USATF president draws scrutiny for appointing committee member suspended by AAU

Perplexed at Idiocy wrote:

GoodSammer wrote:

Time to get "The Profit" to do an episode with USATF. Wasn't Marcus Lemonis a college track guy? He wouldn't put up with any of that sh^!. That would be a funny episode. Could you imagine following around the full time paid staff of USATF for 2-3 days?! Do you think their crunching #'s and delving into what the essence of the sport is about? SH is prolly (actually IS!) one of those ladies who's ALWAYS got a phone glued to her head...as if she's carrying on an important conversation. What a joke.

You do know that Hightower is a volunteer, not paid staff, right?

Hightower is a REIMBURSED VOLUNTEER. Unlike thousands who help out at USATF meets who pay 100% of their own expenses and meals. Rather she is paid to stay at 5-star hotels, eat gourmet meals, and fly 1st Class. She hands out OLY Credentials, IAAF Credentials and USATF credentials, and covers the expenses for her relatives, cronies, and children of these folks. You see the whole mass of USATF Gravy Train at every meet walking around with credentials around their necks. Ask Jill Geer, she has the complete list of full names.

Isn't her food, lodging and transportation all paid for by USATF? She probably even gets reimbursed for her cell phone expense. You don't need a salary when everything you need is provided to you free of charge.

Stephanie still has a full-time job as President & CEO of the Columbus Urban League.

And honestly, I can't remember seeing her on her cell that often. I think she is more of a face to face kind of person.

I don't understand how (most of) the top layer of USATF got to be so awful.

When you go to a USATF meet, the people that you deal with (officials, etc) on a face to face level are some of the nicest people you'll ever meet and are big fans of the sport. And I think (generally) the same can be said about the people at the regional level.

There's a huge disconnect between the people doing the real work of track and field, and those charged with "overseeing" it.

And we're not even talking about the doping stuff here!

What's the big deal? Aren't most track track coaching jobs based on cronyism and nepotism?

And don't you get enough play on this corruption stuff on twitter? Why bring it to this forum?

bloviating wrote:

And don't you get enough play on this corruption stuff on twitter? Why bring it to this forum?

Because some discussions require more than 144 characters? Because I like tilting at windmills?

ya. blow them all up. definitely. along with the ioc.

and don't buy nike.

I have no idea of the number of people who come to this website regularly, but I imagine it is a pretty large number. If 30% of the people on this website joined USATF and we made a concerted effort to change the leadership of USATF with everyone voting, change could be made. The power of the people on this website is untapped.

Either we choose to not care and let USATF continue with its cronyism or we work for change.

WEJO or ROJO for USATF President.

Bostonbilly wrote:

I have no idea of the number of people who come to this website regularly, but I imagine it is a pretty large number. If 30% of the people on this website joined USATF and we made a concerted effort to change the leadership of USATF with everyone voting, change could be made.

We would have to travel to timbukthree to vote since there is only in-person voting, ,,,, no mail-in voting, no internet voting.

polevaultpower wrote:

sick of their crap wrote:

polevault, you know the system well. What is the path forward for fixing the USATF? So tired of the way they operate.

Good people need to get involved, and stick with it even when things don't go well. Good people need to get involved with their Association, and at the National level. People with integrity, who truly care about what is best for our athletes and the sport, beyond their personal interests.

You're exactly correct!

Unfortunately it seems that even 'Good' people are being run out of the USATF. Most if not all of the people involved have other jobs and don't have time to deal with the bullshit being slung around. How do you 'Stick it out' when the majority votes for something and then it's over ruled by a power hungry-egotistical wannbe dictator. She would fit perfectly into Assad's Syrian government.

My guess is that since she is being forced out of the USAT&F by term limits she is looking to jump to the IAAF to continue her presence in track and field governing bodies(AKA the gravy train).

messi wrote:

Disgraceful,, wrote:

SH is a disgrace. IMO, She is a corrupt dictator running roughshod over the entire organization. Why can't something be done? This is absolutely outrageous.

Can anyone explain why Stephanie Hightower was so insistent on getting the IAAF rep gig on top of her existing duties as USAT&F president?

Thanks.

My guess is that since she is being forced out of the USAT&F by term limits she is looking to jump to the IAAF to continue her presence in track and field governing bodies(AKA the gravy train).

Votinmg Rights Act of 1965 wrote:

Bostonbilly wrote:

I have no idea of the number of people who come to this website regularly, but I imagine it is a pretty large number. If 30% of the people on this website joined USATF and we made a concerted effort to change the leadership of USATF with everyone voting, change could be made.

We would have to travel to timbukthree to vote since there is only in-person voting, ,,,, no mail-in voting, no internet voting.

And showing up at the meeting doesn't guarantee you a vote, you have to be selected as a delegate by your Association, or AAC, or a handful of other ways one can become a voting delegate.

The fix is in - guarantee that unless a major protest or shake up occurs a new crony of the current regime will be put in place at the next election. Somehow this embarrassment has to end.

I am disgusted. How did the good people let these people gain control? I wish I had the energy to fight them alone, but I don't. Pisses me off.

usatf is not so great wrote:

You all know Hightower is married to Olympic medalist Ian Stewart right? How can he stay married to someone so corrupt. Makes me wonder if he wasn't corrupt himself. Maybe Prefontaine deserved a medal and Stewart deserved a drug ban. But since we can't go back and test athletes from that era we'll never know. Either way, Stewart's spouse is working hard to destroy everything Pre stood for, like fairness for the athletes.

Ian Stewart is just as much as a sleaze bag as his wife. Maybe more-so as he is the the behinds the scenes confidant to her. He was virtually run out of UK athletics. He is a sour arrogant jerk.

Yes. In Person only. Even then, they seem to be able to ignore the election. Hence Hightower is still in power. Remember there were something like 400 votes total. How many members of USATF? In my association, a recent election had about 20 votes and we have many thousands of members. The vote was only publicized by those who needed votes and only to their buddies. WE ALL NEED TO QUIETLY STOP RENEWING OUR MEMBERSHIP. ESPECIALLY THE ELITE WHO ARE THE REAL SOURCE OF REVENUE.

Votinmg Rights Act of 1965 wrote:

Bostonbilly wrote:

I have no idea of the number of people who come to this website regularly, but I imagine it is a pretty large number. If 30% of the people on this website joined USATF and we made a concerted effort to change the leadership of USATF with everyone voting, change could be made.

We would have to travel to timbukthree to vote since there is only in-person voting, ,,,, no mail-in voting, no internet voting.

VoteFixing wrote:

Yes. In Person only. Even then, they seem to be able to ignore the election. Hence Hightower is still in power. Remember there were something like 400 votes total. How many members of USATF? In my association, a recent election had about 20 votes and we have many thousands of members. The vote was only publicized by those who needed votes and only to their buddies.

WE ALL NEED TO QUIETLY STOP RENEWING OUR MEMBERSHIP. ESPECIALLY THE ELITE WHO ARE THE REAL SOURCE OF REVENUE.

As I stated above, only specified delegates can vote at closing session, it is not as simple as just showing up.

As far as not renewing memberships? Revenue from memberships is just a drop in the bucket for the National Office. It gets split with your Association, THAT is who gets hurt if you don't renew. Although I do realize that some of you have dysfunctional Associations you don't want to support anyway.

Some, maybe. But the New England association is doing a lot of things well. Members and clubs are active and the leadership would back an initiative to reform the national body (I think). Yet somehow it still seems like there's nothing we can do.