Brandon:
Already nominated you. I really appreciate what you said at the Rose Bowl New Year's Eve party last year. I am looking forward to you bringing that passion for PSU to a board that needs it.
Brandon Short Penn State Board of Trustees Candidacy
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Brandon:
Already nominated you. I really appreciate what you said at the Rose Bowl New Year's Eve party last year. I am looking forward to you bringing that passion for PSU to a board that needs it.
FWIW, I nominated Brandon and Ms. Stanell yesterday, and I would encourage others to do the same. We know that most of the alumni trustees have done little but take up space on the BOT, and maybe Brandon will try something different. What do we have to lose?
A
anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
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David, I can assure you, I have invested thousands of hours and risked my own resources. In return, I have received “special” parking privileges, two tickets to two home football each year and plenty of personal attacks. But don’t feel sorry for me. I expected the personal attacks.
For the record, I encouraged Brandon to run early last fall.
Service to any organization requires commitment. Unfortunately, not everyone thinks that they have to actually do anything more than show up.
Good luck Brandon! You embody Success With Honor.
Barry ran for trustee, but he got nowhere because he is so abrasive. So he's left to being an OUTRAGED.
armchair trustee, trying to convince everyone that he is smarter than the rest of us.
Anthony: You should note that I said "most"of the alumni trustees. You've continued to speak out and ruffle feathers, but one guy isn't enough. Frankly, the people you've supported and endorsed in the past have pretty much disappeared after they were elected. We need people who are willing to put themselves on the line--maybe risk being thrown off the board--to try to change the power dynamic on the BOT. Sadly, I suspect that the time to successfully disrupt and challenge the Gray Men on the board may have passed--but it's still worth trying. Brandon and Ms. Stanell offer some slight hope.
Anthony - Thank you for your kind words! You have been walking a tough road and I hope to help you along the way. I really appreciate all the insight and guidance you have provided to me through this process.
All - As I wrote yesterday I have posted the first of my videos on my facebook page, @Bshort4PSU. Today I discuss why I am running for the Board of Trustees. If you have specific questions please email me at Bshort4PSU@gmail.com. Also, I will be answering the questions that have already been asked in this thread tomorrow so that I can give you more thoughtful and detailed answers.
Outside the box, asymmetrical tactics--those are the only things that have a chance of success. We need risk-takers on the side of the alumni on the BOT. Simply voting "NO" when you're outnumbered by the YES's is like smoke signals in a strong wind. Pffffft.
Ask this previously but didn't get a response so will re-post, with edits in italics;
Brandon; Thanks for getting involved and thanks for allowing us to participate. Asking for others opinion is a very good start.
Impressive resume, especially the post football career. Your international experience and connections could be very helpful to the University. Perhaps your connections in the financial world and international power brokers would be interested in helping finance various departments, research, and specialties as well develop cooperative programs on various aspects of research and education with international universities and companies. Would love to see student/faculty exchange programs with Cambridge or Oxford, and schools in Dubai and the Mid East.
I do have a few questions/suggestions. If you are living in London, how will that affect your ability to be closely involved in the various aspects of governance? Will that isolate you from developing the necessary relationships with the faculty, students, alumni, employees, political bigwigs, corporations, and other key groups involved with the University? Or have you retired or transferred back to the US? I see you are still in London, could be an issue. On a normal BoT it would very advantageous to have international representation but with our special circumstances, there is tremendous work to do that needs a lot of attention.
On governance, are you aware of how the PMA (Pennsylvania Manufacturing Association, the most powerful lobbying group in Pa) took over the board in the 90s, illegally changed the charter, and now the board is self-selected by a BoT subcommittee that ensures the old boy network is in charge? Is there a better way to select the Labor and Industry members that is more open, fair, and just?
How do we break the ties between major businessmen and the politicians that use the University to their personal advantage? With only nine alumni elected reps how effective can they be?
There is a lot of work to do with the BoT. Wish you and others the strength and courage it will take.
(Pennsylvania Manufacturing Association, the most pwerful lobbying group in Pacircumstances
Brandon; Thanks for getting involved and thanks for allowing us to participate. Asking for others opinion is a very good start.
Impressive resume, especially the post football career. Your international experience and connections could be very helpful to the University. Perhaps your connections in the financial world and international power brokers would be interested in helping finance various departments, research, and specialties as well develop cooperative programs on various aspects of research and education with international universities and companies. Would love to see student/faculty exchange programs with Cambridge or Oxford, and schools in Dubai and the Mid East.
I do have a few questions/suggestions. If you are living in London, how will that affect your ability to be closely involved in the various aspects of governance? Will that isolate you from developing the necessary relationships with the faculty, students, alumni, employees, political bigwigs, corporations, and other key groups involved with the University? Or have you retired or transferred back to the US? I see you are still in London, could be an issue. On a normal BoT it would very advantageous to have international representation but with our special circumstances, there is tremendous work to do that needs a lot of attention.
On governance, are you aware of how the PMA (Pennsylvania Manufacturing Association, the most powerful lobbying group in Pa) took over the board in the 90s, illegally changed the charter, and now the board is self-selected by a BoT subcommittee that ensures the old boy network is in charge? Is there a better way to select the Labor and Industry members that is more open, fair, and just?
How do we break the ties between major businessmen and the politicians that use the University to their personal advantage? With only nine alumni elected reps how effective can they be?
There is a lot of work to do with the BoT. Wish you and others the strength and courage it will take.
(Pennsylvania Manufacturing Association, the most pwerful lobbying group in Pacircumstances
The Board is meeting next month to discuss where to set Tuition rates for next academic year:
What do you do? How do you prepare, so that you can act as a Responsible Steward?
What statements/positions to you espouse when the Board meets?
The Board is discussing a proposal to spend $80,000,000 to construct a new Academic Center at University park:
What do you do? How do you prepare, so that you can act as a Responsible Steward?
What statements/positions to you espouse when the Board meets?
The Board is reviewing the drafting of the proposal that will be presented at the PA Appropriations Hearing:
What do you do? How do you prepare, so that you can act as a Responsible Steward?
What statements/positions to you espouse when the Board meets?
President Barron is retiring
What do you do? How do you prepare, so that you can act as a Responsible Steward?
What statements/positions to you espouse when the Board meets?
As a Board member, you are concerned with how Admissions Criteria are developed - wrt applications for the incoming class:
What do you do? How do you prepare, so that you can act as a Responsible Steward?
What statements/positions to you espouse when the Board meets?
The Board is considering adjusting the financial requirements for "Self-Supporting" units:
What do you do? How do you prepare, so that you can act as a Responsible Steward?
What statements/positions to you espouse when the Board meets?
Questions like that - and the answers to those questions - are the types of things I would hope (but maybe not expect
before they determine whom they would support.
Or......"Football"?
I'm guessing most eyes will be on "Football"
I agree that people should vote for me based on merits and not because I played football. It's important to understand how our leaders will approach solving complex problems. Following my time in the NFL; I received an MBA from Colombia Business School. Then began a career in finance working at Goldman Sachs in investment banking and am now working at Round Hill Capital – a real estate private equity firm.
Because of being part of these institutions, I have faced many challenges around finance, governance, and corporate strategy. As a result, I’ve learned to take an analytical approach to gathering information related to each issue; while being extremely pragmatic when recreating and implement solutions.
I would gather as much data as possible about each challenge. Then benchmark the challenge by gaining an understanding of how other organizations have addressed each issue. I will then consider how aspects of the current environment - timing, locations, and other factors – differ from those in the past and use my judgment to make decisions.
I must admit that your football "name" is one of the appealing aspects of your candidacy--because it may give you some important leverage if at some point you and Lubrano and hopefully a few others feel the need to "go public" with any of your concerns. Of course, your multi-faceted background is appealing as well. Good luck!
Spinmeister – I am indeed still living in London. I do not believe this will affect my ability to serve on the board as I currently come to the US once a month for work and to visit family and friends. Also, I am still very engaged with the University while living here London.
I’m a member of the Penn State Real Estate Advisory Committee (helping to develop Real Estate as a major track for Smeal Business School) and have guest lectured for Real Estate Finance classes at Smeal. The time to get from London to State College is no different than if I was living in California or Colorado – where current BOT members currently live.
As the world is becoming smaller, I believe the fact that I do have an international perspective is an advantage. I also think since I do not live near nor work with any of the current board members I will be able to maintain more of my independent thought and action. I do not have to worry about being part of the “old boys” network and can try to agitate more change this way. I will be diligently working on the issues for PSU if elected to the Board.
I think the student/faculty exchange you mention is a great idea. While in Dubai I worked with Georgetown University Business School - my wife Alma-Ata - students who were doing an exchange in UAE to learn about international business practices.
The points you bring up around governance are why I have made governance & accountability a part of my platform. We can all agree that the BOT has a governance issue. The problem when we take this further is that there seem to be no national best practices for how a university board should be governed. While with corporate boards there are clear best practices and standards. In my research I have come across a plethora of ways University Boards are compromised: Harvard University board is all alumni-elected members, the University of Texas is all appointed by the Governor, and many other examples in between. I’m working with some experts from Cambridge University here in the United Kingdom on how to develop some Global standards for University Board governance. I will propose the Penn State take the lead on developing this standard by working with other Universities around the world. I plan on unveiling specifics of this plan in the next few weeks on my facebook page BShort4PSU.
I think the key to breaking the ties between people in business and politicians is that Board members should have to make public any potential conflicts they have annually. This is done on Corporate Boards regularly, and those members who have a conflict can recuse themselves from those matters. Greater transparency is the key.
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Good answers, well thought out. I wish you luck on your endeavor and thank you for your efforts.
More on the PMA issue;
http://voicesweb.org/archive/pe/trustee0502.html
Horst talked with dozens of delegates at the 1996 election and discovered that every delegate he spoke with had been recruited from the streets and retirement communities of Centre County – an obvious violation of the 3-delegate-per-county allowance.
One delegate he spoke to was a resident of State College, the spouse of an elected State College official, yet she voted as a Clinton county PMA delegate.
“After the election, she asked me what the letters PMA stood for,” Horst recalled.
In 1997, Horst attempted to vote as an IEEE delegate from Lancaster County. At the election a university lawyer and the associate secretary of the Board informed him that he was ineligible.
“Although I was a delegate, I could not cast a ballot because the three votes allotted to Lancaster County were cast by three PMA employees [emphasis added],” said Horst.
This time, instead of recruiting Centre County residents, PMA had sent their paid employees to elect the industrial trustees. A far cry from what most would consider “members” of “organized engineering, mining, manufacturing, and mechanical societies or associations,” which are qualifications voting delegates are required to meet.
Even though Horst was an IEEE member, there officially was no county-level chapter of IEEE where he resided -- only a regional Susqehanna chapter.
In the 1998 industrial trustee election, Horst discovered that a PMA insurance branch located in Blue Bell, PA served as headquarters for the “Penn State Project.” The project coordinated PMA Capital employees who were provided delegate credentials and accommodations in State College for the weekend of the election.
Keep in mind that PMA has a wholly owned insurance subsidy that became the insurer for PSU shortly after these rigged elections, a contract worth hundreds of millions. And that insurer had an exclusion for claims of sexual abuse.
I believe that is where all the dirt is buried and the biggest reason why the football program was made the scapegoat...the BoT feared an full investigation would expose all their shenanigans.
Please follow the link as there is much more info there.
Good answers, well thought out. I wish you luck on your endeavor and thank you for your efforts.
More on the PMA issue;
http://voicesweb.org/archive/pe/trustee0502.html
Horst talked with dozens of delegates at the 1996 election and discovered that every delegate he spoke with had been recruited from the streets and retirement communities of Centre County – an obvious violation of the 3-delegate-per-county allowance.
One delegate he spoke to was a resident of State College, the spouse of an elected State College official, yet she voted as a Clinton county PMA delegate.
“After the election, she asked me what the letters PMA stood for,” Horst recalled.
In 1997, Horst attempted to vote as an IEEE delegate from Lancaster County. At the election a university lawyer and the associate secretary of the Board informed him that he was ineligible.
“Although I was a delegate, I could not cast a ballot because the three votes allotted to Lancaster County were cast by three PMA employees [emphasis added],” said Horst.
This time, instead of recruiting Centre County residents, PMA had sent their paid employees to elect the industrial trustees. A far cry from what most would consider “members” of “organized engineering, mining, manufacturing, and mechanical societies or associations,” which are qualifications voting delegates are required to meet.
Even though Horst was an IEEE member, there officially was no county-level chapter of IEEE where he resided -- only a regional Susqehanna chapter.
In the 1998 industrial trustee election, Horst discovered that a PMA insurance branch located in Blue Bell, PA served as headquarters for the “Penn State Project.” The project coordinated PMA Capital employees who were provided delegate credentials and accommodations in State College for the weekend of the election.
Keep in mind that PMA has a wholly owned insurance subsidy that became the insurer for PSU shortly after these rigged elections, a contract worth hundreds of millions. And that insurer had an exclusion for claims of sexual abuse.
I believe that is where all the dirt is buried and the biggest reason why the football program was made the scapegoat...the BoT feared an full investigation would expose all their shenanigans.
Please follow the link as there is much more info there.
Brandon, one frustration I have with the current Alumni elected trustees is the lack of communication once they are elected. We’ve been told about the Freeh Report review for some time now, but so far we’ve seen no information about the results. We also see strange alumni trustee votes, I.e. Lubert’s unanimous election as board chair, which on the surface make no sense but are never explained to the alumni base that elected them. Other than Anthony Lubrano who posts here on BWI and the PS4RS Facebook page, the other alumni elected trustees have all pretty much went radio silent once they got elected.
How do you plan to keep the alumni informed on BOT issues that the alumni are concerned about, provide background for key votes and positions taken, etc.?
How do you plan to keep the alumni informed on BOT issues that the alumni are concerned about, provide background for key votes and positions taken, etc.?
This is probably the one question I get asked the most. It is obvious that people feel other than Anthony the Alumni trustees have not effectively communicated what they are doing or the rationale behind votes. I have launched the weekly video series on my facebook page, @BShort4PSU, not just for the campaign but if I am lucky enough to win will continue it. I plan on using it as a forum to update the alumni weekly on what is going on within the Board and issues facing the university. The weeks when there is no direct board news I will use that platform to an questions that people send me at BShort4PSU@gmail.com. If you have other ideas on how I can effectively communicate with the alumni I would appreciate it. With any elected role it is important that the constituents are heard and kept informed of the decisions being made.
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The PMA took over in the 90s. A short time later the BoT voted to use the PMA insurance holding company as their insurer. Around 2000/2001 the BoT changed its charter to allow an Exec Committee subcommittee to select new Labor and Industry BoT members, in violation of it's state charter. That ensured they could hand pick their successor BoT members. Nothing has ever been done.
The PMA is the most powerful lobbying group in Harrisburg. I was a member of a state-wide association that also lobbied Harrisburg but no one had the power of the PMA.
If you need to know more about it, start a thread on that subject after you get elected as there are people on this board much more knowledgeable than I on this subject.
Brandon,
You have my vote. You are highly motivated, thoughtful, and your answers to the above questions were eloquently expressed. I am a 1975 graduate and loved your commitment to team when you moved to DE for a while. I am also a big Giants fan having rooted for them since the days of Tittle, Gifford, Huff, Rosy Brown, etc. I am optimistic that you will bring the same fervor to the BOT and be recognized as a valued member Who has a great vision for our University. WE ARE!
Hey guys - I posted a new video on my Facebook page, @bshort4psu, about PSU’s tuition. Would appreciate it if you gave it a look and sent me any comments you have.
Also, if you have any comments or questions not related to my BoT run I’m happy to answer those as well.
Also, if you have any comments or questions not related to my BoT run I’m happy to answer those as well.
As long as you asked about PSU tuition......; I am a fellow Varsity S member. My daughter scored 1580 on SAT, 36 ACT and is a National Merit Finalist. As a non PA Resident, that gets her a $5,000 scholarship at PSU's Honor School. She would love to go to PSU, but.... She's getting either full tuition and/or full cost of attendance at, last count, 17 other honor college schools (many of which have honor schools rated above PSU -probably because of more generous offers). If PSU wants to compete for the best students, they need to entice great students,.
I’m honored to announce that I’ve received the 250 nominations to earn a spot on this year's final ballot. Thank you to everyone who nominated me as I truly appreciate your support.
Thank you for your email responses. To me as well as I'm sure all those who gave you comments.
Tackle the issues as if they are wearing Buckeye helmets.
Thanks Brandon. You are an excellent candidate in all areas. I would like to see Penn State defend Penn State in the future. Those of us on the front lines of life have to put up with a lot of BS because horrendous leadership thought it was ok to brand us all as ped state.
We have taken responsibility for a situation that was not our fault. Anyway, enough of that story. Best wishes.
Thanks Brandon. I've been very disappointed in the lack of Lettermen support for Joe as compared to MSU athletes for their coaches.
Brandon, you once promised a Penn State freshman that saw you in line of the panda express that you would dismantle Trung Canidate. It would be great if you would promise to do the same to Rodless Erickson the first time you get a chance. You have my vote and good luck when you're elected to the board.
Schreyer Honors college doesn't take SAT into account and notices hadn't gone out Feb 12.
Nice try.
Thanks for the support. I agree 100% that we need to be more vocal in combating the false narrative that all Penn Staters are some how guilty.
That’s why I thought it was so important to organize the Lettermen’s letter in support for Joe. I can’t put in words how instrumental Joe was in my my life and felt I had to come out strongly in support of him. http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12...etter-from-players-in-support-of-joe-paterno/
This sir is my little brother and my niece. What he is saying is true and you are a fool
Thanks Brandon. I know you were one of the guys who actually stood up and was vocal during those awful days. That fact will never be forgotten. I hope you Letterman stay connected with the football program and support it. We need to be in this together.
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