[nagdu] {Disarmed} FYI FW: GDB's board still needs to hear from you!

Tue Jun 25 19:02:40 UTC 2013

All,

I urge everyone to help out on this.  I sent you information on the GDB
issue earlier this month.  It is the opinion of many of us that, in fact,
the GDB board is still quite disconnected and does not understand the
severity of the problem.

The letter Bob Burke sent last Friday says nothing to address the issues and
concerns of the various stakeholders of GDB.  This school is National in
scope and thus deserves National attention.

Thanks for your assistance. 

Best,

Michael Hingson

From: Sheila Styron [mailto:noreply at list.moveon.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 10:26 AM
To: info at michaelhingson.com
Subject: GDB's board still needs to hear from you!

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-the-board-its-time?mailing_id=13545
<http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-the-board-its-time?mailing_id=13545&s
ource=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=7790633&r_by=8014728>
&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=7790633&r_by=8014728

Dear petition signers,

I am sharing a recent communication from GDB's board which many of you may
not have read, followed by my response. I have included email addresses for
the board for your convenience in responding directly to them. You may use
the included petition link to encourage people to sign, as the board does
not yet appear to recognize that our concerns are much broader than those
addressed in the correspondence below. Therefore, we must continue to
address our issues directly to GDB's board. Once again, thank you for
signing, and I hope you will continue to lend your support, as issues
currently faced by GDB and their resolution are relevant to all guide dog
training programs.

  Subject: Communication from GDB Board
Dear Alumni, 
As a GDB graduate your support and understanding is extraordinarily
important to the board and leadership of GDB. We have a responsibility to
earn that support and understanding with frank and ongoing communications.
You may have heard about recent and substantial changes to our programs,
which resulted in the layoff of eight employees. GDB is a large and complex
organization, and from time to time, change is required to respond to new
economic and program environments. However, we are also a community with a
shared mission. I believe the board and GDB executive leadership are doing a
good job of becoming an even more mission-driven organization, which is a
wholly good thing in spirit and strategy. But, in execution, the way we
announced the changes increased doubt instead of understanding. The past few
months have been challenging for GDB. The organization may have been well
served but our community was not. Both the board and GDB leadership have
learned from this experience and from your comments, questions and concerns.
The board recognizes and honors its relationships with clients, puppy
raisers, donors and volunteers; and it also recognizes its responsibility to
do what is necessary to ensure mission fulfillment in the future. That said,
we will be evaluating the program changes with a set of rigorous metrics
based on our traditional program standards of the annual number and quality
of working teams. We will track progress, or the lack of it, and make
adjustments in order to achieve our goals. We will share evaluation results
on a quarterly basis. We understand that trust and confidence in GDB
executive leadership has been brought into question. The board is confident
in the executive leadership of GDB. The board believes the changes that have
taken place, some of which predate Paul's arrival, are important to the
ability of the organization to realize its mission. At the same time, the
board realizes fully that it is also important to do a much better job of
communicating about such changes, as we intend to do moving forward. We are
reaching out to the Alumni Association board to improve our communication
and teamwork. A meeting is scheduled at the end of July to conduct a
comprehensive discussion of the board-approved five-year strategic plan. The
AA board's involvement will help guide the development of the associated
operational plans. We will continue to ensure that our alumni community and
interests are represented through graduate participation on the GDB Board,
as they are currently through our graduate board members. In the coming
weeks and months, I believe you will see changes in our communications and
approach all designed to deepen outreach to our constituents, rebuild
relationships and refine leadership goals. The voice of all those who love
and support the mission of GDB is important to us. We value and respect the
role that the AA Board plays in making sure we hear and understand it. Your
input and feedback will help all of us at GDB keep the focus on our
graduates and on getting better in all that we do. 

Sincerely, Bob Burke Board Chair  

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'
Response to recent board communication to alumni

Hello, Board,

I am writing to express my thoughts on your recent communication to alumni.
Thank you for finally breaking your silence, though what you stated in this
communication is hardly encouraging to many of us and that you still do not
understand the depth of concern and loss of trust many are experiencing. It
appears that the board feels that the only thing which is amiss is in how
changes have been miscommunicated, as when I spoke with George Kerscher on
the heels of the shocking layoffs, he expressed this idea that if only
messaging had been better, controversy could have been avoided. That was not
true then, and it is not true four months later. The recent board
communication implies that the board is still confident in current
leadership and the plan the organization has been implementing. Therefore,
it appears that the board has not yet understood our concerns regarding the
inappropriateness of the current administration and its recent unpopular
mandates. Given all the feedback you have received to date, which has
surprisingly not shaken your expressed confidence in current leadership, it
is doubtful to many of us that meeting with the alumni board to discuss the
strategic plan represents little more than an effort to convince them that
staying the course is their only choice. Sadly, the corporate board has the
power to enact meaningful change, while we the people who need guide dogs
have little recourse other than to continue to ask the board to carefully
reconsider its position.   

On a more personal note, I trained with my first guide in 1971, and each
time I have returned for a successor dog, I was pleased at obvious
improvements in many areas of the program. Now, attempts are being made to
convince me that less is more, and my trust of and pride in GDB is
evaporating, a sad disappointment and sense of loss I never imagined I would
experience in my lifetime. Unless the corporate board realizes that by
allowing cuts and shortcuts which are already diminishing GDB's overall
quality and reputation, along with eroding the organization's innovative
spirit, you will lose me and so many others, alumni, donors, raisers and
other volunteers, essentially GDB's core reasons for existing. I feel as if
I am in mourning over the slow decline and death of a loved one who will
soon be gone forever. Gretch is nine now, and I do not have confidence that
GDB will feel like a safe place for me when it is time to return to train
with my sixth guide dog. Please, please, please do not continue along this
course as the negative consequences are far reaching and have already begun
to seriously destroy GDB's morale and  reputation.   

Sincerely,

Sheila Styron

  _____  

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