 

"My name is Mike Langston and I’m from Norman. I represent the Norman Scholastic Chess Club, where my twelve-year-old son, Parker, is a member. Over the past two years of Parker playing in OSCO events, I have watched him blossom into a more confident chess player and person. 

 

"I have experience in organizing events and have served on a nonprofit board in the past. I had the privilege of helping the OSCO team with the Norman Grade Championship and would be honored to serve on the OSCO board.

 

"I believe that supporting organizations like this help provide a strong foundation for our youth and teach many valuable lessons through friendly competition and strong relationships. It is a worthwhile endeavor to invest our time and assets into our youth. I appreciate your consideration and would once again be honored to serve on the OSCO board of directors."

 

 

Jason Royal (Tulsa)

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Jason is a volunteer chess coach with University School in Tulsa, OK and is a former music educator and professional musician. He has held Director of Band, Instrumental Music, as well as Adjunct College teaching positions in Tennessee, North Carolina, and in his home state of Georgia. He has done regular volunteer work and held various positions, including prior board appointments, with several nonprofit arts organizations.   

 

“I believe strongly in OSCO’s mission to support chess and in the power of the arts. Arts education is perhaps the greatest engine of imagination and growth a person can experience, and it can connect people, schools, and communities in unique and profound ways. Chess, in particular, has such a rich history and profound scope that any person who commits to its study has wonderful chances of growth and brain development. I want to support those opportunities and be a part of that in any way possible.”

 

 

 

Returning board members for 2023-24:

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Feng Li (Edmond)

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"My name is Feng Li, and I go by “Fiby.” I am from Edmond and represent Casady School on the OSCO board. My son, Raymond Jiang, who is a high school freshman, started playing chess in scholastic tournaments about six years ago. Thanks to all the volunteers’ hard work, he enjoys playing chess and has stayed on ever since. 

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Last year I decided to join OSCO as a board member to pay back to the chess community that has served my son and me so well. This position not only allows me to utilize what I know to serve the chess community and help chess kids in Oklahoma, but also continues to improve myself alongside my son. 

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Playing chess greatly promotes the development of important skills such as problem solving, decision making, critical thinking, planning, and creative thinking. We have been blessed and benefited so much from chess. As a board member, my goal is to work with other board members to provide a clean, learning, and friendly-competing environment for Oklahoma chess kids and continue to develop OSCO to its best."

 

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Tai Shriner (Edmond)

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"I moved to Edmond, Oklahoma in the summer of 2015 with my husband, Rex, son, Hayden (13), and daughter, Sloane (9).  Hayden entered his first tournament four years ago and we haven't looked back.  Over the course of those four years, I've galvanized our players at Casady School to form the Cyclone Chess Team.  

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"Attending OSCO tournaments allowed me the opportunity to meet families from all over Oklahoma as well as the major Oklahoma scholastic “players” (pun intended) who spent countless hours and energy creating a love of chess for our Oklahoma kids!  I couldn't help but volunteer and step into this amazing organization. This year as President has been a whirlwind of learning from the best.  I look forward to this upcoming scholastic year as we continue to grow as a sport and organization."

 

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Praveen Ganapathy (Edmond)

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Praveen has volunteered to replace his wife, Aishwarya Sairam, for the remainder of her term while she stays home with their new baby boy. The couple’s older son, Aayush, is an active tournament player and a candidate to represent Oklahoma in the upcoming Rockefeller Tournament of Elementary Champions.