HERE WE GO AGAIN, AGAIN

There have been many Comments, mostly off-line,to the suggestion that the new Chairs evaluate the progress, or lack thereof, under the current CEO's "leadership." Here are three Anonymous Comments that deserve discussion and thought:

• "Although you, Richard, and most of your readers can predict the responses, a quick rather short survey can easily gauge federation wants in the areas of FRD, planning, networking, short term consulting, Personnel, Govt relations and conferences. From there a work plan that separates the essential from the frivolous can be created with lay involvement in weeks not months. With a JFNA commitment to remaining focused, even a budget neutral JFNA would gain acceptance sans cuts sans additional expenditures."
• "The most creative thing the last two CEO's of the organization did was their hardball negotiation of their employment packages. If we are to go out on another search my suggestions are A: That the compensation package be set in advance as a amount based on the average of the top 50% compensations of large city executives. B: That executive experience in Federation be an absolute prerequisite for the position and C: That the new CEO agree to a professional advisory committee to be informed and consulted on a regular basis."
• "Your solution of allowing the current chairs time to evaluate for themselves seems flawed to me. It is almost the same problem as with Congress. The representatives get elected to a two year term and by the time they conduct the studies in order to make a decision it is the end of their term and they have lost interest leaving it to the next administration (unless they are running for re-election.) Add to this problem that the board of JFNA meets infrequently. In other words, at the first meeting - when is that, late January, they might call for an evaluation/assessment of Jerry to be completed by the next meeting - when is that late April/early May. Even if by that time they decide to end the relationship it will take some time to move forward with a change plus finding the next person - with no obvious successor in place. So by then we will have wasted another 8-10 months and another $20-30 mil."

These Comments are cogent and impressive -- the writers clearly know our system and know JFNA more for its many faults than for any claimed successes (if one can identify any) under the current professional administration. 

The time is now. We are told that by this coming June the CEO's "chief advisor on campaign matters" (although we have not seen any evidence of that "advice") will retire; someone needs to examine the void that exists at JFNA-Israel (something the current CEO has not only refused to do; he has added to that office's responsibilities the entirety of the Global Planning Table [other than, of course, what has been handed over top a consultant]) known more for empire-building than building success; and someone needs to carefully examine the failed GAs, one after another, and the wholesale hiring of consultants as opposed to building a stronger professional cadre.

Let's move forward now.

Rwexler