Choice looms in Denver

Who will it be?

Members of the American Numismatic Association have been wondering who will be leading the organization into the future since the suspension and then removal of executive director Larry Shepherd. This process began at the end of last summer’s convention in Chicago in August.

The board has been working step by step ever since.

I ran into ANA President Tom Hallenbeck in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency Denver yesterday afternoon just after checking in. My colleague from the Numismatic News ad sales department, Sue Konkel and I had been making our way toward the convention center when I spotted Tom coming the other way.

After exchanging greetings, we discussed how the executive search was going

He said he was on his way to a meeting of the search committee.

There were 11 finalists who were invited to come to Denver to participate in half hour interviews. Two of these, he said, had already found other jobs, so the pool was reduced to nine.

The search committee is to reduce this number further, so the full board of governors is presented with three or four individuals from which to make the selection.

I asked if the board would make this determination here at the Denver convention.

Tom was not entirely sure how much longer the end of this selection process will go, so he wasn’t sure.

So we wait.

Fortunately, at an ANA convention there is a lot to do besides follow the activities of the board of governors.