GAMA interim executive director Melinda Prickett is resigning effective Friday, November 6, 2026, and board vice president Ross Thompson has also resigned, the hobby games trade association announced on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
Key facts
- Organisation: GAMA, the hobby games trade association behind GAMA Expo and Origins Game Fair
- Departing: Melinda Prickett, Chief Operating Officer and Interim Executive Director, effective Friday, November 6, 2026
- Also departing: Ross Thompson, Vice President and Media and Events board member
- Permanent Executive Director: Vacant since John Stacy left in November 2025
Who is leaving GAMA, and when?
Melinda Prickett leaves on Friday, November 6, 2026, to take a position outside the organisation, and Ross Thompson has resigned from the board at the same time. GAMA said its board scheduled a rapid response meeting after it was informed of Prickett’s departure on Monday, October 26, 2026.
Prickett joined GAMA as its first Chief Operating Officer in September 2025. She took over as Interim Executive Director after Zaria Davis’s interim engagement ended following GAMA Expo in March 2026.
Why does the timing matter for GAMA?
Prickett’s last day is the day before GAMA’s Game Store Day, and it lands while the association prepares to move GAMA Expo from Louisville, Kentucky to Baltimore, Maryland. The first Baltimore edition runs Sunday, April 25 to Thursday, April 29, 2027, after this year’s show drew a record 3,820 attendees.
Her departure also leaves both of GAMA’s top two jobs empty, with no permanent Executive Director hired since John Stacy left in November 2025. Our board game conventions guide tracks GAMA Expo, Origins Game Fair and the other major shows on the 2027 calendar.
What happens to the search for a permanent leader?
The board will appoint temporary leadership for day to day operations and start the Executive Director search again. The board is seeking proposals from firms that specialise in hiring executives for trade associations, after CapDev, the firm retained last year, did not work out.
The Chief Operating Officer post will stay open until a new Executive Director is hired, and the new Executive Director will have the authority to fill it. The board credited Prickett and treasurer Jamie Mathy with moving GAMA from a deficit budget at the start of 2026 to an expected surplus by the end of the year.
How will Ross Thompson’s board seat be filled?
GAMA will hold a special election for the Media and Events seat, with the winner serving until the next annual election in March 2027.
| Step | Date |
|---|---|
| Nominations close | Sunday, November 8, 2026 |
| Special election voting opens | Tuesday, November 10, 2026 |
| Special election voting closes | Monday, November 16, 2026 |
| Winner serves until | March 2027 annual election |
Our SPIEL Essen 2026 guide covers the other end of the convention calendar.
Source: ICv2 and BoardGameWire, both reporting GAMA’s announcement on October 29, 2026
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