US Chess Staff

Meet the people who keep all the pieces moving. Please click on the staff member’s photo to learn more about them.

US Chess
P.O. Box 775308
St. Louis, MO 63177

Phone: 1-800-903-8723 or 314.661.9500

For all membership issues, including renewals, account access, and missing magazines, please contact Click here to show email address.

Directory of Departments and Responsibilities: please click here.

Press Inquiries: Click here to show email address

Ranae Bartlett started at US Chess in September 2023 as Director of Operations and was named Executive Director in March 2024. Before joining US Chess, Ranae was an Assistant General Counsel for a Fortune 5 company. She served as a local school board member in Madison, Alabama for ten years and… Read More »

Ranae Bartlett

Executive Director

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Ron has been making sure that all the moves in our magazines are correct since June 1994.

IM Ron Burnett

Technical Editor

Mike Buss assumed the duties of the Correspondence Chess Coordinator on December 1, 2021. During 2021, he served as the Chairman of the Correspondence Chess Working group, formed to assess the program and discern how correspondence chess under US Chess might best continue. Mike Buss was part… Read More »

Michael Buss

Correspondence Chess Coordinator

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DeVaughn Croxton is a proud product of Detroit, Michigan and joined US Chess in January 2024. Though a competitive athlete, his most powerful muscle proved to be his brain, something he began to discover when he became an active chess player in 2006 and played board #1 and captained his high school… Read More »

DeVaughn Croxton

Director of Programs

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314.949.9350

Laird has been engaged with gaming communities his entire adult life. He appreciates how love for the game can bring people together and looks forward to helping that community grow. The 2009 Missouri State Champion in cursive handwriting, he enjoys reading, traveling, and playing a variety of… Read More »

Laird Davis

Development Associate, Member Services Associate

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I became enamored with chess in high school when I visited our local chess club and played GM Igor Ivanov. In our first game he checkmated me in just 11 moves! I studied vigorously after that loss to hopefully one day beat him. I joined the U.S. Army as a combat medic when I was 17 years old (… Read More »

Bryon Doyle

Membership Associate

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Working as both a chess coach and graphic designer, Nicole has seen that the chess community is full to the brim with fantastic people all with different skill levels but all connected through the game. She likes to keep busy with projects and hobbies such as writing/Illustrating a kids book,… Read More »

Nico Esaltare

Graphics Assistant

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Chris has been with US Chess since June 2017, helping make sure that all membership information is up to date. New to chess, she has found that “chess means so many different things to people for a variety of reasons. Working in membership allows me to interact with many of our members. Very often… Read More »

Chris Green

Membership Associate

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Although he was only hired in February 2019, John has been writing for Chess Life as a freelancer since 2013. His answer to, “What do you like about chess?” is simple: “Everything! People ask if chess is art, science, or sport. My answer is that it’s all three. There are awe-inducing moments of… Read More »

John Hartmann

Chess Life/Chess Life Kids Editor

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Geoff has been with US Chess since October 2018, building our Development Department from the ground up. He has been attracted to chess for most of his life, because of, as he puts it, "The endless possibilities!" He came to us after working as a development professional in healthcare and higher… Read More »

Geoffrey Isaak

Director Of Development

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Pete has been at US Chess since April 2018, although he has been involved in the game most of his life. “I enjoy the challenge and the focus associated with playing a tournament game. I also love the community that the game immerses you in. Many of my best lifelong friends are chess players. At its… Read More »

Pete Karagianis

Assistant Director Of Events

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931.200.9477

Korey joined the US Chess staff full time in March 2021 after having served a few prior terms over the years in both the Tournament Director Certification & Ratings departments. He has been involved in the chess industry for most of his professional career, because he believes that “Chess is an… Read More »

Korey Kormick

Director of Member Services

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JJ has been an active chess player since his teen years and rediscovered his love of the game during the later stages of his Ph.D. program. Since 2018, he has been teaching, writing, and podcasting about chess and its emotional strain on the psyche. Outside of chess, JJ enjoys cooking, watching… Read More »

JJ Lang

Digital Editor

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Emanuel taught himself to play chess as a child in order to be able to understand a weekly column in his local newspaper and in the process fell in love with the game. Chess became the core of most of his friendships throughout high school and college and now, decades later, it continues to be a… Read More »

Emanuel London

Director of IT

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Rick played his first tournament chess game in 1977, and the joys — and frustrations — have captivated him ever since. “Playing chess did for me what playing football or baseball does for other kids,” he says, “and whenever I find myself in a new city, or a new life situation, I look for a club or… Read More »

Rick Massimo

Assistant Editor

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Melinda, who joined US Chess in April 2017, was named US Chess Safe Play Manager in March 2023. Prior to this role, Melinda served as managing editor for all publications. She was Chess Life’s second female editor from 2018-2020, edited Chess Life Kids through February 2023, and has… Read More »

Melinda Matthews

Safe Play Manager

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Rose is the primary contact for governance matters at US Chess. She most recently worked as an Editorial Assistant for an academic journal. Prior to moving to the United States, Rose worked as a museum curator and research officer in Denbighshire Heritage Service. In this role, Rose managed… Read More »

Rose McMahon

Governance Coordinator

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931-248-6064

The man who works to make sure our events come off without a hitch started with US Chess in 2016. He likes the game because “chess is perhaps the last true meritocracy left.” Outside of chess, he enjoys cooking, working out, and sleeping.

Boyd Reed

Director Of Events

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Natasha, who started at US Chess in November 2015, was promoted to Art Director in January 2022. Prior to that, she was our Graphics Assistant and then Creative Content Coordinator. She came to us after working at The Boys and Girls Club in Bloomington, Indiana and the Indiana Daily Student at… Read More »

Natasha Roberts

Art Director

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Debra has been making sure the numbers add up at US Chess since 2014 after an accounting/controlling career that has always involved the manufacturing industry. She likes that chess offers camaraderie between players, whether they know each other or not, and how young children can go from running… Read More »

Debra Robison

Senior Accountant

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Bryan Tillis started at US Chess in August 2024 as Marketing and Communications Manager. He is responsible for planning, development, and implementation of all US Chess external communications, marketing strategies, public relations activities, and internal communications. Bryan also oversees the… Read More »

Bryan Tillis

Marketing and Communications Manager

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Brian has been involved in all aspects of chess: from playing the game to organizing and directing local tournaments in Kansas. Brian looks forward to providing service to players and arbiters for FIDE Events both within the United States and aboard across the world.

Brian Yang

FIDE Events Manager

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314.661.9500 x147