USATF BS Letter to its Members

timeline problem wrote:

How much time elapsed from the time Dwight Phillips told the board that the athletes favored Hightower and the issuing of the 11-1 BOD vote to nominate her?

I wasn't checking the time exactly, but we had probably been meeting for over an hour... there was some random business involving approval of minutes and some financial stuff, then a lengthy discussion about the Bumbalough DQ and the vote on that, then a few random things, then we were gearing up to hear presentation from all of the candidates for the various IAAF positions (the Board was selecting nominees for four other IAAF councils, in addition to the main council), then right before that got underway, Stephanie asked Dwight Phillips to introduce himself as the new AAC Chair. He almost immediately stated the athletes wanted Stephanie. She tried to shush him and act like she had no idea he was going to say that and that it was out of line for him to say that.

Then we heard presentations from all of the other candidates (Bob and Stephanie did not present, at least not during the public portion of the meeting) then the board went into closed session.

The meeting was supposed to start at 11am, but probably started around 11:30 because people were eating (food was brought in) and the closing session ran long.

They probably went into closed session ~1:30. I had to leave to catch a flight around 2ish. I texted Bill Roe at 3:30 and he had also not heard the results of the vote. The press release was put out at 4:06pm.

So that's a painfully long and boring way of saying that Dwight probably made that statement ~1pm and the Board made their decision sometime between then and 4pm.

I do not know if the Board asked Dwight to come back in to the room during the closed session for additional questions or if that was all there was to it.

The Board does not put anything about what happens during executive session in the minutes.

I would like to understand Dwight's role as well from somone who heard what he said to the Board. Based on Claussen's vote and the general feedback at the meeting, the athletes did not support Hightower. For example, Becca Peter tweeted "Rumor is that AAC told athletes to #VoteStephanie" to which Will Leer replied "I'm sorry but you are mistaken."

I don't know Dwight or his motives to ignore what has been reported as "overhwelming support for Hersch among the athletes."

What I do know is that an organization can only live for so long in the shadows. All things need light to live and USATF either needs to turn on the lights or be prepared to wither away in darkness.

I'm assuming Hightower had the USATF votes lined up for nomination beforehand and she and the board have been reasonable assurances the IAAF votes are there too. If not they'll be some finger pointing and plenty of blame to go around to make 2015 quite interesting, I'd say.

Freshman Matt wrote:

Thank you for your more enlightened insight than what I could piece together myself.

Another line that particularly caught my attention was the section about the skyrocketing revenue and assets of the USATF under Seigel. Is there a plan for this? Will it trickle back to the athletes or are they hoarding cash for the sake of hoarding cash? I'd love to see prize money triple across every national championship, and go ten places deeper, but I can't imagine that's the intention.

This also flies in the face of your assertion that governing bodies are prohibited from engaging in business.

This is about as much detail as the public has at this time about how Max plans to spend the increased revenue. It's pretty vague. And I heard a rumor the National Office just lost their latest CFO, I don't see one listed on their website.

end game wrote:

I'm assuming Hightower had the USATF votes lined up for nomination beforehand and she and the board have been reasonable assurances the IAAF votes are there too. If not they'll be some finger pointing and plenty of blame to go around to make 2015 quite interesting, I'd say.

There are folks right now currently working on a petition to every voting delegate to the IAAF Congress asking them to vote against Hightower's nomination. The petition wont ship until closer to the August vote but what is striking to me is that there are folks at the highest level of track and field in the US that would prefer there be no US member on the council for four years rather than having Hightower on the council.

polevaultpower wrote:

This is about as much detail as the public has at this time about how Max plans to spend the increased revenue. It's pretty vague. And I heard a rumor the National Office just lost their latest CFO, I don't see one listed on their website.

https://www.usatf.org/usatf/files/1c/1ca109b3-08a2-4c92-94b8-ad9d1e8edb4a.pdf

Also, everyone should now go back an review exactly how bad of a deal this was for track and field:

The USATF/Nike Deal? Bet On Nike

With link this time.

http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/index.php/component/content/article/39-about/1899-usatf-nike-deal-bet-on-nike

Mundus Vult wrote:

I would like to understand Dwight's role as well from somone who heard what he said to the Board. Based on Claussen's vote and the general feedback at the meeting, the athletes did not support Hightower. For example, Becca Peter tweeted "Rumor is that AAC told athletes to #VoteStephanie" to which Will Leer replied "I'm sorry but you are mistaken."

When I tweeted that rumor, it was like 3rd or 4th hand information that I heard on the floor. I need to follow up on it and see if I can find out anything else.

I was personally there in the Board Meeting (the portion that was open to the public) and my post above is narrating my first hand account, not anything I heard from anyone else.

From what I have heard at least a few athletes supported Hightower. You can't conclusively say the athletes as a whole wanted one candidate over the other. IMO, AAC should have had lengthy, informed, discussion about it during the week, voted, and then relayed to the Board, "We took a vote of the international athletes, and X% prefer Bob and X% prefer Stephanie. The recommendation of AAC Leadership is for X candidate for X reasons."

I don't think Dwight went rogue and came in there with an agenda, my personal opinion is that he was set up.

Edward Teach wrote:

femme wrote:

I'd like to see USATF provide ANY funding for road championships. Currently it is the race (local organizing committee) that funds the championships-- prize money, hotels/travel for elites and even anti-doping.

Last year I believe prize money was doubled for outdoor track champs. Great!!! But still no funding for road championships.

what about the national championship in Alexandria? Was the prize money provided by pacers?

That is the one exception- sorry my post was inaccurate earlier: the .US 12K is USATF funded (well, with help from the sponsor, .US).

XC (club and us champs) as well as MUT champs are also solely funded by the LOC.

Becca,

I am definitely not accusing you of any wrongdoing. You have a strong voice in this whole process.

My point is that in the aftermath, the athletes have been just as shocked as the members. Point me in the direction of athletes who are standing up for Hightower and I will retract that statement? Even the ones I know who are loyal to Stephanie have real issues with the process that was followed.

So I want to know if and why Dwight Phillips went rogue.

Mundus Vult wrote:

what is striking to me is that there are folks at the highest level of track and field in the US that would prefer there be no US member on the council for four years rather than having Hightower on the council.

Sometimes you have to take a step back before you can take a step forward.

IAAF Council is a position that you are going to want someone who can serve for a long time, it doesn't make sense to have turnover every four years. That person is also required to be on the USATF Board of Directors as long as they are on the IAAF Council.

Where do we want to be in 8 years? 12 years? 20 years? Is Stephanie going to get us there? The majority of USA Track and Field delegates have spent the past 6 years with her as President and voted against having her represent us at the highest levels.

I believe in the PROCESS. I am hoping that USA does not have a voice on the IAAF board if the voice was not achieved in the way that I view as just. I felt the same way about Eugene losing the bid for the WC. Nike and Eugene have strong armed everyone for years and then outraged when someone pulled the same $hit on them.

I hope that everyone creates a shit storm for Hightower and that she is powerless on the IAAF board even if it hurts USA.

POY

The explanation from USATF was as condescending as hell. They know better, let us give you an abridged civic lesson on democracy, your voice is important but you are wrong, you'll see five years from now that Stephie was the right choice.

I have been going to USATF annual meetings since 2009 and attending Men’s LDR meetings since then. Bob Hersh has given an IAAF report at everyone of those meetings and my personal impression of him is very favorable. I found him to be knowledgeable, reasonable, intelligent and articulate. I talk to many people at USATF meetings, most have far more experience dealing with Bob than I, and I have never heard anyone say a single bad thing about him. When a board votes 11-1 to replace an IAAF Senior Vice President who seems to be universally respected and whom the rank and file overwhelmingly supported with an individual who does not seem to have a high level of respect amongst the rank and file and who would be starting out at a low level within the IAAF organization, something is being manipulated.

Dwight would not be the new chair of the AAC if Stephanie didn't want him. He replaces Jon Drummond who "resigned". Drummond was one of Stephanie's strongest supporters. This whole thing was setup by Stephanie so she can take over Bob Hersh's job because she will be termed out in two years. This was a process of many steps and she orchestrated all of them. Frankly, she is a talented politician but she doesn't really seem to use her skills for anything other than her own benefit.

Hopefully the IAAF will do to the board what the board did to the USATF membership, ignore them completely.

polevaultpower wrote:

yes. But AAC publicly stated prior to the meeting they wanted the Board to choose Stephanie:

http://www.polevaultpower.com/annualmeeting/14IAAFResolution.pdf

Ugh I meant to say BOB. AAC stated they wanted BOB to continue in his role on the IAAF Council.

They didn't want to say anything in advance because then the entire convention would know the fix was in and maybe they would do something about it. I don't know if the bylaws would allow us to impeach the president or recall the board members (who we can't even select) on a few hours notice, but I'm sure there is some legal avenue of recourse from the assembled membership that could have thrown a monkey wrench into the scam. But we fell for the sham election--an election they put so little thought into they couldn't even conduct it properly and we thought we had sent our message. They waited until most of us were on the way out of town to pull this. Now it will be a full year before we have an opportunity to do anything about it. In that year, a lot can happen. In that year, a lot can be forgotten. The value we have with Bob Hersh's senior position with IAAF is lost forever. Now, at best, we could hope for Stephanie to be an ineffectual low (wo)man on the totem pole. More likely, she will be the overbearing, undiplomatic, obnoxious, lying American politician, which will set our position within the world body back decades.

Perhaps the best thing we can do is mobilize people to attend the 2015 meeting in Houston.

The downside to this (other than spending the money to travel to Houston) is that you would need to (1) Be a member of your local USATF Association and (2) vote at the annual meeting.

Each association can send at least 12 delegates to vote (most had far, far fewer). Folks can also be alternates for delegates who don't attend the vote.

To make this work, we would need some reason other than the USATF meeting to be in Houston in early December 2015. Perhaps the Flotrack guys will reschedule the Beer Mile Championships for that weekend? Someone throw together a LetsRun 5k with some street vaulting and street shotput in for good measure.

The point is that we need voters to show in Houston next December to vote out Stephanie Hightower.

Sarcasto wrote:

Now, at best, we could hope for Stephanie to be an ineffectual low (wo)man on the totem pole. More likely, she will be the overbearing, undiplomatic, obnoxious, lying American politician, which will set our position within the world body back decades.

I think at best the other countries do not choose her for IAAF Council and we have four years to groom a better candidate. Sometimes you need to take a step backward to take a step forward. It's hard to think of an IAAF Council without an American, but it would be worse to have a bad American on the Council and be stuck with that person bullying your Board of Directors for potentially a very long time.