[Nfbofnc] The Value of Consistent Leadership in our NFB Affiliate

[Jeremiah Rogers]

Good evening Alan. Thanks for your thorough response.

With qualifications like those you've listed, our nominating committee was indeed wise to nominate you to serve as a member of the state board. What board couldn't benefit from your education and willingness to serve as a public face?

However, I think this message also demonstrates the absolute wisdom in our long-time process of thoroughly grooming future leaders. You assert growing experience managing emcployees and managing demands of the parents you serve to be adequate preparation for leading our board and serving our membership. I submit that managing a board of directors differs greatly from managing a staff of direct and indirect reports. Unlike serving as a manager, the president of our organization can't single-handedly change direction when they see a reason to do so. That president has to build internal and external consensus with stakeholders and compromise. I don't see much opportunity for you to have learned to, and practiced the art of, compromise in your experience thus far. As a member of the board, you can grow and demonstrate those abilities.

I also found your repeated use of the word assert quite alarming. Asserting is an invaluable skill, and its one I wish many of us employed more regularly and more effectively. However, I think a president has to be notably careful about when and where they can assert. More than anything else, a president submits to, and serves, a membership rather than asserting their will over that membership or its interests. That, too, is a line you could grow to more clearly understand and communicate as a member of the board.

In closing, I again thank you for your prompt, thorough response to my note, and I wish you safe travels to the convention.

Jeremiah Rogers
Mobile: 704-996-5334 (Voice/Text)
Email: jeremiahzrogers at gmail.com

> On Sep 17, 2014, at 22:05, "Alan A. Chase" <aachase1 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Mr. Rogers,
> 
> Thanks for your subjective assessment of our upcoming election.  Also, thanks for the opportunity to respond to your letter, which I will do here.  I am very transparent and since it appears that your comments were originally addressed to a broader audience I'm making my comments available to the entire membership.  
> 
> 1.  In regards to your concerns about my ability to build relationships, as a exceptional children program facilitator, I am entrusted with supervising 17 licensed teachers, 10 teacher assistants, 4 speech pathologists, 3 psychologists, 3 occupational therapists, and 3 physical therapists.  I am also accountable to about 150 parents to ensure their child receive an appropriate public education.  Managing this staff and working with parents would not be possible without building and maintaining positive relationships.  To be more specific to NFB, I've communicated with the National Association of Blind Students on a variety of matters, collaborated with NC Association of Parents of Visually Impaired Children to host our regional seminars and publicity events, and used my connections as member of NC Association of Education and Rehabilitation for the Blind and Visually Impaired and Governor Morehead School Alumni Association to facilitate NFB activities.  Therefore, I assert I have the ability to build and maintain relationships both within and outside of an organization.  
> 
> 2.  In regards to your concerns about my ability to work with lawmakers and the media, I helped draft and advocated for passage of the NC Disability History and Awareness Month Act in 2007.  Further, in 2009, I spoke to lawmakers about my personal experiences as a student at Governor Morehead School when the school was under a threat of closure and I further advocated for its move to the Department of Public Instruction.  In 2011, when the school was slated to be closed I spoke publicly to the committee tasked with making this decision and was also aired on ABC 11 in Raleigh in front of the school giving my reactions to the decision.   Finally, I've consistently and regularly written to the Governor and lawmakers concerning legislation and I've also attended two Washington Seminars to further enhance my national experience.  Therefore, I assert that I have the ability to interact well with lawmakers and the media.
> 
> 3.  In regards to your concerns about my ability to represent issues concerning Governor Morehead School, Services for the Blind, and Newsline, I believe that I've covered my advocacy for GMS in the paragraph above.  I firmly stand behind the school and will always do so.  In reference to DSB, I also fully support their operation as an independent entity and this is demonstrated by collaboration with them as a member of the NC Conference on Visual Impairments and Blindness and attending DSB sponsored events so that programs are maintained.  Did you know my picture was featured on their annual report a few years ago?  Further, each summer at the EYE Retreat, I collaborate with the Rehabilitation Center for the Blind to offer their students an opportunity to participate with our students in college transition programming.  Again, this demonstrates my support for DSB and its programs and my ability to build bridges.  Therefore, I assert that I share the same passion and mindset regarding these issues as the rest of our membership.  
> 
> Overall, thanks for the opportunity to be transparent and share my comments.  If anyone has additional questions or concerns, please feel free to call me at 910.612.2220 and I'm happy to clarify anything.  Have a great evening.
> 
> Alan 
> 
>> On Wed, Sep 17, 2014 at 6:22 PM, Jeremiah Rogers <jeremiahzrogers at gmail.com> wrote:
>> Hello Alan.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> On Sunday, our state affiliate will elect directors and officers to its board of directors. I’d like to share with you the choice that I see facing us in this election, and the logic I’ll use as I vote in each contest.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Our current president, Gary Ray, likes to remind us that we stand on the shoulders of giants. Nationally, those giants are names like tenBroek, Jernigan, Maurer, and Riccobono. In NC, those giants are names like Herman Gruber and Hazel Staley.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Those giants’ shoulders built the foundation upon which our organization sits. It’s a sturdy foundation built on pillars including love, trust, integrity, hard work, and teamwork. It’s a foundation that has weathered storms like consolidation of Services for the Blind into a broader vocational rehabilitation agency, threats to the Governor Morehead School, and threats to funding for NFB-Newsline.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Recently, you may have seen emails from Alan Chase touting youth and formal management education as reasons to elect him president of our state affiliate. I laud Alan’s education and the vigor and enthusiasm of youth. I do think they’ve prepared him to serve as a member of the board, and I do think they could serve him well as a future elected officer of our organization. However, I strongly challenge the notion that those attributes have prepared him to lead our organization as president at this time.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> When our organization’s past leaders have gone to battle on issues of local, state, or national importance, neither youth nor management education have determined their success. That success was determined by dogged determination. That success was determined by building and maintaining relationships with lawmakers, members of the media, donors, and leaders in our national organization. Without a doubt, those leaders availed themselves of the vigor of youth around them, and of excellent educations to which they had access, as they worked. However, those battles were guided and won by the wisdom and courage attained through organizational experience and consistent leadership.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> As it was asked to do by our current president, the nominating committee has put forth a slate of nominees which wisely balances experienced leadership and the energy and perspective of educated youth.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> As you vote for each position during our election on Sunday, I hope you’ll join me in asking these questions.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> ·      Which available candidate has most demonstrated the ability to build and maintain relationships like those we’ll need during future work?
>> 
>> ·      Which available candidate is most prepared to represent our affiliate in, and build new relationships with, lawmakers, members of the media, donors, and leaders in our national organization?
>> 
>> ·      Which available candidate do I feel can best represent the interest of our affiliate when we next need to protect Services for the Blind, the Governor Morehead School, or NFB-Newsline in North Carolina?
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Thanks for your attention, and I look forward to seeing you in Raleigh. If you’ve any questions about this email, you’re welcome to respond via email or phone at 704-996-5334.
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Gratefully,
>> 
>>  
>> 
>> Jeremiah Rogers
>> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Alan A. Chase, M.Ed.
> Exceptional Children Program Facilitator, Durham Public Schools
> Program Coordinator, Envisioning Youth Empowerment Retreat
> President, North Carolina Association of Blind Students
> Secretary, Governor Morehead School Alumni Association