Meet Your Unit Board of Directors

Connie Scott

President

Connie Scott

I am blessed with 3 daughters and 6 grandchildren! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching every theatre performance, ball game, dance recital, horse competition, and stock show! I love planning the next family vacation!

When I moved to Texas in 1988 I was Office Manager for our family business. Not until after I retired in 2012 and after many bridge lessons and travel to many Regionals and Nationals throughout the United States, I achieved Life Master in 2015 and Ruby Life Master in 2022! Thank you to my bridge partners and teammates!

I have served as Club Manager and Treasurer for the McKinney Bridge Club. I was Hospitality Chairman for the Dallas Regional and look forward to promoting bridge through the Unit 176 Board.

Bill Higgins

Vice President

Bill Higgins

I am delighted to have been offered an opportunity to run for the board of Unit 176. I have enjoyed playing bridge with my wife, Jean, in F2F sessions and recently online during the pandemic.

My wife, two toddlers and I were fortunate to be able to live in many far-flung parts of the world including Singapore, Brussels and Dubai where we were able to play social, as well as, duplicate bridge.

In 1999, we settled in Dallas where I took lessons and played at BAND. I have achieved Silver Life Master status. During my working career, I was in executive management so, I have extensive experience in administration and management. I think this experience would assist me greatly if elected to the Board of Unit 176.

Bob Holliday

Treasurer

Bob Holliday

I started playing party bridge in college and began duplicate in the late 70s. I took a 40 year break to work as an actuary in various lines of life insurance and to raise a family.

After semi-retiring, I started playing bridge again in 2016 in the Plano area. Bridge has almost become a full-time job. I love learning about the game and appreciate all the help past and present partners have provided. In 2022, I had the pleasure of qualifying for the GNT and playing in Providence, RI.

I look forward to serving on the Unit board and promoting bridge throughout the metroplex.

Paul Taylor

Secretary

Paul Taylor

I began my interest in bridge as a teenager reading basic bidding by Goren and Eddie Kantar’s red workbook-sized text on defensive play. My introduction to duplicate bridge as a freshman from UNT was driving down to the Valley View Bridge Club with friends to play in the Friday night game. My interest in the game continued but became less able to play was curtailed greatly when I entered Medical School in Dallas.

After working as a Family Physician for more than 33 years, I am now playing more regularly following retirement. One fun aspect of duplicate bridge in Dallas is sitting down against enthusiastic newcomers at one table, then the next round competing against players who have won national or international events. I am especially interested in working with newer members and promoting face-to-face bridge games.

Bridge players are quite diverse in individual and partnership style, and think it is always interesting to see why players gravitate to a certain bidding system or adopt a new convention. I hope I can serve our bridge community and promote the interest of duplicate bridge.

Bill Driscoll

Bill Driscoll

I grew up in Austin, spending much of my adolescence playing tennis and being introduced to duplicate bridge in college at the University of Texas. After moving to Houston to teach, I met and married my wonderful wife, Meredith. In 1978 we moved to Richardson and I largely gave up bridge for 35 or so years, working at TI and Raytheon as a radar systems engineer, and bringing up two great sons.

After retiring I took up bridge again in 2014, starting at the Richardson Senior Center and soon finding the Friendly Bridge Club where everyone was welcoming and happy to provide much-needed advice. Bridge has become my primary activity along with enjoying our two grandchildren. I love learning the game, developing friendships with bridge partners, and getting to know many great people that play here. I hope to contribute to helping bridge thrive in the Dallas area.

Milt Neher

Milt Neher

I learned to play bridge at home, and then I played way too much bridge in college. After college, I played for about 10 years in the Midwest before moving to Dallas and retiring from competitive bridge.

After retiring in 2011, I once again found bridge and discovered that much had changed in the 30+years that I had missed. I have enjoyed learning to play all over again, and I appreciate the help of all the good players that have helped me tune-up my game. I feel an obligation to give back to this game, so if you elect me, I promise to work hard to continue making Dallas a premier place to play bridge.

Cheryl Rider

Cheryl Rider

I married Jim in 1970 and he insisted I learn to play bridge. Life got in the way a couple of years later with the addition of two children. I transitioned from a full time Mom and volunteer Brownie Leader; Sports Mom and PTA President to a Real Estate Broker. I have had an active Real Estate license since 1983.

Bridge came back in our lives about 7 years ago. I love what the game brings to my life and appreciate the opportunity to give back.

Truett Cates

Truett Cates

I retired from Austin College in 2022. (I was a professor of German and Linguistics.) I first played bridge as a kid at family reunions, then with high-school buddies. I was lucky to have intramural bridge in college. These were serious team-of-four games with spectators. My time tin the Army, then graduate school, and my first years of teaching offered little possibility for live bridge. After moving to Sherman, I noticed in the early 90’s that there was a duplicate club in town. Once I had found the game, I became a regular. After a while I became a director and had great times running the Tuesday and Thursday evening games until the club’s demise.

Several times I was able to mount intensive bridge courses for students at Austin College for the January-Term program. I had the pleasure of introducing more than 200 undergraduates to our great game. (Several still play.)

It is a privilege to serve on the Unit 176 board and do my part to further our game.

Mary Chaffin

Mary Chaffin

I grew up in a small town in central Texas, where I learned to play bridge in junior high school. I loved the game and played constantly through high school – memorizing Goren’s Bridge Complete. I played a few duplicate games in the neighboring city of Waco. Then college, raising two children and work interfered. I played socially sparingly throughout those years. My hobbies were tennis and running.

After retiring in 2010, my plan was to travel. In 2012 I agreed to play bridge once a week with friends to work on our bridge game. I had to relearn bridge and ordered all of Audrey Grant’s books to learn the new system. I slowly got back into the game. I am now a ruby life master which should have a COVID asterisk. I would have never played this much bridge if not for the lockdown. I found playing online to be very instructive.

I love the game and am very thankful to those that are giving us the opportunity to play face-to-face again in Dallas.