Ottawa, Ont. – Softball Canada is pleased to announce that Frankie Billingsley (Aurora, Ont.) has been appointed Softball Canada’s new National Director of Umpires (NDU) for a two-year term starting October 1, 2023. Frankie was selected and approved by the Board of Directors following the interview process.

“We had five terrific candidates and they all had outstanding qualities,” stated Scott Neiles, President, Softball Canada. “We were extremely pleased with the process and are excited with the direction of the umpiring program.”

Billingsley will be taking over for Jeff Whipple, who has served from 2013-2023 as Softball Canada’s National Director of Umpires.  

“I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to serve the Softball Canada Umpire program as the next NDU,” stated Billingsley.  “There are incredibly strong leaders who have come before me, and I very much look forward to continuing to work with the ODC and continuing the tradition of nurturing and growing one of the strongest umpire programs in the world." 

As a Deputy Umpire-in-Chief for several years, Billingsley has been an integral part of Softball Canada’s umpire development growth. After playing and coaching, Frankie found her way to umpiring in 2000. She earned her Softball Canada Level V in 2011 at the Senior Women’s Canadian Fastpitch Championship and then her WBSC certification in 2013.

Billingsley has officiated at several international competitions – the 2016 (Surrey, B.C.) and 2018 (Takasaki, Japan) Women’s World Championships; the Pan Am Games (Lima, Peru); the U18 Men’s World Cup (Palmerston North, New Zealand), the 2019 Olympic Qualifiers and she represented Canada at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games.

As the new National Director of Umpires, Billingsley embodies the leadership and mentorship skills that make her qualified to lead the program.

“Frankie’s leadership abilities and knowledge of the sport of softball have helped grow the development of officiating both domestically and internationally. “We are very excited to have her step into this new role as the National Director of Umpires”, said Neiles.