Jerry Vergatos
Candidate for CCA Vice-President

I have been asked by quite a few Club members to post my campaign Statement here on this site. These club members felt that the current Club website was too cumbersome. I am reluctant to post here as I believe this belongs on the Club site. It is important to me that everyone see what I plan to accomplish firsthand and not have any doubts about my desire to win this election

Greetings to my fellow CCA members.

I have decided to run for office as Vice President this election cycle because I am concerned that our Club is not heading in a good direction. There are many issues that need to be dealt with so that our Club will prosper in the future. The many questions that stick in my mind are what does our Club stand for? What is our purpose? Why do people join our Club? Why are they not joining our Club? Why are they not renewing? What do we really have to offer new members? How are we advancing our hobby? As a member for 11+ years, I have participated in many areas of the Club and have achieved many accomplishments and now wish to be part of the solution to advance us to the pinnacle of the hobby. We were at one time the foremost authority on the hobby but because we have become complacent other Clubs and Websites have left us in dust. With your vote, I will strive to be involved in the many facets of our Club and the hobby as I have done for so many years and find Answers and solutions. I have the motivation and drive to get things done.

Platform

The following are items I will pursue for the Club to better enhance our presence and increase our place as the top Casino Collectibles Club in the world.

Exposure We need to get our name out and publicize our Involvement in the Hobby world and the General public. My thoughts are to conduct a Charity event where we co-brand with another High-profile Company to get maximum exposure. I would consider a Poker Tournament, Golf Tournament, and any other activity to get our name out there. Part of the proceeds would be donated to the co-sponsor to entice them to join us. My particular favorite whom I have had a good relationship is with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. I conducted an event in Denver as a Board member of the Denver Chapter of the Mercedes Club. With the Board's approval, I would like to form a small committee to explore this possibility. The Duke of Fremont Street could help us in this endeavor. We also need to form partnerships with like clubs to advance our identity. There are many Clubs local and national that may be in the same boat as us and would be willing to form a Consortium/ Association for mutual benefit.

State Tax Exempt Status I attempted this during my Presidency and narrowly lost the appeal. It is worth another attempt as the cost to apply is minimal. I spent 5 months on this project but feel I may prevail this time around. The attempt is worth the reward. I will seek out the legal eagles of our club to make a very concentrated effort to get this done. The Club would benefit from this in State Sales Tax savings.

Website During my tenure as President we came very close to achieving a new website. I have thoughts on how to make it more user-friendly and have the prototype that was designed with my board members at the time. I believe I could make a difference and satisfy some of the concerns I have seen on the boards. Kudos to those who brought it to fruition so far, but we can make it better. We also need to rethink the Website as a viable way of promoting our Club. We need to drive the public and the membership to our site so that we can tell our story.

Transparency We need more concerning the inner workings of the Club board. More open communication as to what proposals are being discussed and what decisions are being made in a timelier fashion.

Contact / Communication We should have some online Zoom meetings more frequently as the once-a-year Business meeting held at the Annual Convention does not suffice. Last year the Business meeting was cut too short at approximately one hour + or –

CCA Magazine Our editors do an excellent job in putting together a First-Class publication. We fall short many times because of a lack of content. We have so many members who have a wealth of knowledge in the history of Gaming. I would give a high priority to seeking out these individuals to share their knowledge before it’s too late. The magazine costs an exorbitant amount of money, we need to get the maximum bang for our buck.

Knowledge Drain. We have so many Great club members who have a wealth of Knowledge and history that should be shared before their passing. Once they are gone we lose their memories. I would ask the Board to form a committee to come up with ways to archive their history. Possibly to conduct half-hour interviews on selected topics of their choice and place them on the Club website.

In Closing

I would like to say that ever since I joined this Club I have been active in almost every aspect of this Club. I know its inner workings and feel I have contributed more than most in terms of time and money. Everything I have done is for the betterment of our organization and the hobby.
At one time I was President of 3 related clubs. This was not an ego thing but rather I was called upon by members of these organizations. They saw in me a true passion for getting things done to make things better for all. I am not a dealer, nor do I have any vested interest or conflict of interest in personally making money but rather I enjoy doing my best to help the Club succeed in every aspect.
In retrospect, I regret having put the Club in disarray when I resigned as President. It was a bad time for me with having had a serious case of COVID-19, family pressures, and a slight case of depression. I have overcome all those issues and resolved any hindrance to me getting back to the hobby and Club I love.

The hobby is alive and doing well, the same needs to be said about us, and with your vote you will empower me again to get involved. We need to start thinking outside the box to get us on a good path.

Talk is Cheap, action speaks volumes. I have the desire and horsepower to get things done.

I have my complete Club / Hobby related resume available to anyone that is interested in my involvement with the many facets of the hobby. Please send me an email Vergatos@msn.com and I will forward it to you.

Jerry Vergatos LM-8093-241 / MoGH-LM-0001 / Silver Striker #1439

I ask for your vote and if you have any questions please reach out to me at vergatos@msn.com.

Thank You

Jerry