Slipstream - March 2015

“ . . . it’s the people”: Fran Ussery – “Driving Friendships”
By Linda Bambina, Region PR Chair
Author’s note: As part of our 50th
Anniversary celebration, Fran came up
with the perfect tag line, “Maverick Region:
Driving Friendships for 50 years.”
Maverick
Region
is a
remarkably strong
and active region.
Throughout our
53 years, there
have been some
really devoted members who have
made a huge difference in a variety
of aspects of running our club. I’ll
start with one of our most remarkable
members: Fran Ussery.
Fran joined Maverick Region in
1980 along with husband Carl and
their killer ’73 914 (Ayisha). Avid
Autocrossers,
Fran
and Carl
quickly
joined
the
Board
as Autocross
Chairs. The Ussery family: Adam,
By 1982 Erin, Fran, and Carl
the
couple had received the coveted
Selcer Award. She would win this
award again in 1987 while juggling
her third year as Slipstream Editor,
as well as being DFW Parade
Goodie Store Chair extraordinaire.
But her real contribution to our
region began when she was enthusiastically
elected President in 1984.
Fran brought a strong sense of organization
to the Board and Region
while she set her sights on getting
more women involved in all aspects
and activities of the club which was
an unusual idea at the time. Fran
organized “Ladies Only” Autocross
School events where not even
8 March
the instructors or observers were
men. We had Big Hat Luncheons,
and other social gatherings.
At our monthly Dinner Program
Meetings, we women focused on
the wives of our members to find
out how they felt about driving
their husband’s Porsche. Our
goal was to help the women get
past their fears about driving such
special sports cars. It worked.
After visiting with other regions in
Texas and at Parade, we discovered
how really unusual and versatile
our club was becoming with so
many women on the Board.
In 1987 we hosted the Parade with
a woman (another true-to-life maverick,
Teri Davis) as Parade Chair.
Fran went over the top as Goodie
Store Chair with four separate
hotel meeting rooms stocked with
all things Texan or Porsche: clothing
(the likes of which has never
been surpassed), car parts, books,
memorabilia, glassware, art, jewelry,
Christmas ornaments, and more.
When she was Hospitality Chair
at the San Antonio Parade in ’97,
she offered so much more than
snacks and tables for visiting. She
found sponsors for funky food and
beverage tastings, she had space
and activities for kids; video games
for bigger kids, visits from the
Michelin Man, and the Orca from
Sea World. She had music, she had
slide shows, she had vendors, and
she had notebooks full of things
to do in San Antonio! At the Fort
Worth Parade in 2004, Fran did
even more as Hospitality Chair
since she had an even bigger room!
Fran went on to join the National
PCR (Parade Competition Rules)
Committee for 11 years. She remained
the only woman on that
prestigious committee the whole
time. She has also won many
Photos courtesy of Fran Ussery
Parade driving trophies in Ayisha
as well as their 2000 yellow Boxster
S, “Jezabell”. Fran has always been
an original Lead Foot Leader with
Ed Mayo, Bryan Henderson and
Les Moncus as her instructors.
Son Adam has obviously inherited
his mother’s Lead Foot talents.
Fran and Carl (Ussery Printing)
have printed Slipstream since
soon after they joined. To reduce
costs for the club, Fran organized
Slipstream “parties” where we members
collated, stapled, trimmed,
labeled, sorted, counted and
mailed the “newsletter” to the DFW
area. It made for some terrific
memories and cemented some
great friendships. She remains
our #1 touchstone with getting
Slipstream printed and mailed and
she is still one of my best friends.
Lisa Steele congratulating Fran
as a Parade award winner
Maverick Region has had three
people win the highest individual
National Award at Parade, known
as the “Enthusiast of the Year.”
In 1985, that honor went to Fran
Ussery. Lanean Hughes (deceased
‘06) got it in 2000, and Wendy
Shoffit in 2005. Wendy will be my
next Wonderful Woman of this
feature “. . . it’s the people.”
I would also like to invite others to
contribute to this monthly column with
your favorite Maverick member.