I received a fine email from Terry Davis. I thought I would post it here for your comments.
Art Franke
Dear Triathletes
On Monday June 14th, USA Triathlon sent out a ballot for a special election for the Board of Directors to all USAT annual members. If you are an annual member, I am requesting that you would vote for me, Terry Davis, for the Western Regional Director and for Steve Locke for the At Large position. As soon as you get your ballot, please vote and mail it back to USA Triathlon as per their instructions. Along with voting for me, I request that you send this e-mail to all of the other triathletes in the region that you are associated with. If you are not annual members, I ask that you join immediately and request your ballot. It will take each and every one of us to vote in order for a successful election.
This election came about because the previous Board of Directors made some poor choices on how the election process was to be conducted, even though they received counsel, on the proper procedures. I do not believe that there was any intent of wrong doing, but there were improprieties and the integrity of our sport was compromised. As a result, I felt compelled to put my hat in the ring and run for a director position.
If you will vote for me I give my word that I will serve with integrity, honesty and will work to always put the interest of the sport before my own personal interests. Most of you have either competed in one of the Tri-California’s events or have heard about our company. I promise to put my management skills that I have developed over the last 23 years to work on the board at USAT in the same manner as I run my business.
I know Steve Locke to be a man of integrity. He resigned his position as executive director of USAT when the board would not accept his advice on the election. He now just wants to be on the board to help direct USAT.
I am praying daily about our sport and the results of the election. Thank you for your support. I have also attached a copy of our platforms, which will be on the ballot, if you wish to read them here.
God Bless
Terry Davis
Biography and Platform of Terry Davis
Candidate for Western Region
USAT Board of Directors
My name is Terry Davis, and I am honored to be running as a candidate for the Western Region on USAT’s board of Directors. Currently, I am President and owner of Tri-California Events Inc., which produces five triathlons in California: The Wildflower Triathlons Festival, The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, The Triathlon at Pacific Grove, The Treasure Island Triathlon and Scott Tinley’s Adventures. I have a total of 23 years experience in our sport as a Race Director. In addition, I have served on the USAT board from 1986 to 1990, and was the director of triathlon (2001-2002) for the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee, (BASOC) in San Francisco’s bid for the 2012 Olympic Games.
As a business owner, and race director I am concerned with the results of the previous election and disappointed with how it affected our sport; its reputation and its athletes. Just as our sport produces healthy, vibrant people, so should our governing organization be healthy and vibrant. I hope to bring an infusion of energy, vision and integrity to our board. I truly want to serve our sport and its athletes. I look forward to bringing the kind of quality that Tri-California’s events are known for, to the USAT board. I have a strong faith that is exhibited in both my strength and my weaknesses. I always try to make fair and reasonable decisions. My goals include youth development and ensuring quality events. I will encourage strong, healthy relationships at every level of our sport. Our sport is growing, and the board needs to be on the cutting edge of this growth. If I am elected, I promise to serve our sport with integrity, professionalism and energy.
Biography and Platform of Steve Locke
Candidate for At Large
USAT Board of Directors
For the Membership: To Bring Back Integrity and Order to USA Triathlon
A new Board election has been required by the United States Olympic Committee due to the past USAT Board’s creation of election rules (quoting the USOC) “under which the USAT’s Board election were ill conceived, contrary to normal election practices and allowed for improper election practices by candidates.”
The USOC continued in their report saying about candidates Gattis, Girand and Travis that “the Panel questions the judgment of those individuals, as well as their motives, in advocating for and supporting USAT’s election rules and then engaging in practices under those rules that were perceived as improper and as casting doubt on the credibility of the election. Their actions, at times, were certainly not of a caliber one would expect of candidates for Director positions on a National Governing Body. The Panel questions whether those candidates let their own personnel aspirations override good judgment. Certainly they should have understood that their actions would raise the specter of impropriety and cast doubt on the election process, especially since they were sitting Board members.”
In this election, I pledge to bring integrity, and order back to USA Triathlon, and operate USA Triathlon for the betterment of the membership.
In the past twelve years, Steve Locke and the USA Triathlon staff have:
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Served twelve years as executive director of USA Triathlon
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Built the membership from 9,000 to 53,000
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Built the number of sanctioned events from 375 to just under 1,200
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Built the budget from $300,000 to $5,100,000
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Built a reserve fund of $2,000,000 for the eventual rainy day
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Developed numerous age group initiatives
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Developed the USA Triathlon National Training Center
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Developed the number one ranked triathlon team in the world
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Developed the most protective insurance plan in sport to protect athletes and race directors.
Together, lets return USA Triathlon to our membership.