He'll regale his fellow passengers on the game day VIP busses with uproarious folk tales of the life he has left behind. (The stodgy ones in the front will roll their eyes and murmur: "Again with the stories!")
Well this is certainly interesting. Demlion is running for trustee.
- Thread starter demlion
- Start date
"A West (By God) Virginia Yankee In King Arthur's Court"
LOL you know I was kidding.
Another fair question. I have a long (you know me) answer to this question on Facebook:
For those not on facebook a couple excerpts:
"This is why I am running: The Penn State Board of Trustees should be as open and honest and decent as most PSU Alumni are, and as most Nittany Lions fans are."
+++++++++++
"We need to change our Board of Trustees. We have needed this since before November 2011, but most of us were not paying attention. We have changed some things, but if you are like me you are unhappy with the pace. Changing things in the face of an obstructive power structure is daunting. I have these skills.
I am not running against any of the incumbents. I am running for the seat. The Alumni Trustees won their lawsuit and now get to/have to review the Freeh Report source docs. That consists of several trainloads of (costly) chaff with a few wheat kernels sprinkled in. How do you find what is meaningful, and summarize its meaning in a report? There are people on the board who are very capable in this regard, eg, Lord, Lubrano, Tribeck and others among the Alumni trustees. The majority of the Board lacks the skills, the desire, or both. I have those skills."
++++++++++++
"In past elections, my question for the candidates has always been the same: "Tell us about a time you changed some organization that the people in charge did not want to change." Very few candidates had a good example. I think I just gave you three, and there are more in my career.
Changing an organization is a skill. I think Lubrano has that skill, as do Lord and Tribeck and perhaps some others. It is not luck or accident. Consultants change organizations using the power of the top management or the owner. We do not have the power, so we need to use different tactics. We do not yet have enough people with that skill on our board of Trustees. I know I have that skill. I know can speed the process of change."
Join PS4RS,org if you haven't already.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/?sm=UA2XJhBhCjGK1O4tR/Uw+w==
Get on the "WE intend to vote out the Penn State Board of Trustees" FB page. I am not driving people to those sites because I hate the people they chose to be trustees. Or because I think they are bad people or bad trustees. I want to Speed the Change. You do that in an election by making the argument about how it is done.
Thanks Dem, I was sitting on the stone steps about 12 feet to your left, Karen & sis-in-law were on the steps of Old Main. That was a wonderful day for those that attended and a greater future for the Penn Stater's that weren't aware of the grass roots PS4RS.
WE ARE was truly emphasized that day.
Dem, if elected, do you promise to bring back thread view??
http://www.psu.edu/trustees/2016election/index.html
Send that link to your friends. I am telling folks, even if you voted before, to request one now so if something happens, and you do not get your ballot email, there is a fresh record of your inquiry.[/QUOTE]
Election Of Trustees Begins In JANUARY
The election processes for the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania State University will begin in the new year. Three alumni trustees are elected each year for three-year terms. Beginning on January 15, nominating ballots are automatically sent if:
Undergraduate students who are currently enrolled at the University are not eligible to participate in the election.
all should request a ballot. After you have submitted your request, please allow a 24-hour response time. Forms will be processed Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern).
Send that link to your friends. I am telling folks, even if you voted before, to request one now so if something happens, and you do not get your ballot email, there is a fresh record of your inquiry.[/QUOTE]
Election Of Trustees Begins In JANUARY
The election processes for the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania State University will begin in the new year. Three alumni trustees are elected each year for three-year terms. Beginning on January 15, nominating ballots are automatically sent if:
Undergraduate students who are currently enrolled at the University are not eligible to participate in the election.
all should request a ballot. After you have submitted your request, please allow a 24-hour response time. Forms will be processed Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern).
Last edited:
Election Of Trustees Begins In JANUARY
The election processes for the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania State University will begin in the new year. Three alumni trustees are elected each year for three-year terms. Beginning on January 15, nominating ballots are automatically sent if:
If you do not meet the above criteria, you must request a ballot. After you have submitted your request, please allow a 24-hour response time. Forms will be processed Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern).
[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]
Dem, I made a mistake, please delete your post...I changed the "criteria" part in my post.....all should request a nomination ballot as kgilbert suggests, thanks
The election processes for the Board of Trustees of the Pennsylvania State University will begin in the new year. Three alumni trustees are elected each year for three-year terms. Beginning on January 15, nominating ballots are automatically sent if:
- You are a Penn State alumnus/alumna;
- and we have a valid email address on file;
- and you have not otherwise opted out of Penn State communications.
If you do not meet the above criteria, you must request a ballot. After you have submitted your request, please allow a 24-hour response time. Forms will be processed Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Eastern).
[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]
Dem, I made a mistake, please delete your post...I changed the "criteria" part in my post.....all should request a nomination ballot as kgilbert suggests, thanks
Last edited:
One note--even if all the incumbents are running, I'd almost like to see one change, simply because it is healthy for the organization. A little turnover is good. With the old BOT, one of the problems was that they got really entrenched.
Larry will be a great addition. He is a man of integrity.
These were some of my thoughts too. I've checked out your Facebook page and admire your commitment to the university. The incumbents are Brown, Doran and Oldsey. What have they done (or not done) in order for them to be voted out? Or maybe your desire to run is simply based on your belief you have a lot to offer in the way of university governance. Maybe one or more of the incumbents aren't seeking re-election. I haven't heard anything either way on that. I'm not trying to bash either. I wish you all the best in the election. The university needs committed people to overcome the groupthink of the old guard. No doubt people will be asking these questions though. I certainly don't believe the incumbents should be automatically voted into another term. One of the purposes of an election is to give voters the opportunity to get rid of people who aren't doing the job they were elected to do.
There are only 9 elected spots on the entire board......
This election is not - should not - be about "thumbs up or thumbs down" for the incumbents.....
With only 9 seats available, it is CRITICAL to make the absolutely most efficient, effective selections....
4 years ago, it was all about "getting rid of the people who aren't doing the job they were elected to do"......now, it is about selecting the absolute best options to carry on with the formidable tasks still in front of us.
Another is to provide the electorate with an opportunity to ensure that the best possible candidates are in place relative to the current needs of the organization. The alumni trustees now have full access to the Freeh materials. That's a significant difference from 3 years ago.
I don't subscribe to the theory that an unsuccessful reelection bid by any of the incumbents should be considered a commentary on his/her past performance. All 3 have served honorably IMHO.
2 of the current Governor Appointed trustees were nominated by Wolf and approved by the PA Senate. The terms for 2 more will end on July 1. (They can stay on if the Senate does not approve Wolf's next 2 nominees by that date -- something that happened this past July.)
2.......Capretto and Weinstein (sp)
The Corbett legacies are Dambly, Silvis, Benson, Goldstein, and Casey (sort of....she was moved to a Scoundrel Appointed position with the cram-down of Reform Proposal A+....when it became clear that Wolf would not "re-up" her or Todd "20 Pieces of Silver" Rucci)
I have no criticism to make of any of the incumbents. I am not running against them. I am running for the seat. This is not about saying anyone did not do his or her job or was a failure, at least not for me. This is about the skills we bring to the tasks at hand. If you have read my FB page, I think I have laid out why my skills fit the current needs. This organization does not want to change. We must MAKE it change. We will never have the sheers numbers of votes. We will unlikely ever have the B&I Trustees or the Ag trustees on our side. How does a minority change how the majority operates?
We have an unbelievably big file of Freeh Report source documents to review. I have spent all my professional career reading evidentiary documents and transcripts and making arguments designed to persuade people about them. It is what I have done ever since college.
It can be done. I believe I have experience doing it. I will be making this very case in the weeks to come. As for now, I will link my FB post addressing these issues :.
For those who cannot access it I will copy and paste here.
Corman.....as the point man, anyway (it's really not a "Governor" task..it is a "PA Assembly" Task).
I know we all can't spend a ton of time on this stuff.....but it has been written/discussed a lot.
The proposal that would eliminate the current B&I and Ag Trustees process (some through direct reduction in numbers, but also by eliminating the current appointment process)...would increase the # of folks who are ELECTED....would destroy the covert processes for nominations...AND would open PSU's books to oversight....
That bill (Senate Bill 800) has been held up "in committee" for - IRC - 8 months now. DESPITE the fact that a Majority of the Senators not only approve of the bill - but are CO-SPONSORS of the bill.
Corman - as Senate Majority leader - has the power to singularly prevent this bill from EVER being brought up for a vote.
Right now, he is using his a-hole buddy Mike Folmer (as the Chair of the Senate State Government Committee http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/senate_bio.cfm?id=1080) to keep it sequestered in that committee WITHOUT even being put to a vote.
Maybe I'll repost a synopsis later.
The entire bill is - of course - fairly lengthy....but as it relates to the composition of the BOT (and, one REALLY should read the entire document, available here, http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2015&sInd=0&body=S&type=B&bn=800......as always, the Devil is in the details):
(c) At-large trustees. [This addresses the old B&I, Ag and Appointee Seats]
.....Four members representing the Commonwealth's agriculture industry elected in accordance with the university charter......Four members representing business and industry endeavors elected or appointed in accordance with the university charter......One member representing the student body ...One member representing the faculty....
[Key here is that ALL of these folks would no longer be appointed via the "Secret Society" bullsh&t....they would be nominated - openly - by a committee of the BOT that would include representation from ALL of the different groups...and would then have to be approved by majority vote of the ENTIRE BOARD]
(d) Alumni trustees.--Twelve of the trustees shall be designated alumni trustees and shall be elected by the alumni of the university in accordance with the university charter.
The remaining 14 would be appointed by the Governor (6), President of the State Senate (4), and Speaker of the House (4)...and be subject to confirmation.
There is a lot more important (and good) stuff in the Bill.
Read it.
Last edited:
What do you see as the top 3 academic issues facing Penn State and how do you plan to address them?
Not sure there are many "academic issues" that are dealt with at the board level. Tell me what sort of issues you are talking about which could be construed as Board issues, as opposed to something that would be handled by the President or the Deans of the various colleges.
Not to directly address your question (because it wasn't my question to answer).....
but, to provide some context:
The BOT...like any Board...is a "Governance" entity, not an Administrative or Management one.
Despite what is often perceived, the role of a Governance Board is very different from that of Administration and Management.
The Governance Board is there to act as a "proxy" for the constituents (in this case - the Alumni of PSU, Citizens of the Commonwealth of PA, Students, etc).
The responsibility for Day-to-Day management and decision making is a role for the President of the University (hired BY the BOT), officers and administrators, faculty, etc.....which is one of the reasons that the hiring/firing of the President is the single most important task undertaken by any governance board.
For example:
It is the responsibility of the Governance Board (as a proxy for the various constituents) to establish the vision and the goals.
With regard to ONE (of many) particular issues that would be of concern to the PSU Governance Board, one might be faced with the question of:
Is Penn State's vision to be:
- A University which provides a quality education for the sons and daughters of the Working Class families of the Commonwealth
or
- A University that engages in cutting-edge research in evolving technologies - to drive the economic and financial engine of the Commonwealth and to provide entrepreneurial opportunities
or
- An elite academic institution
or
- Is Penn State's vision and goals to try to combine all three of these functions
Once that vision is established - in congruence with the wishes and desires of the constituents - it is the role of MANAGEMENT and ADMINISTRATION to carry out the day-to-day activities in a way that is congruent with those goals.....and it is the GOVERNANCE Board's responsibility to provide the oversight to insure that those goals are being pursued.
In the best case scenario, the Governance board will also possess - within its membership - folks who have the necessary skills and expertise to be able to step in and ASSIST the Administration when called upon......on any or all of the various issues that such an entity would face.
They are also charged with being the "two-way conduit" of information - between the constituents and management - so that each group is aware of the problems faced, the strategies employed, and the goals desired as the University moves forward.
That is the essence of WHY governance boards exist.
Here at Penn State...right now...we have a unique situation. We have a situation where the Governance Board has acted - and continues to act - in a way where they have not only failed in its mission to the University and its constituents....but has actively engaged in behaviors to thwart those missions, and has created obstacles to the adjudication of proper governance.
Because of that, the over-riding priority, right now, MUST be to return the Governance Board to one that can and will be committed to the proper function of a governance board. THAT is where we are at today.
As I mentioned in a previous post.......
_________________________________________
"First of all, EVERYONE we place on the Board should be smart - and should have the best interests of the University at heart (and not their own self-interests). And they must be willing and able to devote the time and energy necessary to their governance role. These are the three MOST IMPORTANT factors. Without them, the other stuff doesn't help much.
____________________________________
Then - as a group - we need some characteristics that are somewhat specific to the very UNIQUE position we are in today. Each and every elected Trustee does not need to carry ALL of these traits, but we must have at least a few Trustees with each trait:
1 - Access to capital - money. Many of the uphill battles we are engaged in against the Scoundrels have required (and will likely continue to require) the ability to have some $$$ in pocket to effectively counter the Scoundrels
2 - Legal expertise. You CAN buy that expertise (ie, hire some lawyers), but having some folks with legal expertise ON the Board is a plus.
3 - Folks with a righteous indignation to the atrocities that have been perpetrated by the Scoundrels - and are willing to use their bully pulpit to raise awareness.
On an ongoing, "normal" basis, you need folks who:
1 - Understand higher education - how it works, what challenges are evolving to higher education as we move forward
2 - Are familiar with - and can work with - the folks down in Harrisburg.
3 - Understand finances - both operationally and long-term.
4 - Understand - and are committed to - the role of a Governing body, and its place within the various constituencies (the Administration, the students, faculty, and alumni)
5 - Good communicators. Folks who can perform the vital function of being the two-way information conduit between the PSU Administration and the various concerned parties.
I am sure we could all add things to this "wish list"......but I think this is a good place to start.
No one individual is likely to possess all of these traits - so you need to find the right mix.
..
Similar threads
