New York, NY - Highlights from the April 2003 meeting of the AKC Board of Directors are as follows:

The Board elected the following Executive Officers:

Alfred L. Cheauré President/CEO
Dennis B. Sprung Chief Operating Officer
James P. Crowley Executive Secretary
James T. Stevens Chief Financial Officer

· Effective for dog shows, obedience trials, tracking tests, field trials, and hunting tests held on and after January 1, 2004, there will be a $1.50 AKC Event Service Fee for the first entry of each dog in an event. The $.50 recording fee will continue to be collected. This AKC Event Service Fee is being adopted to have the users and beneficiaries of AKC services share in at least a portion of the cost of the Events Department.

· The Board approved a grant of up to $100,000 to the AKC Delegate Parent Club Committee to fund a 2004 Parent Club Conference.

· An amendment to the Retriever Hunting Test Regulations was approved, effective August 1, 2003, which mandates that the Master and Senior level test be split into two or more divisions when a certain number of entries are received.

· The following Delegates were approved: Mrs. Janice L. Earl to represent the Ozarks Kennel Club, Inc.; Mr. David L. Gilstrap to represent the Chattanooga Kennel Club; Ms. Robin J. Greenslade to represent the Giant Schnauzer Club of America, Inc.; Ms. Diana Haywood to represent the American Manchester Terrier Club; Ms. Robette G. Johns to represent the Piedmont Kennel Club, Inc.

· Two individuals from Arizona and Illinois were suspended for failure to comply with rules and regulations for record keeping and identification. Fourteen individuals from Alabama, Arizona, California, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma, and Tennessee were suspended for refusal to make dogs and/or records available. Three individuals from Colorado, Oklahoma, and Virginia were suspended for cruelty violations. Nine individuals from Arkansas, California, Iowa, North Carolina, New Jersey, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas were suspended for miscellaneous violations.