George and cycling friends of Wisconsin,
First, let me thank all of those who are not afraid to speak their mind when it
comes to the operational activities of the BFW. Your questions will provide
some additional background of the candidates, that many of us have no idea who
we are, or how we got on the ballot. I worked to have my name included, and
glad I did!
I came looking for an bicycle organization that wanted to help others, and make
it safer for all of us on the road. The BFW was looking for board members, and
I threw my hat into the ring because I believe my past experience will benefit
this group.
I helped to start a new advocacy organization in NH, and saw what it took to
become a 501c3 business. The challenges were real, and it took many open
meetings to find out we didn't have the full backing of the club we were
affiliated with, and because of that, we found ways to strengthen our ranks, by
joining forces with a different group to bring in more members, and more funds
into the organization. The current organization is Bike/Walk NH. We followed
other orgs, like Bicycle Coallition of Maine, Thunderhead, and TA in NYC. Those
are some to be better working advocacy groups who have strong memberships, and
have made deep inroads into State and National government agencies.
How do these groups remain strong? Monthly email updates, emergency
communications to a list serve, and speaking out to the public when issues
arise which affect our cycling community. They communicate! They use their
power of a "positive voice" to let the big guys know they screwed up, and we
will not stand for cyclists being treated improperly! When we speak up for
cyclists, and make a positive name for ourselves, the memberships will
increase, and we will become more powerful!
I don't have any personal past association with the BFW past actions against
their Executive Director, but if elected I will push to have a committee review
the bylaws and make sure that if that situation does occur again, it will be
done in accordance with written regulations. We are not a secret society, and
members should be able to speak up if they believe this needs to be done. It
can happen on a forum or at regional face to face meetings around the State.
I thought this election was operated fairly from my eyes as a newcomer, but it
appears that others are in disagreement. The board reviewed my credentials,
evaluated what I presented, then a group interview. Those who participated must
have felt I could bring value to the BFW and made their choice. The ballot does
not lock in only the chosen candidates, so others have the right to enter their
name if they so desire. Obviously that is happening, otherwise you would not
have requested this input.
The budget dictates office space. In this day and age if they use the web
effectively, they can be anywhere we, the membership, desires. Where they spend
those funds may need to be reviewed to see if they can improve their web
offerings to open up more avenues to communicate the cycling needs of
Wisconsin. I do not believe that more offices will make us a better
organization, but using what we currently have, more effectively, will give all
of us more opportunity to be heard!
Funding is an area where every 501c3 organization tries to get creative! The
BFW should be aligning themselves with opportunities where the membership
agrees with the source. Again, not being associated with what has happened in
the past, I can only look forward. In NH, we worked with health care providers,
brain injury advocates, and bicycle industry organizations to get some of our
funds. We worked closely with State DOT, State and Local Police, DMV and
educators to look for how they received funds, and alligned our strategies in
similar fashions.
We need to "brand" ourselves to be recognized by sight. Our name has to be
associated with bicycle safety, education of future cyclists, and also with the
tourist industry of our State if the BFW is to be a force to be recognized with
locally and nationally!
I am doing this because I want to help fellow cyclists, I want to see young
riders be better educated, ride safely, and become like us who care for our
sport.
I hope you will vote for me and believe in the future efforts of the BFW!!
Thanks All....
Joel
ps
For what it is worth, I am a Quality Systems Manager for Cummins, Inc. in
Mineral Point, and have been a quality professional for over 25 years.
Joel "JJ" Savilonis
608-319-2067 - Home
608-630-3155 - Cell
"George J. Perkins" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Dear Candidates:
Please, if you would, answer a few questions. Consider that your answers will
be posted on various public forums and otherwise forwarded. Feel free to
respond with any other information you might wish
to add.
Prelude: I am having trouble deciding who to vote for! This is quite a surprise
to me, since usually there is no controversy and very little interest in BFW
board positions. But this year we seem to have more candidates than open
positions, and a sometimes heated debate is going on as to qualifications,
future directions and so forth. It is frustrating that I don't have clear
statements from candidates to compare and contrast, or even an explanation from
the current board nominating committee why the endorsed five were selected.
So I have created my own list of questions.
1. What, if any, specific actions should the board take to improve the level of
office professionalism at BFW? Respond with your experiences regarding human
resources matters (payroll, benefits, severance, progressive disciplinary
process, etc.), legal matters (liability, 501(c)3, etc.) and operations
(budget, planning, etc.)
2. All of us
desire better communication. What specific actions should the
board take to improve communication? What can be done to improve
board-membership, staff-membership, board-staff, staff-newsmedia and
board-newsmedia communication? A better e-mail list, quarterly newsletter,
meetings and web site are perhaps obvious areas where communications can be
improved - what specifically would you do to improve those communication
vehicles?
3. In 2007 the executive director was fired, there have been some staff
changes, and the board announced a new strategic plan forthcoming. Changes like
these present opportunities and risks. What opportunities do you see as a
result of these changes and what risks must be managed?
4. There is some controversy over this year's board election. What changes in
the election process, if any, do you want to implement in the future?
5. Can BFW afford to maintain two offices - Madison and Milwaukee - or
should
it expand and open another field office elsewhere in the state?
6. What funding sources do you see as growth opportunities for BFW? Should
funds be accepted if they come "with strings attached?" Under what
circumstances? Do you have personal "connections" with projects, agencies, or
benefactors who would bring significant new funds to the organization?
7. Do you have a website or another way for BFW members to learn more about
you, your qualifications, interests and dedication to bicycling?
Thank you for your time and above all, thank you for your dedication to making
Wisconsin a better place to bicycle!
This e-mail is directed to the eight (endorsed and known write-in) candidates
for the 2008 board of directors of the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin. My
investigation shows that the candidates and their e-mail addresses are as
follows:
Pam Barrett, Madison
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Ken Bates,
Columbus
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Aaron Crandall, Madison
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Joel Savilonis, Dodgeville
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Eric Schramm, Madison
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Chick Veenstra, Racine
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
John Wagnitz, Madison
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Tim Wong, Madison
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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