The Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Federation (WSCF) is excited to begin its next chapter with the addition of five new board members.

“As we experience incredible growth—including the launch of four new chess clubs—these new board members bring valuable enthusiasm and expertise to support our expanding programs and 13 part-time employees,” said Bob Patterson-Sumwalt, WSCF executive director.

This summer, WSCF hosted 26 chess camps led by four instructors. In early September, the federation will launch a new registration system that includes WSCF memberships with ID numbers, allowing for player rating lookups, faster registration, and team registration.

This fall, WSCF is expanding SuperSaturdays and fine-tuning its virtual tournament, which is set to begin in mid-October. On Oct. 10, WSCF will host its Second Annual National Chess Day Tournament at Regal Rexnord in Grafton.

“As we enter our 23rd season, we are excited to bring chess to more students and continue growing young minds for the future,” said Patterson-Sumwalt.

Vamsi Kasukurti

Vamsi Kasukurti is a senior technology executive with more than 21 years of experience leading enterprise IT strategy, digital transformation, and global business operations. He currently serves as Senior Director, Enterprise IT at Regal Rexnord, where he oversees critical ERP platforms, enterprise integrations, and technology initiatives supporting the vast majority of the company’s global operations.

Throughout his career at organizations including Regal Rexnord, Caterpillar, and Mosaic, Vamsi has built and led high-performing global teams, driven large-scale business transformations, and delivered innovative technology solutions that improve efficiency, scalability, and business outcomes.

Vamsi is passionate about helping organizations navigate change, build strong partnerships, and achieve sustainable growth. He brings expertise in governance, stakeholder engagement, risk management, operational excellence, and long-term strategic planning.

Vamsi is married to Satya Alapati and is the proud father of a 9-year-old son who keeps him both humble and continuously educated.

Shamus Lavelle

Shamus spends his retirement coaching the next generation of players through the Hanging Pieces Chess Academy, which he founded to give local kids a great environment to learn the game. He loves sharing chess with the students at Parkview Elementary and Webster Middle School, helping them discover the fun and strategy behind every move.

Shamus lives in Cedarburg with his wife, Liz, their son, Milo, and Bubbles—a carnival goldfish who continues to defy the odds by outliving everyone’s expectations. He is thrilled to bring his experience to the WSCF board and help grow youth chess across Wisconsin.

Ray McAllister

Ray McAllister has served on the WSCF board since DATE. Ray teaches grades K3-K5 and grades 1-3 students at Craig Montessori School in Milwaukee. He has been teaching chess to young people for more than 30 years, and has been a chess coach at Craig Montessori for the past 12 years. Ray likes to use chess to teach his students math, using the chessboard to demonstrate the x axis and y axis. He has served in the U.S. Army for 38 years, currently active in the U.S. Army Reserves.

Meenakshi Muthuswamy

Meenakshi Muthuswamy is the senior director of sourcing at Johnson Outdoors, based in Racine, Wisconsin. He leads strategic sourcing, supplier management, commodity strategy, risk mitigation, and cost optimization initiatives across the organization. Meenakshi relocated to the U.S. and has been living with his family since 2019 in Wisconsin. He is passionate about networking with different people, cultures, and trying different vegetarian food. His wife works as a teacher at Cudahy School District. Their 10-year-old son is passionate about playing chess to achieve the grandmaster title…

Outside of work, Meenakshi enjoys spending time with her family, music, mentoring professionals, following business and commodity market trends, and exploring opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.

Meghan Suchomski

Meghan Suchomski brings a diverse background and creative energy to her service on the WSCF Board. She received a liberal arts education at Ave Maria University where her love for the intellectual life was cultivated. After her time at Ave Maria, she fulfilled a lifelong dream by attending culinary school before embarking on a successful career in real estate.

Today, Meghan serves as the chief operating officer of her family’s busy household, where she manages the daily activities of her six children, whom she devotedly homeschools. Passionate about fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and character in young people, she values the educational benefits of chess as a tool for lifelong learning. Outside of her professional and volunteer commitments, she enjoys her family’s hobby farm, reading, and listening to classical music. She considers raising her children alongside her husband to be her life’s most important work.

Praveena Veerapaneni

Praveena Veerapaneni is senior product manager at Northwestern Mutual with 18 years of experience in the software industry, leading initiatives across diverse geographies, clients, and technologies. Beyond her professional career, she served as an International Student Ambassador while pursuing her master’s at Western Illinois University. She taught online classes for underprivileged children in India and worked as a language instructor.

Praveena is married and has one child. She enjoys music and badminton, and is passionate about motivating, mentoring, and coaching young minds. She lives by the motto “Truth, Love, and Service” and strives to share it with others.