USPA Leadership Feedback

[bnacrazywoman 0]

Hi, All

About a month ago I returned from the World Parachuting Championships for Style and Accuracy. In case you did not hear, the US Women's Team brought home the silver medal (sort of) for Overall Country--a very solid performance for us. However, the meet itself and some other circumstances were less than ideal. I wrote and sent a letter to the USPA Leadership (attached) describing our less-than-qualified team leader and here is the response I received from them.









Yep, the big nothing! No "thanks, we'll check into this" or "Hey, WTF?" Not one peep. Sooo, I suggest you draw your own conclusions and keep this in mind the next time they come up for election.

Lastly, I have yet to receive our actual Silver Medal or the $400 still owed to me (see letter).

Rhonda K. Reichel
2010 US Women's Style and Accuracy Team

[TSISK 0]

Congrats on the silver medal

[727_Jumper 0]

interesting,

The USPA should, at a minimum, acknowledge your letter. I'm sure they would be diligent in collecting all the information they could before formulating an official response and taking action, but at almost 30 days, the USPA has had plenty of time to at least acknowledge your letter.

have you tried calling anyone direct?


side note: not that you should need it, but your letter might carry more clout if your team mates were co-signers on the letter and/or submitted their own accounts.

[Hvance 0]

Well written letter. I wonder you have yet to receive a response....

And well done on the silver medal. (At least nominally if not physically.)

I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

[JohnMitchell 16]

Remail it, this time certified mail.

Who is this Kuhlman, and how politically connected is she? There is no "I" in team, but she seems to really know there's an "m" and an "e".

If what you say is even halfway accurate, I'm really shocked at her lack of leadership skills. Good luck.

[pirana 0]

Could be a delay due to some of the adjectives used. Writing to a board of any kind should be concise, professional, and devoid of colorful names. It is possible to be professionally critical without hurling insults. In fact, those 2 things are pretty much mutually exclusive.

If a letter like that showed up on my desk, it would go to the bottom of the stack, and stay there until absolutely everything else was done.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

If a letter like that showed up on my desk, it would go to the bottom of the stack, and stay there until absolutely everything else was done.

Unfortunately, many people in responsible positions think exactly that way.

IMHO, yes, the letter was highly unprofessional in its own right. However, that should not preclude prompt investigation of the allegations made, as serious as they are.

Co-signing by the team would have added additional weight.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[davelepka 4]

I'm not sure what to say about he lack of response to your letter. While I have many disagreements with the policies of the USPA and actions of the BOD, I have always found all individuals involved to be polite and professional. The lack of any sort of acknowledgement surprises me.

One thought, I see the letter is primarily addressed to Jay Stokes, was the envelope directly addressed to, and only to, Jay? I ask becasue I'm not sure jay spends too much time to USPA HQ, and is frequently on the road conducting ratings courses. It is possible that the letter was recieved at USPA HQ, forwarded to Jay's home, where it might be sitting waiting for him to return from a ratings course or otherwise. I'd consider sending an e-mail directly to Jay asking if he has seen the letter.

In a releted manner, and becasue I just don't know the details, how exactly is a team manager chosen for US teams participation in international meets. I seem to recall seeing a cattle-call for resumes for a team manager position for the US canopy piloting team, which leads me to believe that there is one individual in charge of 'hiring' for this position. I would be interested to hear who this individual is, and if they have any connection with the individual who was appointed your team manager.

Along the same lines, is this a paid position, and what is the situation regarding the travel and lodging expenses for a team manager? I cannot imagine that anyone would do this work for free and pay their own way, so my next question would be where to the funds come from to cover the costs of a team manager? If this out of the USPA general fund, or out of donations made directly to the US Team Turst Fund (as listed every month in Parachutist).

As a USPA member, this is another area where it appears the the USPA has failed in their duties, to include the mis-use of funds by appointing an unqualified individual as team manager. If the funds all come from the Team Trust Fund, I feel confident in speaking for those jumpers who donate to that the mis-use of those funds is upsetting to them.

Please update this thread as the situation moves forward, and let us know what happens.

[topdocker 0]

Rhonda-

Since you posted this in a public forum, I will respond in public.

I was unable to open your attachment in DZ.com, and I have reviewed my mail cache and could not find an email from you. I have been with the US CF Team in china for the last few weeks and have been unable to get some emails.

If you could resend your letter to me, I can respond to you personally. I am only one member of the BOD, so my abilities are limited, but I will at least read what you have to say.

Thanks and congratulations on the silver medal, it is an honor well-deserved!

Craig Stapleton,
Pacific RD

Jump more, post less!

[michaelmullins 81]

Quote

Hi, All

About a month ago I returned from the World Parachuting Championships for Style and Accuracy. In case you did not hear, the US Women's Team brought home the silver medal (sort of) for Overall Country--a very solid performance for us. However, the meet itself and some other circumstances were less than ideal. I wrote and sent a letter to the USPA Leadership (attached) describing our less-than-qualified team leader and here is the response I received from them.









Yep, the big nothing! No "thanks, we'll check into this" or "Hey, WTF?" Not one peep. Sooo, I suggest you draw your own conclusions and keep this in mind the next time they come up for election.

Lastly, I have yet to receive our actual Silver Medal or the $400 still owed to me (see letter).

Rhonda K. Reichel
2010 US Women's Style and Accuracy Team

I did read your letter and I personally have not responded to it as the issue is completely the purview of the Competition Committee and it does no good for every director to respond to and become involved as that would surely confuse the issue.

According to the list of addressee's on the letter, you did not send it to the person who would be directly responsible for this issue: Bill Wenger, Chairman of the Competition Committee.

His contact information, as published in the front of Parachutist, is:

Bill Wenger, Mountain Region Director & Chair of the Competition Committee
545 Struthers Loop, Colorado Springs, CO 80291
Work Phone: 719-333-2356
Home Phone/Fax: 719-488-8250
Cell: 719-200-8947
fredrick.wenger@usafa.al.mil
acc_coach@msn.com


Michael Mullins
USPA National Director

[BDashe 0]

I don't have a dog in this fight, but if I were on the BOD I'd be laughing. I only got halfway through the letter.

First, it was WAY too long, it should have been kept to 1 page maximum, ultimately requesting a meeting, call, or some kind of follow up on a later date where you can flesh out your concerns, with a date specified where you will follow up through another avenue of communication if you hear nothing.

Second, it reminded me of a child between say, 1st and 3rd grade whining to their parents about a teacher they didn't like.

Third, it screamed bias. You are the only one expressing concern over this. for all they know you made this stuff up or embellished it because of one disagreement. Include signatures from your peers.

Lastly, it's one letter. You may want to consider some kind of follow up to your single letter prior to b*tching on the internet in an open forum.


That's all I got,

Brett


edit: Craig, i don't see you listed/CC'd on the letter

So there I was...

Making friends and playing nice since 1983

[DSE 5]

if it went via snail-mail...I'd wager many haven't seen it.
If it's a print letter, it has to get around to someone's desk. Then it has to be seen on the desk, and takes additional time to open. there is no easy way to share it with others that might have input.
Email is easy because it can be forwarded and the world is your desktop. Easier to read, respond to, and share with others. If you want a hard copy, it's but a button click away.

[bnacrazywoman 0]

Brett,

Fair enough. Thanks for the feedback--will keep it in mind if I experience this type of incompetence again.

BS
Rhonda

[bnacrazywoman 0]

Thanks, Pirana

Unfortunately, I believe the "colorful adjective" is highly appropriate.

BS
Rhonda

[zen_mtn_climber 0]

Rhonda,

Re: Craig (topdocker)'s inability to read your attachment . . you attached a .docx file which is from Word 2007/2010 . . older versions of MS Word can not read .docx files without a converter. This most likely is why Craig couldn't open your attachment.

You should probably either do a Save As and and change the file type to .doc so people with older versions of Word can read your letter.

Better yet, MS has a free "Save As PDF" add-on for Word 2007. Go to their site and in the search box type Microsoft Save As PDF and it'll lead you to the link to down load it. PDFs are more universally readable for this type of thing.

Just my $0.02 . . sorry for the thread drift. And congrats on your silver medal . . very impressive accomplishment!

Cheers,
Keith

"Whatever the future holds down the road, being true to yourself is something you won't ever regret doing. " - airtwardo

[Wenger 0]

I have recieved this letter and have let Rhonda know that at the next BOD meeting it will be reviewed by the Competition Commiittee along with several others that are not in agreement. EVERYTHING the Competition Committee recieves is presented at the meetings. It's not fair to discuss this any futher in a public forum