Discussion with Nancy Anderson

[Craig]

Discuss the article here.

Craig

[Sciurus-Rex]

Nice article. You did a good job of avoiding inadvertantly sliding into biased or editorialized constructs in your transcription, Craig.

[Craig]

Nice article. You did a good job of avoiding inadvertantly sliding into biased or editorialized constructs in your transcription, Craig.

Thanks. That was the hardest part of it - I want to let the statements speak for themselves and report on it neutrally. This is why I also have not made any statement on the recall itself.

[nahouw]

"I am a volunteer," Nancy Anderson stated, "I couldn't ask for another 10 days off from the school. It would not be fair to my employer."

Well, if one does not have the free time available due to job committments, shouldn't one not even place their name in to be considered for the job of USFA President? Taking this position while knowing that you do not have the bandwidth available is not fair to US Fencing.

If one promises to communicate to the national coaches within a certain timeframe, one should honor that committment -- how much time would it have taken to place a phone call or e-mail to say "I promised to get back to you, but I still have not heard back from the USOC. I will keep you posted."

I have been actively involved in NJ fencing for the last 10 years and have never seen Nancy involved with any of the HS events.

[Jason]

It could have been more informative with more quotes and in a more journalistic interview format.

However, from what's there, I was pretty startled by the way she appears to not be taking responsibility for anything. There appeared to be (and, again, the lack of quotes makes it very hard to read objectively) an effort to make everything either circumstantial (the bad NJ traffic) or someone else's fault (the USOC, her boss, Mike Massik).

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

This interview didnt help nancy, thats for sure.

[Craig]

It could have been more informative with more quotes and in a more journalistic interview format.

I agree. I am not a "real" journalist in that I have never taken a single journalism class and am trying to fit in interviews like this where I can. The conversation was as I was driving home and I was taking what notes I could without running anyone off the road and then compiling additional notes once I got into my driveway.

I would like to get a set up for recording calls so that I can do interviews and then go back and get the actual quotes for what I asked and what the subject said.

Craig

[KD5MDK]

It certainly seems to me like having a better picture of what goes on at the Board of Directors and Executive Committee would help a lot in understanding what's going on. The interview talks about a strategic plan being put together up there, but nobody else is telling us about it.

[Sciurus-Rex]

The reader will find what he expects to find.

[fluidfencer]

Craig,

I think this is a matter of timeliness. I believe that the article would be considerably different if the interview were conducted today rather than in December. Absolutely no slight on the terrific work you do, I just mean that circumstances seem to be evolving.

[oiuyt]

The interview talks about a strategic plan being put together up there, but nobody else is telling us about it.

At the September Board meeting there was a Saturday session (with outside hired moderator/facilitator) dedicated to a strategic planning session, and a Sunday session which was the actual Board meeting, taking the traditional form. I thought that the Saturday session had been mentioned here back in September, but can't recall for certain either way.

The USFA is not, nor has it ever been, in my experience, good about distributing information about how it goes about doing what it does. This, in turn, of course, makes getting general feedback difficult, as well as makes the processes considerably less transparent than they should be.

-B

[nahouw]

It certainly seems to me like having a better picture of what goes on at the Board of Directors and Executive Committee would help a lot in understanding what's going on. The interview talks about a strategic plan being put together up there, but nobody else is telling us about it.

Well, it looks like from what she said she copied Stacey's strategic plan, and it is a document. The strategic plan is what is used to focus direction and to measure progress against goals. Nancy has to execute the plan -- not just have a document that says what you are going to do, it actually has to get executed; activity has to be accomplished.

[heretic]

Well, it looks like from what she said she copied Stacey's strategic plan, and it is a document. The strategic plan is what is used to focus direction and to measure progress against goals. Nancy has to execute the plan -- not just have a document that says what you are going to do, it actually has to get executed; activity has to be accomplished.

That is precisely what she did. She cut and pasted Stacey's 2000 plan and put her name on it - and that, only after the recall was initiated. For the prior year, she failed to respond to any inquiries regarding her strategic plan. Again, she had the opportunity to transition with the preceding administration prior to September 2004, but neglected to do so.

Craig - thanks for your efforts in attempting to get her to answer some of the criticism that underlies the recall movement. How about interviewing some of those spearheading the recall?

[oiuyt]

Craig - thanks for your efforts in attempting to get her to answer some of the criticism that underlies the recall movement. How about interviewing some of those spearheading the recall?

Wasn't that the original plan? A pair of articles, one from each side? I agree with Heretic that some one of Jeff/Paul/Carl/Cathy should be interviewed as well. They've already done a considerably better job of articulating their position, but it still seems only fair to give them an interview article as well.

-B

[Mr Epee]

They've already done a considerably better job of articulating their position...
-B

And repeating that position over and over again...

While managing to avoid anything of substantial value.

Oh, and occasionally reassuring us that what we need isn't a new general election, but rather the unopposed backroom nomination of Sam Cheris...

and just to keep things cheaper - we can also skip the validation of the signatures that they have collected in good faith.

[KD5MDK]

And repeating that position over and over again...

While managing to avoid anything of substantial value.

Oh, and occasionally reassuring us that what we need isn't a new general election, but rather the unopposed backroom nomination of Sam Cheris...

and just to keep things cheaper - we can also skip the validation of the signatures that they have collected in good faith.

Unless you know the identity of dr. lutz (I don't), I can't say how the people mentioned by oiuyt have presented their plan other than the postings on the SaveUSFencing website. I haven't received any other comminication from them. Hearing their response to an interview would hopefully clear up a lot of uncertainty.

[KD5MDK]

Well, it looks like from what she said she copied Stacey's strategic plan, and it is a document. The strategic plan is what is used to focus direction and to measure progress against goals. Nancy has to execute the plan -- not just have a document that says what you are going to do, it actually has to get executed; activity has to be accomplished.

Well, regardless of where The Plan came from, in order to determine if it is being executed we need a copy so we can tell what parts are occurring and which are not.

oiuyt - I do not recall specifically if the Saturday session was mentioned or not when it occurred, but I can say I don't recall the results of it showing up anywhere.

[nahouw]

Well, regardless of where The Plan came from, in order to determine if it is being executed we need a copy so we can tell what parts are occurring and which are not.

Since Nancy's plan is not posted on the website, here's the link to Stacey's strategic plan for last quadrennial: http://oldsite.usfencing.org/Documen...ategicPlan.asp

Since Nancy said she copied Stacey's plan, we can extrapolate what Nancy has and has not done. I will make a list of what Nancy should have accomplished by now -- Jan 2006 would translate to Jan 2002 in Stacey's Plan.

[Chafunkta]

Ms. Anderson seems to have a lot of excuses for her lack of action for her duties. Traffic on the NJ turnpike? Why didn't she plan on traffic? She shouldn't be trying to make it to the airport for the exact time of her flight.

Also, all those "communication problems" she claims she encountered just seem to be a way of pushing the blame off herself. If there are communication problems, it seems to me that the President should be the one trying to fix them.

As for the follow-up marketing after Mariel and Sada won the medals, Ms Anderson only states that Mariel and Sada did some press work. Yet, Ms Anderson has no control over what Mariel and Sada did, and she's trying to take credit for their interviews and TV appearances.

Sounds to me that this recall should be implemented...

[Sciurus-Rex]

Ms. Anderson seems to have a lot of excuses for her lack of action for her duties. Traffic on the NJ turnpike? Why didn't she plan on traffic? She shouldn't be trying to make it to the airport for the exact time of her flight.

Oh, fer cryin' out loud....

Most of the petition cabal have quietly dropped the airport issue and moved on to other (slightly) more defensible topics because they realize how incredibly silly this sounds.