[nagdu] discussion concerning my letter to the board of directors of Guide Dogs for the Blind

Michael Hingson Mike at michaelhingson.com
Sun Jun 9 22:54:44 UTC 2013


Buddy,

That's enough for sure.  You done good.  Please also sign and write to the
board.

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Buddy Brannan
Sent: Sunday, June 09, 2013 12:01 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] discussion concerning my letter to the board of
directors of Guide Dogs for the Blind

Looking at signatures, i saw two from people formerly associated with the
school; one was a trainer in my class with Karl, now living in Illinois
apparently, and the other, an O&M specialist who appears to now be working
in Canada (she did my home interview when I got Karl). So, yeah.clearly
those formerly associated with the school who have moved on still care, too.
Including me. As to those worried about jeopardizing their future chances
for a dog from there if they sign, I would remind them that there are a
dozen other guide dog schools out there from which to choose.

And that's all I got to say about that.
--
Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY



On Jun 9, 2013, at 2:36 PM, "Michael Hingson" <info at michaelhingson.com>
wrote:

> All,
> 
> Cindy is correct.  While petitions have no legal standing they  are a 
> way for people to make their feelings known.  The fact that 426 people 
> have now signed the petition demanding a change at GDB is something 
> that the school leadership and board level should recognize, address, 
> and fix.  The evidence, however, is that GDB management and the GDB 
> board do not care as they have chosen not to respond to letters sent 
> to them and they have not demonstrated concern about a petition 
> calling for change which as of this writing has 426supporters.
> 
> Personally, I have heard from not only guide dog users, but 
> volunteers, puppy raisers, and donors.  All express dissatisfaction 
> with the current leadership, atmosphere, and conditions at the school.  
> Some have emailed me expressing concern about joining the petition as 
> they are afraid that by doing so they may be putting their chances of 
> getting future guide dogs from GDB in jeopardy.  My response is would 
> you want to attempt to get a guide dog from an organization that 
> cannot take constructive criticism?  Would you want to be associated 
> with an organization that would throw you aside so easily?  I would 
> hope that GDB would not to such a thing to anyone, but at present I do 
> feel that the management of the organization does not value blind 
> people.  The management and board are not demonstrating any level of 
> trust and they are certainly not showing that they care for the 
> organization that has been entrusted to them.  The leadership of the 
> school has not demonstrated that it has any concept of how to run a
nonprofit service organization.
> 
> I am amazed and, frankly, horrified at the outpouring of the responses 
> to my letter that I have received personally.  Even so, I know more 
> people must have worries about what is happening at GDB.  All of us 
> should be concerned about this.  The kind of behavior we are seeing is 
> very much the same thing many of us encountered 30 and 40 years ago 
> with NAC, and it is the same behavior we see from the workshop 
> management groups of today.  I will be happy to continue to receive 
> responses and comments from people, and I will respond as I can.  
> Please do not be offended if I do not respond immediately as I am only one
person, but I will get to each letter.
> 
> By the way, one of the reasons touted by the school management for its 
> decision to lay off so many good, competent, and well trusted staff 
> was to concentrate on improving student services through the new "call 
> center" at the school.  So what did the school actually do?  Among 
> other things management took two blind people out of positions they 
> had been working for years and put them into a back room that functions as
the "call center".
> There is no longer a visible blind person operating the switchboard, 
> and another who had served as the admin person for the Training 
> department is no longer in the public eye.  Also, while the most 
> recent issue of Guide Dog News says that everyone loves the center I 
> tell you that I have complaints from students who have gone a week or 
> longer without ever getting a call from them returned by the "call
center".
> 
> As I said in my letter my decision to speak out was a hard one, but it 
> was one I felt necessary to make and support.  The management team at 
> GDB is tearing down the organization which many of us loved and 
> valued.  Frankly, at this point it isn't even being run as a good 
> business since any sharp businessperson would know to do what is 
> necessary to keep its consumers engaged and satisfied.  The CEO and 
> the board are ignoring the feelings of their stakeholders and hoping 
> that this all will blow over.  By ignoring the backlash from their 
> decisions they prove most dramatically that they are in no way 
> consumer oriented.  They show in the most concrete way possible that they
do not care nor value those they serve and need in order to survive.
> 
> Leadership and vision at Guide Dogs for the Blind are lacking.  This 
> isn't good.  I urge everyone to sign the petition whether you make 
> comments or not.  Even if you are not associated with GDB, expressing 
> concern about the management of an organization which has well served 
> blind people for 71 years and which now is eliminating the good staff 
> and throwing away its core values is something which should be of concern
to all of us.
> 
> 
> Best,
> 
> 
> Michael Hingson
> 
> The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
> "Speaking with Vision"
> Michael Hingson, President
> (415) 827-4084
> info at michaelhingson.com
> To order Michael Hingson's new book, Thunder Dog, and check on Michael 
> Hingson's speaking availability for your next event please visit:
> www.michaelhingson.com
>  
> To purchase your own portrait of Roselle painted by the world's 
> foremost animal artist, Ron Burns, please visit 
> http://www.ronburns.com/roselle
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Cindy Ray
> Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2013 11:18 AM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Subject: Re: [nagdu] FW: letter to the board of directors of Guide 
> Dogs for the Blind
> 
> On-line petitions such as that have no legal bearing. However, if 
> someone finds that there are a lot of names that are agreeing that 
> something needs changed, they may well look at it and begin to think 
> of possible actions to be taken.
> 
> CL
> 
> On Jun 6, 2013, at 12:06 PM, "Star Gazer" <pickrellrebecca at gmail.com>
wrote:
> 
>> What exactly does signing an online petition do? 
>> Does it have any legal standing? Does anybody at GDB care? 
>> It sounds like they've been on this road for awhile. 
>> I'll look over the letter. I also don't have a dog, and don't plan to 
>> get one.
>> And lastly, if you had to get a new dog today, would you go to GDB 
>> given what they are doing?
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Michael 
>> Hingson
>> Sent: Thursday, June 06, 2013 1:01 PM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] FW: letter to the board of directors of Guide 
>> Dogs for the Blind
>> 
>> Thanks.  Even though you don't have a guide dog I would appreciate 
>> you and others signing the online petition.  GDB has made some 
>> decisions which reflect badly on its positive attitudes of blind people.
>> Already today I have seen several letters from people telling me that 
>> because of what has been occurring at GDB they and others will not be
> getting guides from there.
>> On the petition page comment 125 is from a former prominent GDB board 
>> of directors member who resigned last year because of actions and 
>> attitudes of the current CEO.
>> 
>> What is happening at GDB affects us all.
>> 
>> Thanks for the nice comment on "Thunder Dog".  We are getting close 
>> to having a children's version and we have begun working on another book.
>> Too early to comment on the second book yet, but we are excited.
>> 
>> Take care. 
>> 
>> 
>> Best,
>> 
>> 
>> Michael Hingson
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Sheila 
>> Leigland
>> Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 10:26 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] FW: letter to the board of directors of Guide 
>> Dogs for the Blind
>> 
>> hi, I don't have a guide from gdb but was familiar with them while 
>> growing up In california during the sixties and seventies.
>> wWe lived next door to a blind couple with dogs from gdb and my Dad 
>> always hoped that someday I would get a dog from them. The letter is 
>> well written and I understand your concerns. I hope their issues will 
>> be resolved in a favorable manner for all involved.
>> By the way, I loved reading thunderdog.
>> On 6/5/2013 10:05 PM, Michael Hingson wrote:
>>> All,
>>> 
>>> The following is a letter I just sent to the board of directors of 
>>> Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc.  Although it may appear that the 
>>> content of this letter is guide dog specific I believe you all 
>>> should be aware of this issue as it reflects on how agencies which 
>>> should do better are in fact treating blind people and their own staffs.
>>> 
>>> There are now significant problems within the Guide Dogs for the 
>>> Blind organization which stem from bad leadership by a relatively 
>>> new
> CEO.
>>> The problems in part are due to a poor attitude about blindness and 
>>> partly they stem from his lack of competence in managing well a 
>>> nonprofit organization, at least as far as I am concerned.  
>>> Actually, hundreds of consumers have already sent letters concerning 
>>> this issue to the board and many others have signed a petition
concerning this.
>>> The petition is located at
>>> http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-the-board-its-time?source=c.em.
>>> m
>>> t&r_by
>>> =7790633.
>>> 
>>> I am widely disseminating my letter because many of  you may be 
>>> asked about this issue, especially around the convention.  Also, as 
>>> many of you know I happen to be a quite visible guide dog user due 
>>> to my
>> experience on 9-11.
>>> The fact is that what is happening at GDB should not be permitted 
>>> nor ignored.  You may wish to sign the petition and I ask you to 
>>> consider so doing.
>>> 
>>> There are issues I did not discuss within the letter in order to 
>>> protect staff at all levels within the organization.  However, 
>>> suffice it to say that the amount of outrage and pushback by 
>>> consumers and other stakeholders toward the leadership of Guide Dogs 
>>> for the Blind is
>> unprecedented.
>>> 
>>> Again, I send this for your information.  Should you feel it 
>>> necessary to contact me please feel free to do so at
> info at michaelhingson.com.
>>> Thanks for reading.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Best,
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Michael Hingson
>>> 
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Michael Hingson [mailto:Mike at michaelhingson.com]
>>> Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2013 08:47 PM
>>> To: bburke at guidedogs.com; gkerscher at guidedogs.com; 
>>> sodell at guidedogs.com; ruthann.dodson24 at gmail.com; 
>>> jboyd at guidedogs.com; mwatkins at guidedogs.com; sbutton at guidedogs.com; 
>>> dgershen at guidedogs.com; jharris at guidedogs.com; 
>>> amathieson at guidedogs.com; smansfield at guidedogs.com; 
>>> jackscott at guidedogs.com
>>> Cc: mike at michaelhingson.com
>>> Subject: letter to the board of directors of Guide Dogs for the 
>>> Blind
>>> 
>>> Dear Members of The Board of Directors, Guide Dogs for the Blind,
>>> 
>>> For some time I have been monitoring the changes at our school and 
>>> the stakeholders' reactions to them.  I am writing to express my
> feelings.
>>> Before proceeding let me introduce myself to those of you I have not
met.
>>> My name is Michael Hingson.  I received my first guide dog from GDB 
>>> in June, 1964.  For the past forty-nine years I have used guides 
>>> only from GDB.  I grew up with the school, its staff, and its 
>>> advancements in guide dog and student training.  While a college 
>>> student I assisted Guide Dogs' staff in preparing testimony 
>>> concerning pending legislation to change current guide dog laws in
California.
>>> 
>>> I am a firm believer in the value a guide dog brings to blind 
>>> persons who can effectively learn to use it, and I know firsthand 
>>> the value and strength of the human-animal bond.  You see my fifth 
>>> guide, Roselle, and I worked in the World Trade Center and escaped 
>>> from the attacks on 9-11, 2001.  Because of a story GDB put out 
>>> concerning our escape Roselle and I became quite visible throughout the
world.
>>> 
>>> After 9-11 I came to work at GDB where I stayed for six and a half
years.
>>> During that time I worked to keep Guide Dogs for the Blind visible 
>>> to donors and prospective donors, possible students, and others.  I 
>>> successfully raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the school 
>>> and I met with countless donors and spoke to tens of thousands of 
>>> interested persons about the organization.
>>> 
>>> In June, 2008, after a change in the leadership at GDB I left the 
>>> organization to continue a developing speaking career.  I now travel 
>>> the world talking about issues like strengthening the Human-Animal 
>>> Bond.  In
>>> 2011 Roselle's and my story was published in a book called "Thunder 
>>> Dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog, and the triumph of 
>>> trust" which became an instant New York Times Bestseller and which 
>>> has now been published in 12 languages.  Today I continue to travel, 
>>> consult,
>> and speak worldwide.
>>> 
>>> I tell you all this to say that I understand change and know the 
>>> challenges change and new ideas bring to any organization.
>>> Specifically I have seen much change during my 49 years associated 
>>> with Guide Dogs.  I have seen the school lead by several different 
>>> CEOs each with their own leadership style and priorities.  I also 
>>> have seen the concern each time a new leader came along and took the 
>>> school in a different direction.  I never have found it necessary to 
>>> speak out
>> concerning a CEO until now.  Below are my thoughts.
>>> 
>>> When Bob Phillips took the reins in 2001 he brought something new to 
>>> the school when, for the first time, the CEO had a daughter who was 
>>> a graduate of GDB.  Bob's empathy permeated throughout his 
>>> leadership as he worked to bring more of a marketing effort to the
school.
>>> During his term Bob helped the school grow to be the largest guide 
>>> dog school in
>> the United States.
>>> While some were concerned that he was bringing too much of a 
>>> "business approach to the school", what he did was to improve the 
>>> efficiency of the organization, and he helped enhance the reputation 
>>> of GDB within the guide dog community, the service animal world.  He 
>>> supported actions which improved the reputation of Guide Dogs within 
>>> the ranks of blindness consumer organizations.  I participated in 
>>> efforts Bob promoted to integrate GDB more into the local and Marin 
>>> business community.  In short, during 2001 to 2007 Guide Dogs for 
>>> the Blind began to move out of a role as a large nonprofit, but 
>>> relatively isolated from the world around it to a responsible 
>>> community family member which was growing in stature and standing 
>>> within the world
>> community.
>>> 
>>> After Bob Phillips left the organization a new CEO was hired.  We 
>>> need not go into her contributions except to say that for the most 
>>> part Nancy Gardner's leadership proved destructive to many of the 
>>> initiatives begun by Bob Phillips and his predecessors.
>>> 
>>> When Paul Lopez began his term as CEO there was much optimism for 
>>> continued growth among many stakeholders.  Some of us had concerns 
>>> that he did not have a good grounding in a positive philosophy about 
>>> blindness, but everyone took a wait and see approach.  Rather than 
>>> growth Paul has demonstrated that his approach is not well suited to 
>>> a nonprofit philanthropic organization such as Guide Dogs for the Blind.
>>> I know you have heard from many concerning the issues stakeholders 
>>> have with Paul's leadership and I do not want to go over ground you 
>>> already have encountered.  However, I believe my perspective is 
>>> somewhat unique since I have a 49-year history as a student, and a 
>>> six and a half year back ground as a GDB mid level management and 
>>> leadership staff member.  Also, I have served in management 
>>> positions within various companies including serving as a company 
>>> president, vice president, and I have served as a senior level 
>>> manager in more than one sales organization.  I know first-hand good 
>>> leadership as well as poor and disconnected leadership.  Paul Lopez 
>>> is not demonstrating
>> good leadership for the benefit of Guide Dogs for the Blind.  Let me 
>> illustrate.
>>> 
>>> 1.	 Consumer Relations.  To date Paul Lopez has not made an appearance
>>> at any of the blindness consumer organization National meetings, and 
>>> it is my understanding that he has not even attended any of the 
>>> California affiliate meetings.  I know he has received such 
>>> invitations in the past because I delivered one to him personally 
>>> last year long before the time of the National convention season.  I 
>>> also know he has received written invitations this year, but has not 
>>> accepted them.  The National organization conventions are the best 
>>> places for any new leader to learn about the issues blind people 
>>> find important.  Also, they are the best platforms for any new 
>>> blindness related program director to market their organization and 
>>> to promote discussion.  The fact that Paul has not attended National 
>>> conventions among blind people is noticed by blind people throughout 
>>> the country and red flags have gone up especially since his lack of 
>>> action is directly opposite to what Bob Phillips did to promote 
>>> relations during the early 2000s.  Given the lack of visibility by 
>>> the school and its newest CEO, and given the bad press within the 
>>> consumer world I believe any positive momentum concerning consumer
interest is gone.
>>> Furthermore I believe Paul Lopez's lack of visibility concerning 
>>> consumer
>> organizations is a bad reflection on his value of input and 
>> cooperation with blind people.
>>> 
>>> On another front I have heard from many students who have attended 
>>> classes over the past year and a half that Paul will not spend time 
>>> with them, or at least he spends very little time with them, 
>>> especially in the past few months.  This is the exact time Paul 
>>> should be selling his decisions and actions to his consumers, but he 
>>> seems to be
>> having none of that.
>>> 2.	Budget.  Earlier this year when the announcement of lay-offs took
>>> place we all heard that the decision to terminate eight employees 
>>> was in part a budgetary one.  The local newspapers also reported the 
>>> layoffs and stated that the reason was related to a need to reduce 
>>> or
>> adjust the budget.
>>> This makes little sense especially when the stock market and the GDB 
>>> reserves are growing.  Also, given that ten employees lost their 
>>> jobs in a similar move during the Nancy Gardner administration it is 
>>> hard to understand why an additional eight, mostly long time 
>>> employees, were dismissed.
>>> 
>>> I like the concept of establishing the new call center which can 
>>> help improve efficiency if handled properly.  It seems to me that 
>>> any time a call goes unanswered for more than one business day any 
>>> organization which permits this is remiss in its obligation toward 
>>> the consumers it serves.  If students' did not get return calls 
>>> before and if that has changed then well and good.  Creating the 
>>> call center should help improve
>> efficiency.
>>> However, laying off several long-term key staff people and choosing 
>>> to terminate the head of graduate services given his standing in the 
>>> world-wide guide dog community and the vast amount of knowledge and 
>>> respect from consumers he brings to GDB does not seem efficient or 
>>> wise.  The community at large does not buy the budget and efficiency 
>>> arguments for laying off some of the people who were terminated 
>>> earlier this year.  I agree with them.  It can never be good to lose 
>>> people of the caliber of those employees who were let go and expect 
>>> any organization to continue to operate as well as it did before.
>>> Also, one aspect of decreasing the number of field reps while 
>>> increasing the call return effectiveness is that you may find that 
>>> more people actually need visits from a GDB rep.  While Mr. Lopez 
>>> has chosen to believe it more efficient to send people from GDB you 
>>> cannot yet know if it might have been better to keep the people you 
>>> lost, but work to keep them busier with visits as well as better 
>>> involving them in GDB's marketing effort.  Also, given that some of 
>>> the employees worked on campus might it have been better to reassign 
>>> or split their duties rather than dismissing them outright?  Please 
>>> do not say it was for budgetary reasons as GDB was not and is not in
> peril of going under.
>> The "business decision" to let them go is a bad one by any basic 
>> business staffing morale standard.
>>> 
>>> Speaking of morale, I have not heard any positive comments about 
>>> moving Barbara Browning away from the switchboard and removing the 
>>> friendly face that greets visitors to the administration building.
>>> The approach taken with Barbara again shows a business orientation 
>>> not suited or appropriate for a nonprofit like GDB.
>>> 	
>>> 3.	 Trust.  While blind people go to guide dog schools to obtain guides
>>> and gain the additional mobility assets they feel come with using a 
>>> guide dog, the trust of the senior staff of guide dog schools often 
>>> is
>> lacking.
>>> Senior staff have, for example, in the past changed school policies 
>>> concerning dog ownership, reduced consumer representation on boards, 
>>> reduced the influence levels of or eliminated consumer advisory 
>>> committees, and downright ignored issues and input by stakeholders.
>>> Many of us have seen new senior staff come with ideas of "making the 
>>> organization run more like a business" and "improving efficiency"
>>> while all they do is to alienate stakeholders and not grow the 
>>> organization.  The result is that students go to schools because of 
>>> positive experiences with the staff members who work directly with 
>>> them and they ignore leadership which they view as something which 
>>> doesn't concern them, or they go elsewhere or decide not to use a 
>>> guide
>> dog altogether.  I have seen all three happen regularly.
>>> 
>>> The unfortunate reality is that "business oriented CEOs" do not 
>>> understand the subtleties of running a nonprofit or philanthropic 
>>> organization.  Yes, nonprofits should operate more in line with 
>>> business practices than most do today.  In fact, some of today's 
>>> concepts regarding the "good" operation of a nonprofit are the very 
>>> things which keep it from growing as they go against what makes any 
>>> organization grow in our changing world.  However, while trying to 
>>> bring good business practices into the nonprofit arena the 
>>> "corporate way" as it exists today also tends to exclude some of the 
>>> very attitudes, drives, and strengths which make good nonprofits great.
>>> The most important of these is Trust.  If a CEO arrives and changes 
>>> some of the very core foundations upon which an organization is 
>>> built without obtaining support from stakeholders then he or she 
>>> loses the faith of those individuals and probably staff as well.  
>>> Nonprofits must have emotional buy-in and support in ways many 
>>> corporations today seem not to have and seem not to need in order to be
successful.
>>> Corporations can buy loyalty while today's nonprofits cannot.  Also, 
>>> with an organization like GDB consumers have no permanent stake in 
>>> the organization since they have many choices of guide dog schools.
>>> So, if they become disenchanted or dissatisfied with one school they 
>>> do not suffer a financial hardship when deciding to attend another.
>>> Trust
>> and emotional buy-in are all the building blocks a school like GDB 
>> has to make a consumer relationship work.
>>> 
>>> In the past five years 18 people have been laid off from GDB.  Right 
>>> or wrong no employee had ever been laid off before.  Before 2008, 
>>> budgets were cut, some staff perks were cut, some positions and 
>>> departments were realigned, and puppy raisers and breeder keepers 
>>> were asked to shoulder more financial obligations to care for their 
>>> charges, but no employee was simply eliminated in order to decrease 
>>> staff size.  When the first ten people were separated there was 
>>> grumbling and concern, but in general, stakeholders felt that the 
>>> programs would continue and thrive.  However, with the latest staff 
>>> reductions, programs and staff directly connected to consumers were 
>>> dramatically affected.  Well loved, trusted, and effective staff 
>>> members were removed.  Personal access to trusted staff was 
>>> eliminated.  Consumers were asked to trust a decision maker who had 
>>> not established any kind of bond with them as he made changes those 
>>> very
>> consumers considered part of the fabric that made GDB better than ANY 
>> OTHER SCHOOL.
>>> 
>>> Also, it didn't stop with the lay-offs.  Two very senior staff 
>>> members retired at a time many of us find suspicious at best.  Terry 
>>> Barrett and Don Frisk worked at GDB long after they might have 
>>> retired simply because they loved their jobs and because they wanted 
>>> to continue to make
>> contributions.
>>> I tell you that you will have a very hard time convincing consumers 
>>> that the timing of these two retirements is a coincidence.  In 
>>> addition, at least one other training supervisor has quit and left 
>>> the
>> guide dog field completely.
>>> Right or wrong, again, many of us find this additional departure not 
>>> to be coincidental.
>>> 
>>> If all the "changes" aren't enough Paul Lopez has further eroded 
>>> consumer confidence in his leadership with what he has done 
>>> concerning Guide Dogs for the Blind's reputation and involvement in 
>>> the international guide dog community by reducing the number of GDB 
>>> certified assessors for the International Federation of Guide Dog 
>>> Schools from four to one, all in the name of saving money.  Previous 
>>> administrations spent time and effort to move GDB into the 21st 
>>> century including establishing relationships and connections which 
>>> made our school one of the preeminent guide dog organizations in the
>> world.  Trainers came to consult with the GDB staff.
>>> GDB experts helped insure that other schools throughout the world 
>>> were held to high standards of excellence in all aspects of their 
>>> operations.  GDB could do this only because it is so large and 
>>> staffed so well that it had the necessary expertise within its ranks.
>>> Even before the lay-offs three assessors working at GDB were told to 
>>> withdraw from their IFGDS commitments which also mean that fewer 
>>> individuals will attend International Federation meetings.
>>> 
>>> Guide Dogs for the Blind has lost the trust and confidence of much 
>>> of its consumer base.  I said earlier that due to my 9-11 
>>> experiences I am a highly visible guide dog user.  I am contacted 
>>> daily by GDB users who tell me they will not return to this 
>>> organization for their next guide.  I have been told by people who 
>>> are in a position to know that staff is demoralized in ways never 
>>> experienced before.  I have spoken with past members of the board 
>>> who tell me that they are angered and outraged at the way the
organization is being run today.
>>> I am amazed that the board has not done anything visible to stem the 
>>> tide of outrage and anger and that its only public position is that 
>>> people simply do not know the internal issues and budgetary 
>>> challenges which led to the decisions we now discuss.  When I am 
>>> asked my opinion and guidance I do not have positive encouragement I 
>>> can offer because I have come to have the same views as others.  I 
>>> know I will be asked about the GDB issues when I attend the consumer 
>>> National conventions this summer, and I do not have anything I can 
>>> say with confidence that
>> will alleviate consumer fears and concerns.
>>> 
>>> It is hard for me to write this letter.  I love GDB, but I, like 
>>> many, have no confidence in Paul Lopez and I am concerned that the 
>>> board of directors has not done anything obvious either to show the 
>>> value of Mr. Lopez's decisions or to remove him as CEO.  I call on 
>>> the Guide Dogs for the Blind board of directors to take a vote of no 
>>> confidence toward Paul Lopez and I call on the board to remove him 
>>> as CEO and begin a search for a truly qualified replacement.  Thank 
>>> you for your time
>> and consideration.
>>> 
>>> Best,
>>> 
>>> Michael Hingson
>>> The Michael Hingson Group, INC.
>>> "Speaking with Vision"
>>> Michael Hingson, President
>>> (415) 827-4084
>>> info at michaelhingson.com
>>> To order Michael Hingson's new book, Thunder Dog, and check on 
>>> Michael Hingson's speaking availability for your next event please
visit:
>>> www.michaelhingson.com
>>> To purchase your own portrait of Roselle painted by the world's 
>>> foremost animal artist, Ron Burns, please visit 
>>> http://www.ronburns.com/roselle
>>> 
>>> 
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