STATE REPS LETTER TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
To the RRCA Board of Directors:
Over a month has now passed since
nine RRCA State Representatives signed a letter to Executive Director David
Dobrzynski. It aired certain concerns and requested explanations of issues
involving the RRCA. The letter was also posted to the RRCA Forum web page. To
date, there has been no response to, or public acknowledgment of, our letter.
For the record, we continue to be
concerned about issues raised in the letter. As it appears unlikely that David
will be taking any action, we ask that the Board of Directors respond to our
letter.
There are a few more key points we
wish to bring to your attention, and also request your feedback. It's been ten
months since David assumed his duties as RRCA's Executive Director (ED). He has
not relocated to Virginia, choosing instead to work from his home in
Massachusetts at least half the time. We believe the result is not positive.
There are reports of nonresponsiveness to requests from member clubs and State
Representatives. We do not believe that long-distance supervision is a scenario
that the Board desired when it hired David. David was hired to be a resident ED
and, for the good of the RRCA, we expect him to fulfill that role - if he is to
remain in the position.
As was made clear in our June
letter, sponsorship is a major concern. David stated at the January Board
meeting, at the Norfolk convention, and in an article that appeared in the
Summer issue of Footnotes, that he was forming a task force for sponsorships
and would be reporting to the July Board meeting. Insofar as we are aware, no
task force was formed, nor was a written report filed for Board consideration.
Sponsorships are a major source of revenue and we are concerned that little
visible action is being taken. Other opportunities have been missed. The RRCA
was not audited this year, thereby precluding it from qualifying for Government
and nonprofit grants and associated funding. President Bush's 3-mile run in
June promoting fitness for the country would have provided a wonderful platform
for some RRCA exposure. The American Running Association and Runner's World
magazine were there; RRCA wasn't.
Finally, David sometimes exhibits
abrasive and discourteous behavior toward members who request information from
the RRCA office. For example, on July 9th he accused former National Membership
Chair Mel Cyrak of a "history of ulterior motives and distorting the
truth" when Mel asked an office staff person for convention-related data.
Mel wrote David back and asked him to document the accusations, but David
failed to respond. And, Mel has yet to receive the information he requested.
Our first letter ended with the observation that "all signs point toward disaster". As every day passes without remedial action being taken, we come closer to the brink. The RRCA Board of Directors is faced with some difficult decisions, and we hope you will take action in a timely manner to bring about positive change in the RRCA.
Sincerely,
David B. Epstein, Alaska State Representative
Tom Downing, Alabama State Representative
Jim Irish, Arizona State Representative
Norm Haines, Southern California State Representative
George Rehmet, Central California State Representative
John Devitt, Montana State Representative
Lisa Paige, Colorado State Representative
John Priester, Iowa State Representative
Irv Newman, Maryland State Representative
George Adams, Utah State Representative
Joan Davis, Hawaii State Representative
Bill Torrey, Arkansas State Representative
Bob Wilmot, North Texas State Representative
Dan Hawley, Virginia State Representative