(New Windsor)-- The U.S. Chess Federation (USCF) announces the appointment of Jerry Nash as Scholastic Director. Although born in Lansing, Michigan Jerry grew up in Paris, Tennessee. Nash graduated from Henry County High School in 1973 and went on to the University of Tennessee to achieve a BA in English and French. In 1984 he received a Master of Divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.

Nash spent several years teaching English and French, coached middle school sports, served as a Baptist Collegiate Minister on several college campuses in Louisiana then spent two years as an office administrator at a law firm in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Nash’s chess career began in the 9th grade. He played in his first chess tournament in college and helped start a scholastic chess program in Southwest Louisiana in 1996. Jerry also served as a chess tournament director and a chess coach in Calcasieu Parish schools from 1996-2005. He also served as Scholastic Coordinator for the Louisiana State Chess Association between 2003-2005.

Jerry married Ruth Price of Williston, TN in 1977 and has two daughters, Sarah age 18 and Rebekah age 15. Hobbies/interests include Chess, Reading (Tolkien, Lewis and Solzhenitsyn), Hiking, Playing guitar and Travel.

As USCF Scholastic Director Jerry will be involved in all aspects of Scholastic Chess which includes overseeing our chess kids who compete internationally in events such as World Youth Open and the Pan American games. The USCF currently has over 45,000 members under the age of 19 and membership in the scholastic area of USCF continues to grow. The USCF is currently relocating their New York office to Crossville, Tennessee. Jerry can be reached in our TN office at: 931-787-1234 or by email at: jnash@uschess.org.

The United States Chess Federation, founded in 1939, serves as the governing body for chess in the United States and is devoted to extending the role of chess in American society. It promotes the study and knowledge of the game of chess, for its own sake as an art and enjoyment, and as a means for the improvement of society. The USCF is a not-for-profit membership organization with more than 90,000 members. For more information, please see http://www.uschess.org.