originally posted on 1/6/2025
ACE Honorary Member Chris Kraftchick is congratulated by his daughter, Maddy (left), and former ACE Region Director May Reinert.
Photo: Derek Perry. View full-sized image.
An honorary membership is the highest honor that American Coaster Enthusiasts presents in recognition of service to our organization.
During IAAPA Expo in November, Chris Kraftchick was surprised with this honor for his unwavering commitment in a time of peril for ACE. Chris’ devotion will be forever noted in ACE’s history, joining an elite group of 96 individuals and organizations previously granted this honor. As an honorary member, he was presented with a plaque and one year of complimentary event fees for national events.
Chris supported us by picking up all the pieces when ACE’s operations director, Jay Jacobs, passed away in the summer of 2022. Chris provided a solution to executing essential aspects of our operations during this difficult time. He also allowed Jay’s friends to grieve his loss rather than focus on concern for ACE. After tackling the initial emergencies like access to software, he committed to serve temporarily as operations director and to find his replacement. Chris did all of this in service to ACE after expressing that he did not wish to return to the Executive Committee for another term.
Serving as operations director during this time didn’t only involve executing the day-to-day responsibilities; it also required learning how to use YourMembership (YM), ACE’s membership management system, features and tools, as well as other knowledge that was lost with Jay’s passing. While he learned and discovered the components of the role, Chris documented processes to assist with developing the operations portion of ACE’s standard operating procedures. He was dedicated to working himself out of the role and consistently onboarded committee members to ensure a stronger support system and succession planning.
After resigning as operations director in the summer of 2023, he continued supporting the new operations director by executing duties around YM, including remaining as the primary source of knowledge, ensuring the organizational chart was up to date, updating permissions and access to user groups.
Prior to his service on the Executive Committee, Chris served as a regional rep and region director. Chris also continues to serve as an assistant regional rep for the Florida region.
Regional Rep 2003-2017
Region Director 2018-2022
Operations Director 2022-2023
Website Committee 2023-current
Assistant Rep 2018-current
— Elizabeth Ringas, ACE President
American Coaster Enthusiasts
is proud to recognize
Chris Kraftchick
As an honorary member
Chris embodies ACE’s volunteer spirit through his extensive service across various roles. He has consistently demonstrated servant leadership in numerous instances. Initially contributing as an assistant representative and later as a regional representative, Chris passionately advocated for initiatives that furthered ACE’s mission and fostered community among members. Even after 18 years of local service, his commitment persisted as he joined the Executive Committee.
Chris’s dedication shone particularly bright during times of urgency, when his swift action in unforeseen circumstances underscored his invaluable contribution. Despite a desire to relinquish executive responsibilities, Chris selflessly assumed the role of operations director, dedicating substantial time and effort until ACE could stabilize.
November 19, 2024
Photo: David Lipnicky. View full-sized image.
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