Dave:
You are welcome to your opinion.
I believe that I have made it public (in a post to bikies that was quoted in
the Milwaukee and Madison papers) that I was NOT GIVEN a reason why I was fired
(and did not agree with the decision), but was told that the Bike Fed was going
to go in "a new direction." The board then hired someone to replace me who had
worked under me (and as far as I know had no new direction planned, or at least
had never shared those ideas with me as an employee) and confirmed after my
termination in a press release that they intended to go in the very same
direction that we had been headed in prior to my termination.
I too have sought to stay out of the BFW issue as much as possible. I am asked
on a daily basis to weigh in on the BFW issue, however, by members and other
interested parties. I've done my best to stay as quiet as possible and let the
BFW try to move forward.
I had hoped that, though it pained me personally to lose a job that I loved
(and was truly more than a job to me) and has caused me personal financial
problems (because of a lack of a respectful severance package), that BFW would
move on with great new staff and great new ideas. I had hoped that the
organization would prosper. I would have, in fact if asked and treated
respectfully, helped with that transition in any way possible. And yes, I have
moved on to a new career in Transportation Demand Management that I enjoy and
hope to continue in long term.
I still support BFW staff and believe that they are doing their best. More
importantly, I still support the original mission of BFW, to make Wisconsin a
better place to bicycle.
However, the board has not seemed to move the organization forward in the 10
months since I left...the only thing they have seemed to do is to change the
bylaws to make it more difficult for outsiders to join the board. I know that
change takes time, and I've tried to be patient, but I think that 10 months is
a reasonable amount of time for a board to lay out a new plan and for staff to
begin to move forward.
As a BFW member, I would like to see the following issues addressed:
1. A plan for dealing with financial downturn of the last year
2. A strategic plan for the next five years that focuses on issues and ideas
(not just money)
3. A marketing and media plan for how to move BFW forward...to include
potential image makeover and also how to deal with any image problems that have
occurred in the last year (s)
These issues have nothing to do with my termination. These issues have to do
with moving the organization and the mission forward.
I'm not endorsing Pam or anyone else for the board. But I do believe that the
membership has a right to know that, for the first time in BFW history, someone
who requested to be on the board ballot was denied. It's up to the membership
to decide if that matters to them or not...and whether or not electing write in
candidates is the way to remedy the situation.
I don't think this is an issue of former staff providing "insider information,"
this is an issue of the board failing to provide enough information to the
membership to allow the membership to make an informed decision.
BFW has always been, and I hope will always be, an organization driven by its
members. It's up to them.
-Dar
David Schlabowske <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Bill,
The ballot is complete in that it contains the names moved forward from the
nominating committee. That is in accordance with the BFW by-laws. People who
want to be on the board but were not suggested by the nominating committee can
run as write-ins. That is what is happening.
I have known about this dispute between some Madison BFW members and the BFW
Board, but I have tried to stay out of this argument because I did not feel it
was appropriate as a former staff member of the BFW with inside information to
publically take sides on this. I thought it was enough that we had a vote as
members. I hope most of you on this list who know me, believe that I am
honest and have the best interest of the BFW and cycling in WI as my primary
motivation. But since other former staff members (Robbie and Dar) from Madison
have seen fit to promote this on the Milwaukee list, I feel I have been forced
to respond in some way.
The website listed earlier contains what I consider to be inaccurate
information. While those people listed on that website are perfectly within
their rights to run for the board of the BFW, I find it distressing that they
make claims that are not true.
It is my personal opinion that this is all because Dar was let go and the
board kept the reasons for that dismissal private. Some people who are close to
Dar were unhappy with that decision and wanted to know why she was let go. I
think that it is only proper to keep those reasons private. Those people have
every right to run for the BFW board, but not to spread inaccurate information.
I know the current board members to be strong advocates of cycling in WI who
I believe to only have the best interests of the BFW and bicycling at heart and
put in many, many long hard hours working as board members for the benefit of
us all. I work with many of them on a regular basis in the course of my duties
in Milwaukee. I completely support the current board and those on the ballot
running for the open postions. I do not support the write-in candidates nor
many of the claims on the website listed in a previous post.
Dave Schlabowske
William Sell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Yes, question. Why is the ballot incomplete? And if it is, why not issue
a complete ballot?
Bill Sell
At 04:37 PM 9/28/07, Robbie Webber wrote:
I am passing this on to the Milwaukee folks so you can be aware of a
candidate for BFW board that is not included on the ballot. (There has
been an extensive discussion over on Bikies, the Madison equivalent list
of this list, about the fact that not all candidates for BFW board were
included on the ballot you all should be receiving.)
I hope you will look at Pam's web site before you vote. I would also
appreciate it if you could pass on this message to others that may not
be on the Milbtw list.
If anyone would like to speak to me about Pam or any of what's happening
or being discussed in Madison, please call me.
Robbie Webber
608-233-1390
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Bikies] BFW Campaign Kick-off!
Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 9:53:47 -0500
From: Pam Barrett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: bikies <[email protected]>
As promised, below is the link to my campaign web site. Hopefully, this site
will provide some insight into why I'm running for the board of the BFW (and
why YOU SHOULD TOO).
I apologize for the absence of asthetic appeal but I just want to get the
information out there. I'll tweak it as the days go by.
http://www.betheengine.com
I've been informed that the ballots have been mailed out and should begin
reaching BFW membership over the next week. Word is that the elections will
close on November 5th (but with this gang, you never know).
There's been a lot of discussion about the niggling details of process. But
ultimately this is about the right people doing the right thing. Or not...
Pam Barrett
ps- The first listening session of my campaign will be held tonight at the UW
Memorial Union Terrace around 6:30. Come on down and tell me what you want me
to tell the board, if I'm elected.
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