I received the below message from Girand and Gattis. I also received the message from USAT saying that USA Triathlon adheres to a very strict privacy policy to protect our membership from such unsolicited emails. USA Triathlon has not rented or sold your information to any of these parties. So, where did they get my email address?
Fellow Multisport Athlete!!
I am writing you personally, as a complementary email to the one you received earlier from my good friend and colleague, Val Gattis, President of USA Triathlon.
You already have my Platform and Accomplishments that came with the ballot so I will not repeat that information. Instead, I am sending a letter to annual USAT members pasted below.
SNAPSHOT SUMMARY
I have listened and spoken to more than 1,000 athletes in the past eight months by travelling to Clubs and races and believe I understand the issues on your mind. I have concluded I should work toward a better way to handle** the number one problem facing athletes - race transfers.** I will convene a task force comprised of Triathlon Club Presidents and Race Directors and seek to work toward a ‘win-win’ conclusion. Then, I will strive to spread that model across a broader area for those people interested in adopting it. I believe we can make good progress on this issue. And, I will work to** expand the ‘supply side’ of races** by expanding the Growth Initiatives I authored as a Board member last year, that is, when a Race Director stages a new race in a new venue, he can receive a $500 reimbursement from the Federation -** more races for more athletes!**
Thank you for your consideration and please vote for myself and Val Gattis, the President of the Federation.
Jim Girand Vice President USA Triathlon Federation Western Region
LETTER TO WESTERN REGION ANNUAL MEMBERS
I am asking for your vote now that you have received the official ballot from USAT.
A new election is being held because The** Blue Ribbon Panel** appointed by the U.S. Olympic Committee** concluded that the election rules** were flawed, even** though the practices followed were more strict than in previous years, and all candidates followed the same rules.** Enough said about the past - let’s look forward to improving the sports of triathlon and duathlon and my candidacy in particular.
I am running as the incumbent, first elected in 2001. During the past two and one half years I have sought to** make the Federation more attractive to our three main constituents; the athletes, race directors and sponsors**. When I ran for re-election last fall** I personally met more than 1,000 of you**, at races, Club meetings, small gatherings of athletes and face to face. I told you of my efforts to make multisport more attractive to existing and potential new members and you told me what you wanted**. I took those inputs and made them the cornerstone of my efforts as a Board member.** You responded by** re-electing me, nearly a 2:1 margin** and** cast over 800 votes for me!**
You told me** the biggest problem you face is in the area of race transfers**. That is, you enter a race, pay the entry fee, and cannot participate in the race. Different race directors have different policies as to how they handle this situation, such as full refund, credit toward a future race, or some other approach. From the race director’s perspective, he needs to know how many people will participate in a race and if he refunds the entry fee and cannot sell that slot to another athlete he has a lost opportunity. There is no right or easy answer to this vexing problem**. I am committed to forming a small task force of Club Presidents and Race Directors, bring them together and seek a consensus on a model that could be adopted.** If it improves the perception of the problem from both the perspective of the athletes and race directors I will seek wider acceptance of the model from other race directors, stressing a ‘win-win’ solution for all involved in racing!
You asked for** more races so you would have more choices**. Traditional popular triathlons sometimes sell out in hours, if ever available. In 2002** I authored a ‘Growth Initiatives’ resolution passed by the Board of Directors that enabled a race director to qualify for a $500 subsidy if he staged a multisport event at a new venue.** Over 40 race directors applied for that subsidy and expressed strong appreciation to the Federation for this support**. My commitment is to expand the program** in the next budget and publicize the availability of these funds more extensively. I will also work to make other resources available to the race directors, such as, our mail list in the geographic area so he has a higher probability of success. In a few words; more races for more athletes!!
The Federation has enormous untapped potential in the area** of strategic sponsorship**. Last year** I worked very hard to get Amino-Vital** to become a strategic sponsor of USAT. My efforts were successful and demonstrate triathlon is an attractive franchise and more large sponsors can be found. I will work with Bill Campbell, our sponsor development executive, to generate more successes for USAT.
Most important,** I will continue to travel throughout the Western Region meeting with athletes, race directors and sponsors so you will know I care about your needs** and will be an advocate for you if there is anything the Federation can reasonably provide to make your multisport experience even more rewarding. If you ever have a need or a problem to be solved,** I will continue to answer your inquiries within 24 hours** and work for a solution that is satisfactory for you!
Finally,** I ask your support and vote for Valerie Gattis running in the ‘At Large’ region**. She has served with distinction as the President of USAT and has been instrumental in setting higher standards and better accountability for the staff and our fellow Board members. It has been a privilege for me to work closely with her this past year.
For all the above reasons,** I ask for your vote and pledge to represent you in a professional manner,** putting your and the Federation’s needs as the first priority!
Thank you for your supportŠ.!
Jim