If you want to Stand Up, think about doing this:
I have seen Max and Renee make decisions for their own benefit and seriously, the 'how can I justify it' excuse is given 5 seconds of thought afterwards. The reasons do not hold up to even one more layer of deeper questioning.
How to address it:
1. Deeply question the reasons they provide. Ask follow up questions requesting details. It sounds like the annual meeting is coming up? The entire staff will be there - make the board and Max show evidence to back up their decisions and hold him accountable to the same standards anyone else making that kind of money could be expected to have. Have actual experts inspect them - a operations consultant should question Renee on her organizational management and efficiencies while an independent board of business AND non-profit leadership question Max (since he can’t decide if he is a for profit or not for profit - is he successful in either universe?)
Do not accept ANY excuses for their inability to prove the high cost decision they made had a higher ROI towards the “building lifelong connections to the sport" goal than the lower cost alternatives. What is the outcome of the business meeting he used a private jet to get to?
Max said in an interview during Rio that the truth is what you INSPECT so you should feel very comfortable holding his feet to the fire! If he is aware of that, he has no excuse for not having evidence to back up decisions which could be perceived as questionable. I have heard him say in business meetings, "perception is reality" so he is ALSO aware of that and any $1.7mil executive would be ready for this inevitability.
2. If you find the answers unacceptable, DON’T PARTICIPATE in USATF events and activities. They do fear some things and they spoke of them at the office often:
- Sponsors not wanting to be associated with their scandal. They almost lost Hershey during the Indoor controversy before the partnership was even announced. Legacy sponsors do not want to associate with scandalous brands that can't maintain order within their own organizations. If 'the people of USATF' are not behind the USATF organization, sponsors lose the value of the investment.
- Most sponsorship contracts are contingent upon them being the designated NGB and will void as soon as that status is revoked. USOC has done it before. Make them do it again.
YOUR NUMBERS DO MATTER so speak up loudly and do not imagine that life will go on for them if you are not in the room. They need those stats to get sponsors to agree to associate with USATF.
Your total walkout will be very effective.
3. For some, the idea of 'taking action' prior to an Olympic year allowed them to use their concern for participating athletes and the damage it would do to the sport as their crutch for inaction. Now those people are very aware that this is the best moment to allow the sport to cleanse and then heal prior to the next games.
4. Do not feel sorry for Ms. Geer. An expert public affairs person - considering her salary I think you can feel comfortable holding her to that title no matter how she got the job in the first place - should be to ensure USATF publicity is positive so her job starts long before the interview from the investigative reporter. She is a prominent leader in the organization who has also failed to protect it's interests and has actively participated in the unprofessional behavior and questionable ethics herself.
Rather than feeling sorry for her for having that role, question her for chosing to protect the unethical.