Dear BayAreaChess Community,

Dr. Judit Sztaray is leaving BayAreaChess after over five years of service. She will join Mechanics Institute on June 10^th. Please join the BayAreaChess board in thanking Judit for all her contributions to the BayAreaChess legacy during the last five years. Judit grew the enrichment programs, tournament events, and teams/clubs during her tenure. Judit is leaving BayAreaChess in a great position and we are confident that Dr. Salman Azhar will continue to keep improving and growing BayAreaChess.

“I'm thankful for all the friendships I have made and the support and trust you have given me. I am truly blessed and cannot be more thankful! I'd like to relay my sincere thank you and appreciation to founder Dr. Salman Azhar for trusting me with leading the organization, and all other board members, WIM Beatriz Marinello, Surekha Nidamarty, and Prasad Dasari for their support throughout the years. Many thanks again for all the support and kindness you all have shown me over the years.” said Dr. Sztaray.

The BayAreaChess Board has asked Dr. Salman Azhar to step up as the Interim Director to ensure a smooth transition. Dr. Salman Azhar is a chess dad who founded BayAreaChess as a volunteer organization in 2005, and grew it into a professionally managed organization.
“BayAreaChess is my favorite startup because it has had the most lasting impression on many lives. Judit was a worthy successor who grew and improved the organization and she is working diligently to ensure a smooth transition. I am also looking forward to collaborating with her in her new role. I am excited to revisit BayAreaChess and set us on the trajectory for the next ten years for the next Executive Director. I can only do that with ideas and help from the entire community. Please feel free to share your ideas to help shape our community’s future.” said Dr. Salman Azhar.

About BayAreaChess
Bay Area Chess started as a parent volunteer organization when Founder Salman Azhar's son moved to a new school with a low-quality high-cost commercial program. The goal was to sharpen the minds of our own children through top-notch instruction by deeply passionate teachers.
Our work was so successful that other parents requested programs and events at their school. We had to grow fast and hired professional coaching and administrative staff to support the growth. Almost 15 years later, our values remain the same and we treat all children like our own and do for them what we would do for our children. We have constantly evolved and improved our program to stay committed to that goal. 
We also offer high quality tournaments and established ourselves as one of the leaders in chess for all ages and levels. We are the most prolific chess organization with over 200 tournaments every year. We continue to transform lives through chess.
 

About Salman Azhar
Dr. Salman Azhar is a serial entrepreneur and an investor who has been involved in over a hundred startups, mostly in Silicon Valley. BayAreaChess has been his favorite of all of these because it has transformed most lives. He has over 30 years in industry and academia during which he has led talented teams in developing and launching state-of-the-art solutions. His former business partners and clients include Honda, Toyota, Lamborghini, Audi, Sony, SAP, HP, ADP, jda/i2, Western Digital, Oracle, and Agilent. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Duke University and BS from Wake Forest. He was named as Duke Honored Alumnus in 2003.