2011 USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees Election

Eastern Region (CT DE FL GA MA ME NC NH NJ NY PA RI SC VT WV)

If you reside in the Central or Eastern Region, you will receive a ballot via mail for the 2011 Board of Trustees election in late February. Ballots will be sent to regular USNA Alumni Association members as of 31 December 2010 byVR Election Services with complete voting instructions for mail, phone and internet options. USNA OUT thanks all USNA Alumni Association members in advance for participating in the process in support of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.

The election closes 14 April 2011 by 1700 Central Time.

USNA Out members when logged into the website can see USNA Out’s analysis of the election in the right sidebar when viewing this page. None of the current candidates are members of USNA Out.

Candidate Responses

[status as of 072359Z MAR 11]

USNA Out asked all four candidates a few questions pertaining on how they envision USNA Out can better serve the Naval Academy Alumni Association and the U. S. Naval Academy. All four candidates have responded, and we have placed their responses here on our homepage for all to read.

The candidates biographies are published on pages 33-34 of the January-February 2011 edition of SHIPMATE Magazine

the Candidates

Central Region (AL AR IL IA IN KS KY LA MI MN MO MS ND NE OH OK SD TN TX WI + Caribbean) ELECTION UNDER INVESTIGATION

Eastern Region (CT DE FL GA MA ME NC NH NJ NY PA RI SC VT WV)

If you reside in the Central or Eastern Region, you will receive a ballot via mail for the 2011 Board of Trustees election in late February. Ballots will be sent to regular USNA Alumni Association members as of 31 December 2010 byVR Election Services with complete voting instructions for mail, phone and internet options. USNA OUT thanks all USNA Alumni Association members in advance for participating in the process in support of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association.

The election closes 14 April 2011 by 1700 Central Time.

USNA Out members when logged into the website can see USNA Out’s analysis of the election in the right sidebar when viewing this page. None of the current candidates are members of USNA Out.

Candidate Responses

[status as of 072359Z MAR 11]

Central Region Write-in Candidate Braxton Sisco ’95

If you are a member of the U. S Naval Academy Alumni Association and live in one of the “Central Region States” please consider writing in my name BRAXTON SISCO as your choice for Central Region Trustee.

Why a write in candidacy?

I am a different candidate than the two whose names were placed on the printed ballot by the current Board of Trustees. As a graduate in the Class of ‘95, I have a very different perspective which I feel relates to a broader cross section of alumni.

My major contrast is that I believe that the Alumni Association must do better to support all current and future alumni. I am personally committed to this effort, and I have demonstrated so as a member of the USNA Foundation’s President’s Circle.

To answer the two questions posed by USNA Out to the candidates:

• Do you favor the concept of the Alumni Association developing “shared interest groups” of Alumni, based on common factors such as sports or extra curricular activities as midshipmen or other common factors such as women, minorities, etc., to foster further interest among alumni in support of the Alumni Association and the Naval Academy?

Unlike all of the other candidates, I certainly do! And at the same time I strongly believe that the Class and Chapter structure remains the backbone of the Alumni Association. But “Shared Interest Groups” (SIGS) such as USNA Out are also an essential additional means in which we can get more alumni involved.

Please also recognize that any SIG must also be bringing something to the association. Although our Alumni Association dues pay for the support that the association provides to the classes and chapters, SIGs will need to understand that being a part of the Alumni Association structure is not going to be a free ride. I would expect that SIGs should at least carry their own weight, either through payment of SIG dues to the association or by meeting fundraising goals from their membership.

• How do you envision “shared interest groups” of alumni such as USNA Out can best support the mission of USNA Alumni Association?

USNA Out can best support the Alumni Association by getting more of your members involved in Alumni Association wide events and encouraging your members to join chapters and participate in class leadership opportunities. Yes, that is basically the same answer given by all other candidates, and the evidence suggests that USNA Out is doing just that. I only wish that USNA Out could have the support structure of the Alumni Association in assisting USNA Out to get the word out so even more will become participants in your association.

Please also read my biography here at USNA Out.

Very respectfully,
Braxton Sisco ’95
spelled B–R–A–X–T–O–N    S–I–S–C–O

Central Region Candidate Robert Jones ’64

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your request for input.

• Do you favor the concept of the Alumni Association developing “shared interest groups” of Alumni, based on common factors such as sports or extra curricular activities as midshipmen or other common factors such as women, minorities, etc., to foster further interest among alumni in support of the Alumni Association and the Naval Academy?

I support and encourage all members of the Alumni Association independent of their “shared interest”. The only organization structures we have that overlays the membership are chapters and classes. Chapters are primarily based on geography, and classes which are based on date of entry/graduation from the Academy. We have never considered other basis for supporting specific groups of members. The AA leaves organizational support up the members to do as they please on matters of personal or professional association.

• How do you envision “shared interest groups” groups of alumni such as USNA Out can best support the mission of USNA Alumni Association?

My suggestion is that the “shared interest groups” join their local Alumni Association chapter or if none exists in your area of residence start a sanctioned chapter that includes AA members residing in the area.

Bob Jones ‘64
Central Region Trustee

Central Region Candidate Alex Plechash ’75

With respect to the concept of officially sanctioned Shared Interest Groups within the USNAAA, I do not think that is something the Naval Academy Alumni Association should do. Frankly, it is difficult enough to get alumni to participate in Chapters as it is. Fragmenting our alumni into organized groups around a narrowly defined shared interest would, in my view, simply dilute the efforts and impact of our alumni association. I think those things work best as independent groups that bind themselves together around the sole purpose of their shared interest as opposed to be being cross-connected in some way. I believe the Class and Chapter structure we currently have is sufficient and best-suited to serve the alumni and the Naval Academy.

My passion is to engage alumni in service that goes well beyond their service in the military. I believe Naval Academy alumni and, more broadly, service academy alumni in general, are different than alumni of any other college or university. We all committed ourselves to service on I-Day and I don’t feel that has to begin and end with our military service. As alumni, we have the ability to lead and influence people in our own local spheres of influence, whether it is at work, within our families, at church, in our communities, in politics, non-profits, etc. I believe we can best show our leadership and continue our service where we live … as alumni and not as “Marine” alumni, or “Lacrosse Players” alumni or “Harley-Davidson Riders” alumni or, in this case, “USNA Out” alumni.

if the members of USNA Out want to gather together, that’s fine. But, if you want to have an impact beyond your own group, I would suggest you get engaged in your local chapters and lend your support to the Naval Academy through the organization that already exists for that purpose.

Respectfully,

Alex Plechash ‘75

Eastern Region Candidate Neil Block ’61

As a general statement, please know that I see the “constituency” of each trustee to be every alumnus he or she is elected to represent. I have always positively espoused and demonstrated support for any and all alumni as peer brothers and sisters in our long blue chain irrespective of any consideration other than their shared toil and experience at our beloved alma mater.

I have, however, not been supportive of any balkanization of that “alumni-ness” by anything other than the fact of what makes us all alumni. I have not and do not support the concept of “shared interest groups” as structural entities of our overall “alumni association” whether they be for aviators, submariners, black shoes, flag officers, or any other permutation—religious, ethnic, etc.– of the single reality of us all being alumni.

On the other hand, I have no problem with “shared interest groups” as just that—formed, maintained and participated in by whomever—but not a formally constituted part of, or under the aegis of, our “alumni association.”

“Shared interest groups,” however they are formed or maintained, can best support the mission of our Alumni Association within the currently established alumni aggregations—namely class, chapters (geographic associations), and/or individually.

Please feel free to determine the unequivocal sincerity and principle of my viewpoints by contacting Ms. Linda Postenrieder with whom I have worked in the past.

Eastern Region Candidate Jeff Webb ’95

Thank you for your interest in the election process for the USNA AA Regional Trustees. In the candidate statement I provided to Shipmate I included my reasons for seeking the role, including my primary interest in becoming a Trustee:
 
“Strengthen the bonds of the USNA community:  I believe passionately in USNAAA’s mission to ‘…Perpetuate the history, traditions, memories and growth of the Naval Academy and bind alumni together.’  I would support activities that build community and celebrate our heritage, particularly the sacrifices of our fallen shipmates.”
 
The idea of “shared interest groups” is interesting and by appearances has been successful at some other institutions.  It is not clear to me, though, that there is wide demand for a similar program or service from our Alumni Association.
 
Last year the Alumni Association released the results of a membership survey. For an unvarnished view of some alumni thoughts, I read the answers to the open-ended questions, found here and here.
 
Let me highlight a few themes that emerged from my reading of the comments.

Alumni want Shipmate. There were an overwhelming number of comments on this.

Many felt USNA AA is either doing a fine job, or felt that they had a limited basis for an opinion.

There were lots of comments about admissions standards and the negative aspects of seeking diversity for diversity’s sake.

Some alumni requested that USNA AA de-emphasize fundraising and separate the Foundation from the Alumni Association.

There is an impression among many that the Alumni Association Board of Trustees (BOT) is a “retired senior officers’ club” run by an insular group of “good ‘ole boys.”

Our alumni want transparency in USNA AA governance and openness in elections.  The BOT’s role in selecting the regional candidates that appear on the ballot is troubling to some.  There is lingering anger over the BOT lawsuit.

Several segments of alumni do not feel that their interests are represented.

While the last point highlights a desire for additional engagement by certain alumni segments, I do not sense from the comments that there is a critical mass of support for and potential participation in a broad set of “special interest groups.”
 
Thankfully, alumni do not need permission from the Alumni Association to organize themselves around activities and causes that matter to them.  When the objectives of these groups are consistent with the missions of the Naval Academy and the Naval Academy Alumni Association, then it may be appropriate for the Alumni Association to provide support. 
 
Because of the broad reach the Alumni Association has, a great example of support they could provide is getting the word out about alumni groups’ activities using tools such as Shipmate, Wavetops, their Facebook page, and face-to-face communication with alumni.  This marketing support would help attract participation in these groups and provide alumni additional ways (beyond the chapter and class structure) to be part of the Naval Academy community.
 
USNA Out, or any organized group of alumni, can show their support for the Alumni Association through involvement in Alumni Association activities, by developing activities and events that would appeal to alumni outside of their existing group, and by providing financial support to the Naval Academy Foundation.

Sincerely,

Jeff Webb
www.facebook.com/usnaaaeasternregion

Our Letter to the Candidates

USNA Out Chair, Brian Bender ’93, sent the following email to the candidates’ email addresses as provided by the USNA Alumni Association:

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your demonstrated dedication and hard work towards improving the USNA Alumni Association. You have my personal congratulations on being nominees as regional trustees.

As the 2011 Chair of USNA Out, I would like to provide to our membership and allies with a fair comparison of the candidates, in particular, how you will best represent our constituency. We would appreciate hearing your goals as a future Trustee of the Alumni Association to guide the Alumni Association forward, in particular:

• Do you favor the concept of the Alumni Association developing “shared interest groups” of Alumni, based on common factors such as sports or extra curricular activities as midshipmen or other common factors such as women, minorities, etc., to foster further interest among alumni in support of the Alumni Association and the Naval Academy?

• How do you envision “shared interest groups” of alumni such as USNA Out can best support the mission of USNA Alumni Association?

We will place your responses (or lack thereof) on the homepage of our website at USNAOut.org for our members and others. Our site gets considerable traffic. Just google the term “Naval Academy Alumni” and see our ranking.

USNA Out currently has over 200 alumni members who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered (GLBT) and their allies. Last year, USNA Out raised more than $20,000 amongst our members that is directly or indirectly targeted to be fed back to the USNA Foundation and other programs that help fulfill our mission. As of today, at least four of our LGBT members have become USNA Alumni Association & Foundation “President Circle” members as a result of their “reconnection” to USNA through USNA Out. I expect that number will continue to grow as more of our constituents are reconnected to their Naval Academy heritage.

Our organization is a Maryland 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation which is legally unaffliated with the Naval Academy Alumni Association – despite our membership and activities which are focused primary on supporting USNA, the Brigade, and our members. Although a direct link to our OUT of ANNAPOLIS project was placed in the October Wavetops, our “unofficial status” is an impediment to providing direct support to the Brigade. For example, members of the Class of 2011 approached us to “sponsor” their company wardroom. However our proposed support was denied by the Company Officer, because we were not an “official” organization.

Forming a “gay chapter” is NOT an objective for our current organization. Our most active members feel that forming a Chapter primary for GLBT alumni is not the best way to achieve our goals of reuniting our members to their Naval Academy heritage.

For more information about USNA Out, please visit us on the web at .

Very respectively,

Brian C. Bender
USNA Class of ’93
Chair, USNA Out