Board Handoff & Operations Strategy

The Virginia Roller Derby Network (VRDN) is a statewide nonprofit, and like the vast majority of roller derby leagues, we operate with a working board (all volunteer-run with no E.D./paid staff). As the current VRDN President, we are preparing for 2027 elections and leadership transitions while our statewide member leagues are doing the same.

I feel that the greater derby leadership community is often "the blind leading the blind" - passionate people join for the love of the sport, only to get roped into extensive administrative tasks that they did not anticipate. Board & committee positions are often filled with well-intentioned but reluctant league members who get ground down by overwhelm and burnout.

I seek consultation for strategic advice focused on operational workflows and leadership transitions: systems that help our all-volunteer boards focus on strategic growth without being bogged down by administrative bloat, and a documented handoff process for our incoming 2027 executive board members. We need a framework to transfer institutional knowledge cleanly, ensuring new leaders can step into their roles without being immediately overwhelmed.

My goal is to leave our session with 1-2 actionable strategies for reducing administrative friction for our volunteers, with a practical framework for our leadership/board handoffs. I am ready to participate immediately and have narrowed the scope of this request to ensure that we can make meaningful progress in a one-hour session.

Organization Mission

Our mission is to build sporting kinship among the Virginia roller derby community, and increase the opportunities for appropriately-matched gameplay and workshops for skaters, coaches, officials and league leadership. Our goals are to increase accessibility to gameplay, expand fan engagement, and reduce the logistical load on leadership within member leagues by sharing resources and duties for network-sponsored events.