I’m sure you can understand the high level of interest I have in the internal affairs and governance of PASS. After all, I was one of the founders of the organization way back in 1999 and was president for four years from 2003 through 2006 (fondly remembered as “the hardest fricken years of my life”). So I was keenly interested when the latest press release from PASS named the incoming PASS Executive Committee to take their seats on January 1st, 2014. The executive committee is composed of the officers of the organization, that is, directors who are empowered to sign contracts and to speak on behalf of PASS in public settings. As anyone who’s worked on a committee can tell you, they are s…l…o…w. With that in mind, the PASS board of directors long ago established the executive committee (ExeCo, pronounced “Exec – Coe”) to act on behalf of the board when speed and expediency are required, for example, in negotiations where going back and forth with the board and an external partner would simply take way too long and would make the partner throw up their hands in exasperation. Another bit of backstory to the creation of the ExeCo. It was also put in place as a check and balance against a president who might be arbitrary, capricious, or venal. At that time, the bylaws gave much greater powers to the president and although all the previous presidents had been faultless, the board thought it’d be a good idea to make sure that future boards wouldn’t have to deal with a power grab by an ambitious or crony-coddling president decades in the future. Hence the requirement that even the ExeCo must vote on and come to consensus on the activities that they execute on their own. Here are a few thoughts from me about the incoming ExeCo. Keep in mind that I’ve known them all for years and call all of them friends:
Welcome to the ExeCo of 2014, y’all! One thing I’d like to see from the three of you (plus, Bill Graziano, who will step into the role of Immediate Past President) is a statement of direction or a vision statement. It’d be very informative to see where you want the organization to go in the years ahead. What would I like to see in 2014 and beyond? Here are a few quick thoughts:
I’m sure there’s a lot more you’d probably like to see from PASS and many other good ideas. But this is where my head is at for the moment. How about you? Tell me what you think! Best regards, -Kevin |
The New PASS Executive Committee of 2014
July 19, 2013 by Leave a Comment
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