Thursday, April 5, 2018

WHAT DO WE EXPECT?

Friends, what do you think of this?

Richard Sandler appointed a fellow Angeleno, Sharon Janks, as Chair of the Nominating Committee* that will, among other offices, nominate Sandler's successor. Sharon is a strong appointment, a person of demonstrated integrity; so you won't be surprised that Sandler appointed the following to the Nominating Committee (maybe to assure that Janks doesn't "go rogue?):"

  • Michael Gelman, a past Chair of the Executive
  • Dede Feinberg, likewise
  • Kathy Manning, Past Board Chair
  • Michael Siegal, likewise
No doubt Sandler himself serves ex officio as well. That officio gang of four with Sandler led JFNA to exactly the desperate place it is in today through commission and omission, nonfeasance and malfeasance. They should not be permitted to serve on this Nominating Committee but, inasmuch as they have already been named, they should be ignored.

So, Sharon, be strong. Remember, as Malcolm Muggeridge once wrote: "...only dead fish swim with the stream;" the last thing JFNA needs in its ultimate leadership positions is another "dead fish."

It should be remembered that many of these leaders served on the Search Committee that foisted Jerry Silverman on JFNA. One would have thought that embarrassment alone from this horrific mistake would have caused those involved to slink away offering their apologies. But, no.

There are other members of the Committee worthy of respect -- I fear that they will be overwhelmed by the very people who ignored their leadership obligations, their fiduciary duties in either pursuit of their own goals (Manning and Gelman) or through a refusal to lead (Siegal, Feinberg and Sandler) leaving Silverman to vividly demonstrate his inability to do so time and time again. As a system, we cannot abide another set of JFNA leaders who have already demonstrated that they live in denial of objective reality. I fear that's what we will get.

Friends, this process is an opportunity to begin the process that could lead to real change at JFNA. Change will only happen if the incoming Board Chair understands where JFNA is today. 

Ya' think that's going to be allowed to happen?

Rwexler

* Loyal readers will want to know that, yes, add Sharon Janks to the ranks of those at JFNA who have a Chair -- as in "From the Desk of..."

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Expect Nothing.
The only way for change to happen is for external pressure to be exerted.
We are all going to be dead fish if that doesn't happen and it needs to happen fast!

Anonymous said...

Richard, You may think that Sharon Janks possesses the steel spine necessary to ward off the influence of those like Sandler, who appointed her, but there is no evidence in her lay leadership history here in LA to support your confidence in her independence from lay or professional leadership. We'll know soon, won't we?

Anonymous said...

Richard, take a breath before choosing not to print this. 1:18 insults three people by names, talks about steel spines and stays anonymous.
There’s the real problem!

Anonymous said...

8:58 Bravo!

Anonymous said...

First, 8:58 can't count; second, as did I, writes Anonymously but criticizes me for doing so and then congratulates himself. this a.m.

Anonymous said...

Richard, if you are wrong, and Sharon Janks doesn't have the strength you believe she has, JFNA will end up with Richard Sandler under another name dooming JFNA to another three years ina coma. What can be done?

Anonymous said...

The reality is that the current leadership have formed a claque so tight that when Sandler catches cold, they all sneeze. This self-reverentil group can't see beyond their own tight circle and believe that everything is going well. It has become a dangerous self-perpetuating oligarchy, group that believes that things couldn't be better, that even Caspi is doing a good job, and they have no awareness that the orgainzation lacks any engagement with the federation owners. They laugh at their own jokes while failing to understand that they have led JFNA to be the biggest and most expensive joke of all.