What does NCCWMA region do? How does Sandy Pashkin lead?

Oregon’s Sandy Pashkin was elected president of the North and Central America & Caribbean WMA Region the morning of Aug. 10, 2012, in Room 326, Hazen Hall, at the University of New Brunswick in Saint John. A WMA regional meet was being held there. “There were approximately twenty voting members present, along with a handful of guest observers,” according to posted minutes. What has she done lately for the region? Apparently, she oversaw a vote that picked a Mexican racewalker with no world records as the NCCWMA region’s male nominee for WMA Masters Athlete of the Year. After days of seeking details on why Anselm LeBourne wasn’t the pick, I’ve gotten two notes — one from former region prez Brian Keaveney (see his note below) and another from American Mary Rosado, who on Sunday morning said via email: “I believe a response should come from president.” But no word from Sandy as of Monday night.

WMA website shows this blank page where regional reports should be. Aw c'mon!

WMA shows this blank page where regional reports should be. Aw c’mon!

Here’s what Brian told me:

The WMA provides a form with criteria to use for the “2015 Best Athlete of the Year”. Each region can nominate as they wish. In NCCWMA this form was sent to each country affiliate. The country affiliate may nominate a male and female. The forms are sent to the NCCWMA President. Sandy reads the forms and confirms the contents with the Regional Record Chair which is myself. She then sends out the forms to the executive of the region which are about 9 people. They vote on the best male and female athlete. Sandy, as the WMA records chair, then sends those winning nominations as well as all the region nominations out to the WMA secretary for a vote by the WMA Council.

That is how it is done.

But how did José Luis López Camarena get picked?

No reply to that query.

Now I’m thinking: Is there any accountability? I started looking for rules governing the WMA regions and reviewed the recently passed WMA Constitution. All I can glean is that the regions pick their president. (The NCCWMA has 22 affiliate nations). And the presidents serve on the WMA Council.

The six WMA regions are being promised $4,000 a year from IAAF funds. But I have no idea where this money is going either.

In fact, the WMA hasn’t posted a single region report.

And I can’t find the NCCWMA Constitution either. (Tonight I requested it from all the officers.)

Here’s are the duties of the regional reps (the region presidents, I assume):

(i) represent the Region and its interests and those of its members,
(ii) report to the Council on the status of the Region and masters athletics in the Region,
(iii)keep the Secretary updated on changes in their Region’s contacts, and provide biennial updates on the Region’s membership details to the Secretary,
(iv) report to the Regional Association in relation to general and Region-specific WMA matters and engage in liaison between the Regional Association and WMA as required,
(v) participate in all WMA Council meetings, serve on Committees and other groups as needed from time to time, and undertake any other WMA roles and responsibilities as required,
(vi) facilitate the correct nomination and registration of Delegates representing Members in the Region to General Assemblies in compliance with requirements,
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(vii)liaise with the Regional Association’s treasurer on the timely application for WMA regional grants and the reconciliation of such grants,
(viii) attend all Team Manager meetings at WMA Stadia Championships and as much as possible represent the interests of those Members from the Region that have not appointed Team Managers, and try to ensure that their athletes are made aware of the business determined at each such meeting, and
(ix) undertake any other assigned tasks in furtherance of WMA’s Objects.
32.2 EachRegionalRepresentativeshallalso:
(i) with the assistance of the relevant Member, provide a brief assessment to Council of the strength of a city’s bid to host a WMA championship within their Region, along with the initial proposal from the bid city,
(ii) liaise between the Council, the Regional Association and the Local Organising Committee in the event of a successful WMA Championship hosting bid from their Region, and
(iii)assist the Member making a successful bid and Local Organising Committee with the successful planning and conduct of such championships.

The WMA can suspend or remove a regional rep several ways, including: “(iv) fails to act in accordance with their own constitution, in the interest of their athletes and in accordance with good practice that befits the position of the office they are elected to.”

If Sandy is shown to have violated the region Constitution or acted against the interest of athletes, she can be removed. Stay tuned.

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October 5, 2015

8 Responses

  1. Doug Shaggy Smith - October 6, 2015

    All of the NCCWMA affiliates had the opportunity to send it their nominations. The Executive voted to chose the two regional candidates, and then announced the results. I don’t think they have to clear their decision with the NCCWMA membership….how would that be possible anyway?

  2. Mary Harada - October 6, 2015

    Is there a posted report from the NCCWMA meeting in Costa Rica in 2014? If so where is it posted? Lack of communications always leads to rumors of suspicious conduct even when there is nothing of the sort happening.

    Where is the next NCCWMA meet to be held – in 2016, it is now October 2015 and there is no information that I can find. It is one thing to have a low-key organization but it is not a good thing to have silent leadership who at times gives the impression that communications is not part of the job of the President of the regional organization. This is what leads to rumors, suspicions, and discontent.

  3. Ken Stone - October 6, 2015

    I can’t find a 2014 report from NCCWMA on Costa Rica, but WMA noted this:
    http://www.world-masters-athletics.org/news/526-2014-nccwma-regional-championships

    In fact, the NCCWMA website is coded in such a way that robots can’t “crawl” the site to add it to search engine indexes. Very strange.

  4. Ken Stone - October 6, 2015

    An NCCWMA officer tells me that the regional Constitution has been added to the About page, saying: “This was put up today. You asked for it. All should see it.”

    Here’s the file:
    http://nccwma.com/media/about/NCCWMA_Constitution_English_May_2010.pdf

    Unsure if this is the latest version.

  5. Terry Parks - October 7, 2015

    I would think that there is no 2016 NCCWA as the worlds are I the same year. Probably the next one will be 2017.

  6. David E. Ortman (M62), Seattle, WA - October 7, 2015

    Ken: Thanks for posting the NCCWMA Constitution and Bylaws (#4 above).

    Section 3 is the Purposes section, which includes:
    3.5 To authenticate and maintain NCCWMA regional masters’ records.

    I have been unable to locate the NCCWMA regional masters’s record anywhere on the WMA website. If someone has spotted them, please provide a link.

  7. David E. Ortman (M62), Seattle, WA - October 14, 2015

    O.K. It’s been a week and no one has posted a link to any NCCWMA regional masters’ records that are required to be authenticated and maintained per the NCCWMA Constitution and Bylaws. I don’t think it counts if it is in a desk drawer on a paper clipboard somewhere. If it is not available to athletes, someone at NCCWMA is not doing their job.

  8. Ken Stone - October 14, 2015

    Records are dessert. I’m still trying to get treasurer reports. Radio silence from Sandy.

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