Bob FladungSun City Center

Cindy HigginsSun City Center

Bud RicucciMount Dora

Sandy WallWorld Parkway

Harold Esch (1922-2010) Mount Dora

Beth ForbesMount Dora

Gene Goodwin (1923-2012)Mount Dora

Mike ManeillyMount Dora

Jeanne McLaughlinSun City Center

Barb RollerClearwater and Mount Dora

Bob Fladung
Sun City Center
Member since 2014

• SED Open titles – Triples 2022
• Numerous club championships
• East Coast Challenge – 4x
• SED at-large Executive Board, 2016-present
• Director of Club Training – 2016-present
• Director of Central Florida and West Coast League, 2018-present
• SED Umpire, 2018-present
• Certified coach, 2019-present
• Coach and club trainer of over 400 new bowlers
• Director of numerous club tournaments and leagues
• Club fundraiser of over $11,000

Cindy Higgins
Sun City Center, Suncoasters
Member since 2012

• SED Open titles – Singles 4x, Pairs 2x, Fours 2x
• SED Bowler of the Tournament 2017, 2020, 2022
• SCD Open Fours Champion – 2020
• (Numerous play-down Championships and Nationals in Canada)
• Bowls Canada Certified Coach
• Numerous club championships
• SED at-large Executive Board, 2017-present
• Various club officer positions
• Co-tournament director SED Women’s Open, 2019-present
• SED umpire, 2012-present; officiating at SED play-downs and National Championships at SCC and other SED clubs
• Developed and conducted numerous training and coaching clinics in the Division, 2014-present

Bud Ricucci
Mt. Dora
Member since 1999

• SED Open titles- Singles 2x
• East Coast Challenge 8x
• Play-downs champion- Pairs 3x, Singles 5x
• National Championships – Gold pairs 2018; Silver pairs 2019
• US Open – 2nd Championship flight men’s fours 2009
• Numerous club championships
• Bowls Canada Certified Coach, 2015
• SED at-large representative Executive Board, 2009-2013
• SED Head Division Umpire, 2009-2022
• SED Division Editor to Bowls USA magazine, 2007-2010
• Various club officer positions
• Club bowls instructor

Sandy Wall
World Parkway
Member since 2013

• SED Open titles – Singles 2023, Pairs 3x, Fours 2023
• SED Bowler of the Tournament – 2023
• SCD Open Champion – Fours 2020; Pairs 2023
• East Coast Challenge – 3x
• Playdowns Champion – Pairs 4x, Singles 2x
• National Championships – Gold pairs 2022, Silver pairs 2x, Gold singles 2018
• U.S. Open pairs champion – 2017
• U.S. Open Bowler of the Tournament – 2017
• Team USA selection – 20-18-2021; NAC – 2018; Tiger Bowls 2019 (bronze medal); Kuala Lumpur Invitational, 2019; World Champion of Champions (singles) – 2019
• SED President, 2021-2022
• Bowls USA Councilor, 2016-2020
• Various club officer positions
• Certified club coach, 2022-present
• SED umpire, 2015-present

Harold Esch (1922-2010)

Mount Dora
Inducted into Bowls USA Hall of Fame in 1998

Harold was the 1960s “Bowler of the Decade” (Pilcher Trophy), and trophy runner-up in the decades of the 1970s and 1980s. A National Open Tournament “Triple Crown” champion, Harold won the Open Singles in 1958 and 1976; the Pairs in 1963, 1969, 1975 and 1987; and Triples in 1974, 1975. In 1975, 1976, and in 1980 he was “Bowler of the Tournament”.

Harold represented the Southeast Division 16 times in the U.S. Championships finals, winning the Pairs in 1962 and 1967; and runner-up in Singles three times. He was a member of USA World Bowls Teams in 1966 (Australia) and 1976 (South Africa), and team manager in 1988 (New Zealand). In 1987, he managed the U.S. Asia-Pacific Championships team.

Off the green, Harold was ALBA (men) President from 1958 to 1960 and, beginning in 1956, served 35 years as a Southeast Division national Councilor. In 1992, he was elected ALBA Honorary Life President. Harold has been ALBA, now Bowls USA, national historian since the office was created sometime during the 1960s. He has also held positions as secretary-treasurer of the International Bowling Board (IBB) 1982-84, and 44 years as Southeast Division secretary-treasurer, 1950-1994.

Harold published the monthly ALBA Newsletter (forerunner to BOWLS Magazine) from 1950 to 1960, and compiled and published the “Lawn Bowling Handbook” in 1947. Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Harold began bowling in 1935 in Orlando, Florida.

Beth Forbes
Mount Dora

Bowls accomplishments

• Playdowns champion: singles 2000, 2012
• Club champion: women’s singles 5 times; women’s pairs 6 times; women’ triples 8 times; mixed pairs 4 times

Offices and Committee service

• SED officer: secretary 2000, 2004-2005, 2017-2018; vice-president 2013-2014, president 2015-2016
• SED board delegate: 2001-2002, 2011-2012
• Club president or officer: multiple years
• SED umpire 2004-2008
• SED correspondent to Bowls USA magazine: 2000-2006
• USLBA (Bowls USA) membership and instruction committee: 2001-2009

Gene Goodwin (1923-2012)
Mount Dora

Inducted into Bowls USA Hall of Fame in 2006

Gene is probably best known as the editor of BOWLS USA magazine, a position he held from 2002-2007. Under his leadership the magazine steadily improved to the point it was expanded onto glossy paper and printed in full color. Prior to that Gene served as Southeast Division correspondent to BOWLS magazine. Other service accomplishments include president of the Mount Dora LBC 1994-95, editor of the Mount Dora newsletter 1994-2006, SED division correspondent 1992-2002, Mount Dora games director 1990-1994, ALBA/USLBA councilor from Southeast Division 1995-2006, National Championships coordinator 1997-2002, 2nd vice president of ALBA 1999, and guided the merger of the men’s and women’s divisions, the ALBA and the AWLBA, in formation of USLBA now Bowls USA.

Gene was Mt. Dora club champion five times in singles, pairs, mixed triples and mixed pairs.

Eugene was a professor of journalism at Penn State University from 1967-1987, and served as chair of PSU’s School of Journalism for 16 years.

Mike Maneilly
Mount Dora

• SED Open title: pairs 2008; Bowler of the Tournament 2003
• Playdowns champion: pairs 2002, 2005, 2008; singles 1997-1999
• Team USA: North American Challenge, Jarvis team win
• Regional titles: NC Open mixed triples 2002; Bert MacWilliams mixed pairs 2005, 2014; NCFL – 2004 mixed triples, All Stars 2005 & 2008; Florida senior games – 2009 mixed pairs
• Club champion: men’s pairs 1993, 2002; mixed triples 2001-2002
• Instrumental in securing funding, design and build for Mount Dora clubhouse

Jeanne McLaughlin
Sun City Center

 Bowls accomplishments

• SED Open titles: singles 1996; triples/fours 1993, 1995
• Other Division titles: 2 times
• USA Open: 2nd rinks 1993, 2nd pairs1996
• East Coast Challenge: participant 7 years
• Playdowns champion: pairs 1994, 1998, 2001-2002, 2004; singles 1996-1997
• National championships: pairs silver 2002, 2004
• Team USA: North American Challenge 1999; World Bowls 2000 (bronze fours & bronze pairs)
• Club champion: Sun City Center

Offices and Committee service

• SED officer: 1998-2002
• SED historian: 1998-2002
• SED head umpire: 1998-2008

Barb Roller
Clearwater and Mount Dora

Bowls accomplishments

• SED Open title: singles 1998
• Other Division Opens: 4 titles
• USA Open: 1st pairs 2010
• East Coast Challenge: participant 14 years
• Playdowns champion: pairs 2003-2004, 2006; singles 1998-1999, 2001-2002, 2005
• National championships: singles silver 1998-1999, 2001-02, 2005
• Team USA selection: 2003-2008
• North American Challenge 2003 and Atlantic Rim 2008
• Club champion: Mt. Dora and Clearwater

Offices and Committee service

• SED officer: 2 years
• SED at-large executive board delegate: multiple years
• Bowls USA councilor: multiple years
• Club president or officer: multiple years
• SED women’s open tournament director: 2001-2013
• SED umpire
• SED Hall of Fame committee
• Bowls USA committee appointments
• ECC selector: 5 years
• Bowls USA Memorial Fund: 3 years

Other involvements and achievements

• Creator of Mt. Dora Holiday Bowl
• Historian Mt. Dora LBC
• Committee to rewrite SED Policy and Procedures manual
• Created and donated Bowls USA quilt, raising $3000 for Team USA