The Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Federation functions through the efforts of many teachers, parents, school administrators, parent-teacher organizations as well as the students themselves. If you have specific questions, concerns, or ideas for ways we can improve how we bring chess to our youth, we would love to hear from you. Please contact any of the directors below:
Bob Patterson-Sumwalt
Executive Director – bob@wisconsinscholasticchess.org
Bob Patterson-Sumwalt is Executive Director of WSCF and has served in that capacity since June of 2011. Prior to that, he served as President having founded WSCF in 2004 under the name of MASCA (Milwaukee Area Scholastic Chess Federation). As Executive Director, he reports to the Board of Directors, organizes and schedules tournaments, teaches chess camp and classes, hires tournament directors and chess teachers as well as publishing the WSCF newsletter. Before starting WSCF, he taught math in Denver Public Schools and at Bonner Springs High School in Kansas where he led the chess club to two 5a state championships. He began his career as a vocational agriculture teacher at Laconia High School in Rosendale, WI.
He earned his Bachelor of Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1980 and a Masters in Education from Cardinal Stritch College in 1989, becoming certified to teach mathematics and computer science. In 2008, he took classes at UW-Milwaukee and became certified in alternative education. He lives in Mequon with his wife Susan and son Parker. Susan is the Senior Pastor at First United Methodist in Kenosha. His sons Nelson and Marshall live in Denver and Milwaukee.
Erin Endress
Assistant Executive Director – erin@wisconsinscholasticchess.org
Alex Barrington
Board President – alex@wisconsinscholasticchess.org
Alex Barrington is a long time chess enthusiast who has worked with WSCF in the past as a Tournament Director. He has helped teach chess to middle and elementary school students and ran a chess club in college.
Currently working as a software engineer in Milwaukee, he has Engineering degrees from Marquette and still plays chess daily. He looks forward to helping WSCF grow and expand.
Peter Bolgert
Board Member – peter@wisconsinscholasticchess.org
Peter Bolgert is proud to be a member of the WSCF Board of Directors. For his day job, he works as an Actuarial Analyst at Acuity Insurance in Sheboygan. Prior to this, he taught for 5 years at United Community Center in Milwaukee. At UCC, he started a popular chess club which won multiple state championships. For his efforts he was awarded WSCF Coach of the Year in 2019. Peter holds degrees from Marquette University and Princeton University. He currently lives in Sheboygan.
Thomas Lyneis
Board Treasurer – thomas@wisconsinscholasticchess.org
Thomas Lyneis’s involvement in Wisconsin Scholastic Chess Federation began at a young age having participated in some of the organizations first chess clubs and tournaments when he was eleven years old. He continued participating and eventually directed tournaments and chess clubs himself. Over this time, Thomas has seen first-hand the positive effects chess has on young people and communities.
Thomas attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he earned a B.S. in Engineering Mechanics and later attended the University of Wisconsin Law School. He is currently an attorney at the Milwaukee based firm, Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., working in their intellectual property practice group. Specializing in trademark and patent prosecution and litigation, he has helped clients of all sizes manage and protect their valuable intellectual property.
Ray McAllister
Board Member – ray@wisconsinscholasticchess.org
Ray McAllister has 13 years as an educator with Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS). He has over 34 years of military training; presently a training instructor/evaluator. Ray also has 34 years of serving in a Wisconsin church ministry. He started playing chess in 1986 at the high school level. He is presently the Chess Coach for Craig Montessori School, where he has coached for the last 5 years.
Jenna Baetz McCann
Board Vice President – jenna@wisconsinscholasticchess.org
Jenna Baetz McCann is a teacher, author, farmer, musician, and chess coach in the Sauk Prairie School District. She leads the High School Chess Club, as well as off-shoots at local libraries and elementary schools. Her goal is to provide opportunities for students interested in the lifelong game of chess.
With WSCF, Mrs. McCann is pleased to be a Tournament Director in south-central Wisconsin, as well as the Vice-President on the Board of Directors. Mrs. McCann holds degrees in early and middle childhood general education and general/choral/instrumental music. She lives in Prairie du Sac with her husband, three sons, and giant dogs.
Andre Robitaille
Board Secretary – andre@wisconsinscholasticchess.org
Andre Robitaille is a Director at DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC), an IT Global Systems Integrator, where he leads the development of DXC Security’s risk management offering. With more than two decades in the IT industry, he has brought his network engineering, programming, and security experience to numerous non-profit organizations to improve and modernize their technology systems.
Living in Milwaukee with his wife and son, Andre was first introduced to WSCF when his son joined Golda Meir’s chess program. After attending many Saturday WSCF tournaments in Southeast Wisconsin – and playing together with his son occasionally in tournaments at Southwest Chess Club – Andre joined the WSCF Board of Directors in 2022. He looks forward to bringing his business experience and IT knowledge to the organization, and to represent the interest of parents at the board level.
