masterstrack.com

A couple of days ago I posted something regarding the upcoming National Masters Chair election on the Masterstrack.com blog site. It was a few days after the topic opened, and I've noticed in the past that people seem to stop commenting on a posting after 2-3 days on the whole. Here's a somewhat enlarged version of what I said:

It seems to me that we're all missing an some very important points in the discussion so far about Masters Chair candidates. Being National Masters Chair is an extremely time consuming position -- one that also frequently calls on the holder of the job to dip into his/her personal funds to cover the costs involved in all the travel that is necessary to do the job right. It is also a very political job -- not just within the masters t/f community but even more importantly within the broader world of USATF.

So, to me the relevant questions are:

1. What are the other personal and professional commitments of the candidates?

2. Do they have the time to do the job properly?

3. Do they have the other resources necessary?

4. What is their experience in leading organizations of very disparate groups and balancing out all of those interests?

5. What kind of political skills do they have?

I seem to remember a drum beating very strongly 6 years ago for a candidate for chair at the time. His name, since he has virtually disappeared from the scene, was Doug Schnellenbach. He was named Mid-America regional coordinator after losing the national vote and had professional responsibilities that kept him from even fulfilling those duties adequately. He stepped down after two years and hasn't been heard from on the national scene since.

So let's not get caught up in hype about candidates who have directed meets, managed committees, or even chaired local associations. Let's look more deeply at what is really required to be an effective national chair. I do not pretend to know everything that is involved, but it is critical that we measure the candidates against what the job requires, not against whether they have done lesser jobs (with far less serious commitments involved) or are friendly and smile alot. Sometimes a national chair has to be very hard nosed -- whether with members of the Executive Committee or with other USATF Board Members or (as we learned in August) with meet directors and local authorities.

This is not a popularity contest nor is it a beauty contest nor is it about who is a good committee member or meet organizer. It is a serious vote about who has the ideas and (more importantly) the commitment, time and, above all, the skills to map out the future of masters t/f in the US and lead the movement forward. We need to be asking that the candidates address these kinds of questions as they put their candidacies forward.

So, candidates, what are your ideas? What do you think is required to make them come to fruition? How do you propose the make that happen? What have you done in your life (whether in Masters T/F or elsewhere) that demonstrates the requisite organizational and political skills to do the job that needs to be done? And how will you involve the rest of us in shaping the vision and enlisting us in helping to make it become reality?

What do others think the issues are?

Jerry,

All great questions -- and deserving of answers!

I'll email all four candidates the link to this thread and let them have at it.

One hallmark of a good chair is being able to communicate and reach out to those disparate groups you mentioned. This message board represents a small subset of USA masters track -- athletes who visit this Forum. Since this Forum (and the Yahoo Groups masterstf mailing list) represent the main gathering points online for masters trackfolk, it would seem obligatory for all candidates to make use of these settings to explain their stands and qualifications.

Although I have my favorite, I still wish to see all candidates avail themselves of the opportunity to speak directly to the grass roots.

Thanks for your list of questions!

Jerry would be a great chair. He is smart, committed to master's track, a great athlete, and gets along with people.

Tom Fahey, thrower M59

Thanks Tom, but the answers to the first three of my own questions are all a resounding "NO," so there's no point even discussing it.

The issues raised are important ones and I would hope that all the candidates will use this forum to respond.
Having the time, energy, and money to devote to the job of Masters Track And Field Chair is critical. I have written on Ken's Blog that I hope that the new chair is someone who can lead without becoming the focus of controversy. In my view there are two outstanding candidates, Joy and Gary. I would like to know if either or both of them will be able to give the time needed to the job. As Jerry notes, this is not a stay at home job, it is a come to the meets, take a hard line with meet directors, stand up for masters track and field sort of thing, and it requires a significant time committment, time away from work, and financial committment as well as a very thick skin.
Again I say, vote for moving forward, not for rehashing the past, and vote for someone who does not bring along a history of controversy. And vote for the person who is best able to do the job for the next 2 years. This should be about competency, not about who is the nicest, best athlete, has the best haircut nor claims to have the longest standing relationship; with USATF. We need a competent administrator - that is what the job requires, athletic talent is great - but it is not the skill needed for the Masters Chair position.

Hi Everybody,

Ken Stone has sent all the candidates a list of questions which I will respond to but in the mean time I would like to address Jerry’s concerns.

I am retired quite comfortably in the Back Bay area of Boston and enjoy summers at my cottage in Ipswich MA. I am currently studying Historic Preservation at Boston Architectural Collage and also committed to several Boards of Directors in Boston.

As my bio on Ken’s Blog explained I have extensive corporate experience managing issues and conflict between upper management and field organizations at AT&T. In addition I was a sales manager with a team responsible for local and government accounts in New England which required quite a bit of politicking.

Gary