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UltraMarathon Cycling Association, Inc.
The 2008 Election of Directors
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E-mail Emily O'Brien, Elections Commissioner elections @ ultracycling.com
Download Elections packet and ballot
Officers: The Board has elected the following officers for 2008:
- Nick Gerlich, President
- Chris Hopkinson, Vice President
- Russ Loomis, Treasurer
- Nancy Guth, Secretary
Nick Gerlich, former UMCA director and former RAAM co-director, was the top vote getter in the 2008 election of Directors. Gerlich is a professor of marketing at West Texas A&M. He is on the Board of Bicycle Texas and directs Hell Week Adventures. In his personal statement on ultracycling.com Gerlich emphasized that the UMCA must change and focus on the future.
Marko Baloh serves the UMCA as a contributing editor to UltraCycling, covering European events. He is active as both a racer and an event organizer and brings both perspectives to the Board.
Nancy Guth is reelected to the Board; she has served as Secretary for the past two years. One of the most focused and consistent racers, Guth took first in the John Marino Competition for five years (2002 to 2006). In her personal statement she emphasizes that the UMCA is an organization that is growing and becoming more diverse and that the Board will need to address the resulting issues.
Russ Loomis is reelected to the Board. Loomis has served as Treasurer for the past year. Loomis is consistently a strong finisher in both the Year-Rounder and the John Marino Competition. As the UMCA grows and changes, he is particularly concerned that the UMCA continues to serve ordinary riders like himself.
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The Board set three goals for the election:
1) The emphasis would be on informing the members rather than on aggressive politicing. This was quite successful. The election packet that was mailed to all potential voters and the candidates statements on ultracycling.com were the basis for decision-making by the voters.
2) Increasing voter turnout. This was quite successful. A total of 428 ballots were cast out of 965 members who were eligible to vote. 3) Like last year, maintain the integrity of the ballot submission and counting procedure. The ballots and information about the candidates were mailed out by WATS Business Services, a business independent of the UMCA, and ballots were returned to WATS. The ballots were counted by John Lee Ellis, past president, Bob Barday, a UMCA member, and Paul Bowes, an officer at the First National Bank of Colorado.
The Board unanimously certified the results of the election in a conference call on April 13.
The Board asked Emily O'Brien, the Elections Commissioner, and the Committee on Board Elections to review the 2008 election and to make recommendations for 2009. The primary concern is the 95 people who voted even though they were not eligible. In most cases the individuals had not yet renewed their memberships. Thus, the calendar needs to be adjusted so that the election does not coincide with the membership renewal period.
But How Does This Work?
Those who are elected as Directors can read each other's statements. They can see which other candidates support issues that are the same as theirs. When elected these Directors can then work together to achieve their shared objectives. Each member who cares enough to be informed by reading the candidates' statements can recognize which Directors are most likely to support issues that are precious to that member. And, by contacting the appropriate Directors, individual members can have significant influence on the direction of the UMCA government.
Isn t This Already Going On?
No it isn't. It requires an active membership, informed candidates for Board seats and willingness on the part of both to communicate and use the government's (UMCA) documents (Constitution and Bylaws) to get things done. It requires diplomacy, respect for each other and patience while the work is being done. It requires setting aside personal agendas. It requires people of courage who care about the future of the UMCA to step up and run for office. It requires candidates to speak out on the issues. And it requires members to take time to study the candidates and issues. No one represents the membership who has not been elected by the membership.
So Now What?
It starts with the first step of casting an informed vote. On page XX is a message from Emily O'Brien in which she describes the process for voting in this election. Emily was appointed by me to serve as the Election Commissioner and her only job is to oversee this election to see that is conducted in as fair and as honest manner as is possible. I can't say enough positive about her work. If you have questions for Emily you can e-mail her at elections @ ultracycling.com.
Finally....
After accepting the job as President of the UMCA, I immediately announced that one of my most important goals was to increase voter turnout to at least 500 votes, which would double last year's record breaking total of 250 (approximately). Merry VanderLinden agreed to chair the committee to take this on and did a fantastic job. We can do this. As endurance cyclist we are goal-oriented individuals and so I offer up this challenge to you, the UMCA members, to cast your votes. Pick your candidates and then become an activist in our government so that you can say in 2015, "Yeah, I was part of the class of 2008 that influenced the direction of the UMCA by voting!!"
It's our duty and privilege.
Joe Jamison
Pres: UMCA
Update February 12, 2008: Candidate Statements
Update February 6, 2008: Q&A There have been many questions and much confusion about the current election for the UMCA Board of Directors. As the Elections Commissioner, I am diligently working to ensure this election is completely fair and complies with every letter of the stated Elections Procedures. In addition, I will ensure there is transparency and good communication throughout the process. This Q&A is a start; and will be updated as needed. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any concerns or questions about the election process! Q: Why should I vote in the UMCA election?
And this year, it's easier than ever: information about the candidates and the ballots are being first class separately from the magazine. The ballot is a business reply mail postcard. It's already addressed and already stamped; all it needs is your choice of candidates and your signature. Q: I have been a UMCA life member for many years. Am I eligible to vote? What do I need to do in order to have a voice in this election?
Q: How can I check if the UMCA office has my form??
However, if you are a life member or for any other reason do not have a signed membership form on file, all you need to do is fill one out, sign it, and send it in. Q: The Elections Procedures state that ads for events promoted by candidates may not run in UltraCycling magazine during the election period, so why does the latest issue of UltraCycling contain such an ad?
Q: I don't know any of these people. How can I make an informed choice? How do I figure out which candidates will serve my interests?
Q: Why are there so few candidates? Did the Elections Committee deny some applications?
Q: I thought there were six candidates, but now there are only five. What happened?
Q: I think you're doing this whole election thing wrong, and I have some ideas for how to make it work better. To whom should I address my questions/comments/complaints?
Jamison wrote: " The Commissioner has the responsibility of seeing that all rules established by the Committee on Board Elections (COBE) are understood and followed by everyone involved with the election including the nominees, directors, officers and the general membership." The Elections Commissioner is the UMCA's equivalent of a County Clerk, someone with no stake in the outcome of the election who manages the process and implements the rules. The Commissioner reports to the President and will serve through the end of the 2008 election, after the election of new Directors is certified. O'Brien served on the Committee on Increasing Voter Turnout and increasing participation in the election is a high priority for her. E-mail Emily elections @ ultracycling.com
by Emily O'Brien, Elections Commissioner
A: Has the UMCA done something recently that you didn't like? Did the UMCA do something that you like and want to make sure it keeps doing? Are there things you would like the UMCA to do more of? If you answered yes to any of these questions, now is your chance to bring up your concerns and vote for the candidates who are receptive to them. Voting is your chance to have a say in who runs the organization.
A: All life, regular and family annual members are eligible to vote and the ballot is being mailed to each of these members. However, in order to prevent voter fraud, all ballots must be validated by comparing the signature on the ballot with the signature on a membership form which is on file in the UMCA office. If the UMCA Office does not have a membership form on file for you, your vote cannot be validated and will not be counted.
A: Go to the on-line membership database. Search for yourself and then scroll down the screen. If the UMCA has a signed membership form for you under "Registered to vote?" it will say "Y".
A: The Elections Procedures define the elections period as beginning on January 15th. The most recent issue of UltraCycling was the November-December issue, and it was mailed on January 2nd. The January-February issue will not contain this ad.
A: Well, if their statements on the website and the ballot aren't enough, you can always ask the candidates themselves. Their contact information is available on the UMCA website. Now is a great time to ask for their opinions or bring up your concerns. And if you take the opportunity to communicate about your ideas and your needs while they're running, they'll be better equipped to serve the community as Board members if they get elected.
A: There were only six applications, and all of them were accepted. We wish there had been more, but we decided it would not be appropriate to recruit more candidates because it would be unfair to those who submitted their applications on time.
A: John Ceceri was a candidate for the Board, but withdrew his name from the ballot for work-related reasons because he did not feel that he would have the time to fulfill his obligations to the Board if he were elected. He says that he will not rule out running for the Board again in the future, and we hope that he does.
A: If you have any questions or concerns, as well as ideas for how to improve the process in the future, please contact me at the above email address. I am compiling a list of recommendations for how to improve the process, and I welcome your input. I will respect your confidentiality 100%, and I will not mention any names of individuals who complained if you would prefer to remain anonymous.
- Marko Baloh
- John Ceceri - withdrew
- Nick Gerlich
- Tony Goodnight
- Nancy Guth
- Russ Loomis
The UMCA is committed to helping candidates provide information to the membership about themselves and their positions on issues facing the UMCA. The UMCA will provide each candidate with a webpage on ultracycling.com by mid-January. Each candidate will also have a personal statement with the ballot. The webpage and the personal statement will be printed verbatim unless a candidate asks for help from the UMCA.
The Committee on Board Elections is managing the overall election and is adhering to the procedures and schedule approved by the Board (below). UMCA members who meet the minimum criteria were invited to apply to the COBE. The minimum criteria are:
- UMCA member for at least three years so that the individual is familiar with the UMCA and the issues we face.
- History of substantial volunteer service in the UMCA or another cycling-related not-for-profit, indicating that the member will be an active Board member.
- Familiarity with the issues of management and governance (legal issues, board operations, etc.), preferably through service as an officer/director/trustee of a corporation. Similar experience with a not-for-profit is a plus. This indicates that the member understands governance and the role of the Board.
Six members applied to run. In the future the COBE will do more to stimulate member interest in serving on the Board.
The elections process is on schedule - the candidates' statements will be posted on the website in mid-January and the ballot and personal statements will be sent to the membership in early February.
The committee membership will be announced on ultracycling.com and in the next issue of UltraCycling.
Elections Commissioner
The President will appoint a volunteer Elections Commissioner. The Commissioner will be responsible for all of the logistics of the election.
10/15/2007 Procedures and schedule approved by the Board.
10/31/2007 Procedures and schedule mailed to the membership.
12/7/2007 Deadline for applications of suggested prospective candidates.
12/22/2007 Prospective candidates informed of committee's decisions.
1/15/2008 Deadline for candidates' statements as well as electoral petitions.
2/7/2008 Ballot and candidates short statements mailed to members; additional candidate information posted on website.
3/22/2008 Deadline for returning ballots.
4/7/2008 Election results certified and new Directors take office.
Any UMCA member in good standing who meets the minimal criteria may apply to be a candidate for the Board. The criteria are
- UMCA member for at least three years so that the individual is familiar with the UMCA and the issues we face.
- History of substantial volunteer service in the UMCA or another cycling-related not-for-profit, indicating that the member will be an active Board member.
- Familiarity with the issues of management and governance (legal issues, board operations, etc.), preferably through service as an officer/director/trustee of a corporation. Similar experience with a not-for-profit is a plus. This indicates that the member understands governance and the role of the Board.
To apply a member must send the written application by postal mail. At a minimum the application must:
- Include the full name, postal address and date of birth of the member
- Describe how the member meets the three criteria (above).
- Explain why the member is interested in serving on the Board.
Prospective candidates are encouraged to include more information, not to exceed 500 words.
We are in the process of appointing the Elections Committee and also the Elections Commissioner to handle the paperwork. Pending appointment of the Commmissioner plese send applications to the UMCA, PO Box 18028, Boulder, CO, 80308-1028. Interested members are encouraged to apply early and applications must be postmarked by December 7, 2007.
We encourage candidates to also send an electronic copy to expedite the committee's work. Pending appointment of the Elections Commissioner e-mail your information to director @ ultracycling.com.
Each prospective nominee will be sent an information packet including:
- The schedule, process and rules for the election.
- The UMCA Board's Code of Conduct, which each nominee must sign.
The Elections Committee will select a group of nominees who:
- are diverse with respect to age, gender, race, geographical location and type of participation in ultracycling. (i.e., active racers, Year-Rounder participants, crew, officials and general fans of the sport.), and
- have the experience to provide strategic leadership to the UMCA, and
- demonstrate commitment to working for the good of the UMCA.
To provide the UMCA membership with a choice, the committee will select more candidates than available Directorships.
The committee will encourage members not selected to serve on a UMCA committee, volunteer in a program, etc. and to apply again next year.
If a UMCA member:
- has submitted an application to the Elections Committee, meets the minimum criteria (above) and is not selected by the Elections Committee, and
- demonstrates grass roots support by submitting a written petition or petitions (or letters) with the signatures of 30 members of the UMCA. E-mail petitions are not acceptable.
- then the member's name will be placed on the ballot and the candidate will receive the same support from the UMCA as the candidates nominated by the Elections committee.
The petition(s) and candidate's statements must be submitted by January 15, 2008 (by postmark).
- Publishing a brief candidate's statement with the ballot. Each candidate must provide:
- full name
- age
- town, state and country of residence
- any significant relationship(s) with current Board members or other candidates for election.
- Publishing a lengthy candidate's statement on ultracycling.com including (if the candidate wishes) an e-mail link and phone number to talk with the candidate. The UMCA will encourage each candidate to identify the significant issues the UMCA will be addressing in the next several years; however, the candidate chooses what to include in the statement with the ballot and/or the statement on the website.
Each candidate's official statements must be sent as a printed document via regular mail. We encourage candidates to also send electronic copy.
The statement with the ballot and the statement on the website will be published verbatim unless a candidate accepts the Elections Commissioner's offer of help with copy-editing. Copy-editing includes correcting spelling, punctuation, grammar, etc. but does not include any changes in content. If a candidate requests copy-editing assistance the candidate must approve the final version to be published.
Both of the candidate's statements must be sent to the Elections Commissioner by January 15, 2008 (by postmark).
Proscribed Campaign Activities
During the election period the following actions are not permitted. The election period is defined as the period from deadline for electoral petitions (January 15, 2008) through the deadline for returning ballots (March 22, 2008).
- One member publicly endorsing another member.
- Any mass distribution of election-related materials to members via any media, for example regular mail, e-mail or fax.
- Distributing election-related materials at a cycling event.
- An election-related phone campaign.
- Publishing any article, column or editorial in UltraCycling or on the ultracycling.com that includes specific mention of one or more candidates. Publishing of the listings of program and race results is permitted.
- Publishing any election-related advertisement in UltraCycling during the election period.
- Publishing any advertisement by a candidate (e.g., for an event) in UltraCycling during the election period.
No UMCA member shall have access to the UMCA's membership records during the election period.
The Elections Committee may also determine that other actions are not permitted. If so, the committee will inform the membership.
Return of Ballots
Returned ballots must be postmarked by March 22, 2008.
Ballot Processing
- The ballots will be mailed to a disinterested UMCA member. "Disinterested" means a person who will not be personally affected by the outcome of the election and none of whose relatives or significant other will be affected by the outcome
- Every UMCA life, annual and family is eligible to vote.
- To validate the ballots each voter must have a signed UMCA membership form on file in the UMCA office.
- A committee of at least three disinterested UMCA members will open and tally the ballots.
- A disinterested CPA or attorney will supervise the tallying of the ballots and will report the results to the Board.
- Each ballot will be marked on the membership roster. If a member's name is already checked, then the duplicate ballot will be set aside as invalid.
- The signature on each ballot will be compared to the signature on the membership form. If there is no signature or if the signatures do not match then the ballot will be set aside as invalid.
- Each volunteer tallies and initials every ballot.
- If there are any differences in the candidate vote tallies among the volunteers, then if the standings (rank) of candidates differ among any of the volunteers, then a recount must be done; otherwise, the committee may decide on an official tally.
The CPA (or attorney) will report on the ballot-counting process and the vote totals for each candidate. The ballots and tallies will be retained.