Jeff Garrett, Mid-American Rare Coin Gallery
Interviewer: David Lisot, CoinWeek……
Jeff Garret is running unopposed for president of the American Numismatic Association.
He discusses his platform and what he hopes to achieve when his is president of the world’s collector organization devoted to coin collecting.
Copyright © CoinWeek – Portland – March 2015
American Numismatic Association National Money Show
Below is the Original prerss Release about Jeff running for the ANA Presidency
Garrett to seek ANA Presidency
Professional rare coin dealer Jeff Garrett has announced he will run for the office of President of the American Numismatic Association. Garret has served as a board member of the ANA for the last six years, most recently as Vice President. Garrett notes “The ANA has achieved a great deal in the last few years, and I believe my 35 plus years of numismatic experience has been a significant help. It has been a pleasure to work with the board that is in place and I am eager to work with those who join the board after the next election. I am also very proud of the wonderful staff at ANA headquarters. I hope to build on the work of the staff and this board to fulfill the strategic goals and mission of the organization.” Garrett will be sending out nomination requests in the next few days.
Garrett believes a solid membership base is critical to the financial strength of the ANA. Garrett states “It is my goal to increase membership of the ANA by at least 5,000 members in the next few years. This will require the work of everyone involved with the ANA and the help of partners with expertise in marketing and promotion. I plan to use relationships I have forged in the industry to move the ANA toward those goals. In the past the ANA has been great with ideas, but results have sometimes been slow to materialize. The goal of 5,000 members is measurable and quantifiable. The goal is also achievable. “
Fund raising will also be of prime concern for Garrett and the ANA in the next few years. According to Garrett “Fund raising is vital to the long term success of the ANA. A tremendous amount of money will be passed down from one generation to the next in the next couple of decades. The ANA is the best place to ensure the long term viability of the hobby by remembering the organization when doing estate planning. Garrett plans to work with the ANA to promote planned giving and other fund raising ideas.
Jeff Garrett began his coin collecting the all-American way, with Lincoln Cents. In 1969 a family friend gave him a Lincoln cent board. From that time, coins became the focus of his life. While growing up in the Tampa Bay area in Clearwater Florida, Jeff became very active in several local clubs, serving as a junior officer of the Clearwater Coin Club in the 1970’s. He was mentored at an early age by many of the area dealers. He has been a member of the ANA for over 30 years, with life membership number 3124. Because local coin clubs were so important in Garrett’s early life, he felt it would be important to foster the same atmosphere of enthusiastic collectors that he enjoyed as a youth. Many years ago Garrett re-organized the Bluegrass Coin Club in Lexington, Kentucky. Today, the club is very healthy, with twenty to thirty members in attendance each month. The ANA has long been an important part of his life. In the mid-1970’s Garrett was fortunate to have received a scholarship to the ANA Summer Seminar. Garrett notes “This was my first time to fly on an airplane, and the Summer Seminar had an incredible impact on my early numismatic journey. It was after that trip that I decided I wanted to be a professional coin dealer. I truly believe the ANA Summer Seminars are extremely important.
Garrett is co-author of the “Encyclopedia of United States Gold Coins”, a massive study of every gold coin produced by the United States. It was awarded the “book of the year” by the Numismatic Literary Guild and the Professional Numismatist Guild. The project was done in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution. Garrett has been a consultant for the museum in recent years, assisting in fund raising, strategy and exhibit reviews. “I am excited to be a part of the new rare coin exhibit that will be opening in the main gallery of the Museum of American History in the summer of 2015” Garrett notes. This is an important step for the National Numismatic Collection. The new exhibit will be on display for at least 20 years, and will feature rotating themes about rare coins and paper money. Garrett helped the Smithsonian raise over 1.5 million dollars for the new exhibit. Fund raising has been a critical part of Garrett’s effort for the NNC, and he will bring this experience to ANA for its future needs. Garrett notes “Education is critical for the success of numismatics. We all need be a part of sharing the wonderful world of coin collecting.”
Garrett can be reached by email at [email protected] or by calling (859)-276-1551
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Jeff Garrett seeks your support for ANA President
The ANA has achieved a great deal in the last few years, and I believe my 35 plus years of numismatic experience has been a significant help. It has been my pleasure to serve during the last 6 years with the board that is in place and I am eager to work with those who join the board after the next election. I am also very proud of the wonderful staff at ANA headquarters. I hope to build on the work of the staff and this board to fulfill the strategic goals and mission of the organization.
I believe a solid membership base is critical to the financial strength and security of the ANA. It is my goal to increase membership of the ANA by at least 5,000 members in the next few years. I plan to use relationships I have forged in the industry to move the ANA toward those goals. The goal of 5,000 members is measurable and quantifiable. The goal is also achievable.
Fund raising will also be of prime concern in the next few years. The ANA is the best place to ensure the long term viability of the hobby by remembering the organization when doing estate planning. I plan to work with the ANA to promote planned giving and other fund raising ideas.
I began collecting coins in 1969 when a family friend gave me a Lincoln cent board. From that time, coins became the focus of my life. I have been a member of the ANA for over 30 years, with life membership number 3124. It was after a trip to the 1974 Summer Seminar that I decided I wanted to be a professional coin dealer. The ANA changed my life that week, and I have now been a professional coin dealer for several decades.
Becoming President of the American Numismatic Association would be a great honor, and a responsibility that I take very seriously. After serving the organization for the last 6 years, the experience has prepared me for the challenge. Thank you for your support.
