USATF Board overturns 392-70 vote, will instead nominate Stephanie Hightower for IAAF Council

Ghost of Woody wrote:

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

What money? If there was any money in play, someone would benefit. Who benefits from Hightower gaining any type of influence? She may be a dubious mover and shaker in Columbus, but not nationally or internationally.[/quote]

See my comments earlier in this thread about Bob possibly pissing off Nike in 2011.

"Possibly"? Can you be less equivocal?

If you state facts and circumstances, it will be more effective than conjecture.

polevaultpower wrote:

Bob Hersh had the balls to stand up to Nike and the National Office in 2011 when they were trying to screw everyone over regarding logos on uniforms, and tell all of the athletes, in a VERY public meeting, that the IAAF was NOT asking USATF to enforce IAAF rules at USATF Championships, which directly contradicted a lie that had been going around for the previous year, a lie that was being spread by USATF staffers and volunteers.

Maybe that's why he lost this election, the first one to happen for his seat since then. Bob puts the interests of the athletes and of the sport before the interests of Nike.

^^ What I stated a few posts ago, for those too lazy to read the thread.

Since they're such sticklers for the rules:

Article 12 - Section A #10:

[about CEO] Exclusive employment: Devote his or her full time to the affairs of USATF without engaging in any other profession or employment;

http://www.usatf.org/usatf/files/88/887145bb-dfaa-4ed6-90f3-e5ef92d9bf1a.PDF

And then from

http://www.maxsiegelinc.com/about/

:

Siegel is currently CEO of two companies. The nationally-renowned sports and entertainment executive is the owner of Max Siegel Inc. (MSI), a sports, marketing, entertainment, and media holding company. Through MSI he works with brands to meet lifestyle, entertainment and diversity needs in different industries. In addition, Siegel is currently serving as the fourth CEO of USA Track & Field. In 2013, Siegel launched the Max Siegel Inc. Youth Foundation and The Rev Racing Motorsports Academy headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.

As the current owner of Rev Racing, Siegel took NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Program and advanced it from a fledging effort to add diversity to the sport into a competitive juggernaut on the racetrack. In 2011, his team’s drivers won 50 percent of all races on the K&N Pro Series East circuit, NASCAR’s top developmental circuit.

Seems like something that

USOC caused this. Its all about the Nike money. Nike has Hightower in their back pocket. Through Hightower they wish to guide the sport in their commercial image. Through USOC the are doing the same thing to other sports. You think its bad now, wait until you see the new future. Look at the NFL. Money, money everywhere for the "haves." We the fans will fork over more money and more money to them, the integrity of the sport. Anybody want to take odds on Hightower getting a cushy job with Nike in the near future?

WesleySnipeswejo wrote:

Always bet on black...

Noticed Jackie Joyner Kersee was a voting member of the board… hate to say anything negative about a true American heroine… but a combination of explicit nepotism and implicit bias in the hiring/staffing of the JJK Boys & Girls Club in East St. Louis produced mismanagement, embezzlement, and questionable tax practices which ultimately resulted in the club closing it’s doors and got the club into serious trouble with the IRS. Love JJK to death, but her and Bobby have a history of utilizing a “friends-and-family” approach to staffing. Saw it first-hand when I volunteered at the JJK B&G club in the 2000s, as a nearly all black staff of “friends-and-family” hired for reasons other than competency ran what should have been a golden opportunity for the youth of East St. Louis into the ground. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if her (and other black board members) vote for Hightower was more of the same – vote for a younger black female over an older white male for no reason other than race. Don’t consider Hightower’s questionable ethics and honesty in her infamous rock throwing incident; don’t consider her utter failure as the CEO of Columbus Urban League resulting in loss of over $7 million dollars in federal Head Start funds; don’t consider her rocky term on the Columbus school board or her subversion of the data scrubbing scandal investigation into theft of millions of dollars of federal NCLB funds; don’t consider her dismal performance as President of USATF; don’t consider Bob Hersh’s successful tenure, impeccable integrity, athletes-first advocacy, and high seniority on the IAAF council. She’s black, he’s white, damn the credentials… vote Stephanie… and follow up the vote with no transparency or communication with stakeholders. Whether it was explicit nepotism or implicit bias by the 11 board members who voted for SH, history repeats itself.

As extremist as this post seems, that is one of the dangers of implicit social cognition, or implicit bias... well intentioned, high character people like JJK or Hyleas Fountain implementing an unintentional nepotistic/cronyistic staffing without realizing their implicit bias impact on their actions (implicit, in that their biases are not visible or accessible through introspection).

People have stopped reading this post but I feel it is important to name names. Interesting we are now well over a week after the Board meeting, but no minutes have been posted.

http://www.usatf.org/About/Committees/Board-of-Directors/Minutes.aspx

They should have been posted at that address. I'd like to see the roll call.

The membership of the board, posted here

http://www.usatf.org/about/directory/info.asp?parent=&group=Board%20of%20Directors

President and Chair: Stephanie Hightower

Vice Chair: Steven Miller

Treasurer: Kenneth Taylor

Mickey Carter

Curt Clausen

Evie Dennis

Fred Finke

Hyleas Fountain

Samuel Germany Jr

IAAF Rep: Bob Hersh

Jackie Joyner-Kersee

5C Rep: Becky Oakes

Darvis 'Doc' Patton

William Shelton Jr

Eve Wright

Athlete alternate: Michelle Carter

I would expect the principles would recuse themselves.

I'd really like to know who was the one vote. Not that we can DO anything (and they know it).

Article 10 F

F. Removal from office: The President may be removed for good cause by a two-thirds vote of those delegates of USATF present and voting at an annual meeting or special meeting called for this purpose, and provided the requisite notice for the meeting (see Article 8) properly states the removal vote on its agenda. The Board may remove the Board Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer for good cause by a two-thirds vote of those Board members present and voting at a regular meeting or special meeting called for that purpose. If the Board removes the President as Board Chair, the Vice Chair shall become the Board Chair, and the President shall become the Vice Chair. The Board may not remove the President as Vice Chair.

There is no provision in the bylaws to remove a Board member. Worse yet, for those not term limited out, no list of candidates need be sought. On the Board's own incestuous membership rules, they can just be automatically accepted for another term. Other than the president, they are completely insulated from any action by the membership.

Sarcasto wrote:

People have stopped reading this post but I feel it is important to name names. Interesting we are now well over a week after the Board meeting, but no minutes have been posted.

I don't think they ever post minutes until after they are approved at the next Board meeting.

I would expect the principles would recuse themselves.

I'd really like to know who was the one vote. Not that we can DO anything (and they know it).

They were required to recuse themselves by the bylaws that were passed immediately before the meeting.

Curt Clausen was the one vote.

Under Virginia State law, under which USATF operates as a Virginia corporation, any Board member (with the exception of the 3 athletes and 1 National Sports Organization member) may be removed by a majority vote of the total number of delegates, with or without cause.

Its interesting that more than two weeks after the meeting, the national website is still promoting the Board action to correct the improper disqualification of Nike's Bumbalough http://www.usatf.org/News/Bumbalough-reinstated;-rules-adopted-to-ensure-rec.aspx dated 12/5, made at the same meeting, but makes no mention of this decision, announced on 12/9 on the front page. Was anybody paying attention on the 9th, did they even post it on the home page (meaning in front of public view) then? Its a subtle difference but clear they want to sweep this under the rug.