[Dialogue] Board Decisions Affecting the Future of ICA/EI

David Walters walters at alaweb.com
Mon Oct 9 23:12:03 EST 2006


This is such distressing news. 

Was Ms. Houde's departure related to the fact that the ICA/EI could
not deal with her business acumen or was it that she could nor deal
with the way ICA/EI does its business?

Will the soon to be annouced staff reductions refect the revotonary
priciples that bithed the ICA and EI?

Will the new orginzational study by an outside consultant bring order
out of chaos?

I remember when the lack of funds was a great motivating fctor for
development centrum. Susttaining the was job one for them.

I recall that ICA/EI pioneered in organizational analysiss and futric
planning, so now we turn to the to do what we used to do.

Layoffs are one of the oprions of the2 secular world to deal with
financial crisis management issues, what we used to know is that when
people leave they take things with them, like trainingt experience
and common memory. These are the very things that are needed to work
throught the crisis and to work efectively on the other side of
resolving the crisis.

"the Board" is used at least seven times in the email below. Has "the
Board" become an entity unto itself. I voted off of "the Board" 2
years ago by a group of women who wanted and did shift the direction
of the orgaization 180 degrees in another direct4ion. Is this what is
happening to the ICA/Ei? 

It seems to me that the biggest single problem for the ICA/Ei is the
failurer to establish an efective marketing effort for the programs
of the ICA/EI. Further that has been the problem for a long, long
time.

David

>Because of the journey many of us have shared over the years we are
> writing to apraise
> you of some recent developments. The Board of Director's meeting in
> Minneapolis
> this past weekend was tough. All Board members were fully engaged in
> their care for ICA/EI and our collective future. In reviewing the
> recent organizational assessment
> and the stark financial reality we face, it has become clear that
> ICA/EI cannot continue in its current configuration or with its
> current proliferation of program activities. Our cash flow does not
> sustain day-to-day operations.
>
>
> Confronted with these facts, the Board has decided to recast,
refocus,
> and simplify our approach to making the gifts of ICA/EI available to
> the world. Our decisions were unanimous and include both layoffs and
> a new business model. The ICA/EI that will emerge will look very
> different and have far fewer staff than today.
>
> Details of these decisions will be announced to staff in Chicago,
> Denver, and Phoenix next Monday, October 16. While layoffs are
> inevitable, as we have been saying since the beginning of the
> assessment process, the Board has taken steps to provide as much
> transition support as we can within the financial constraints we are
> facing.
>
> By endorsing a new business model that relies on a much smaller core
> staff to implement, we believe we will be putting ICA on a course
that
> has much promise. There are, of course, no guarantees. You will also
> hear about this emerging business model next week.
>
> In all of its decisions, the Board is responding to a legal mandate
it
> cannot duck—to provide fiduciary oversight of the finances, mission
> and programming of ICA/EI.
>
> We are under no illusion as to the magnitude of the decisions we
made
> this weekend. All our actions were informed by our heads, our hearts
> and our love for ICA/EI. Though the assessment and the financial
> reality paints a difficult picture, the Board is well aware that the
> staff of ICA/EI has been stalwart in continuing its work in
bettering
> the lives of others.
>
> We will keep you abreast of developments as we move into the future.
> Thank you for your support.
>
> On behalf of the Board,
>
> Richard Wilkinson
> ICA/EI Board President
>
> Members of the Board:
> Suganya Sockalingam Lela Jahn Rachael Swanson Don Elliott
> Carolyn Antenen Kathleen Joyce Jay Kurtzman Judy Lindblad
> Tim Lush





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