US Politics Consolidation

Description

Title:

US Politics Consolidation

Date:

1/18/1999

Text:

In a message Joe Corideo States:

        I still haven't received answers to my very simple questions - who
  prompted the discussion again begin on consolidation? When did this
  person (and it has to boil down to one person) decide it was best for
  everybody to consolidate? And how much is this all going to cost the
  organizations?

        Perhaps the best response I can give is to review the chronology
  and process by how we have arrived at the present position.
        For several years prior to 1997, dissatisfaction had been growing
  among the boards of directors of AAOP, ABC, and AOPA about the National
  Office function (NOF). This applies to the NOF as distinct to the
  individual organizations themselves (AAOP, ABC, etc.). This
  dissatisfaction related to growth of staff (the NOF has been the fastest
  growing entity in the national office), increased expense of the NOF, and
  quality of service by the NOF to the constituent organizations. Concern
  was also growing about a lack of responsiveness and accountability. These
  issues center on some very touchy matters with dangerous legal
  implications, so I would prefer not to elaborate.
        Matters finally came to a head at the AOPA meeting in 1997
  (Charlotte NC) and it was decided to conduct a service audit of the NOF.
  Plans for this audit were refined at a consensus conference conducted in
  December of 1997. Present were the executive committees of AAOP, ABC,
  AOPA, and NCOPE. It was agreed that this was to be a far ranging, no
  holds barred inquiry. A consultant from KPMG Peat Marwick, one of the
  large accounting/consulting firms, was retained to conduct the audit.
        The report of the consultant was received by the audit committee at
  the AAOP meeting in Miami in March of 1998. The recommendations of this
  committee (composed of members from ALL the organizations) were forwarded
  to ALL the boards of directors of ALL the organizations. The boards
  individually reviewed the recommendations and instructed their
  representatives to the National Office board of directors on how they
  wished to proceed. They ALL agreed that while short term fixes were
  needed in the NOF, they ALL wished to pursue the matter of consolidation.
  An announcement to this affect was made at the AAOP business meeting by
  the president Bob Brown and subsequently published.
        It might be mentioned in passing that the consultant's
  recommendation was to consolidate, the fourth such consultant over the
  years that has so recommended.
        From Miami until the AOPA meeting in Chicago, the attention of the
  organizations' executive directors and Don Holmes, chairman of the
  National Office board of directors, was consumed with addressing the
  problems unearthed in the NOF. Again, there are tricky issues involved.
        The boards of the various organizations met separately in Chicago
  at the AOPA meeting and reviewed the situation. They then met
  collectively to formulate a common position. At that Meeting the majority
  of ALL the board members of ALL the organizations voted to continue to
  pursue consolidation. It was agreed to hold a consensus conference in
  December of 1998.
        That meeting has already been alluded to but ALL the board members
  (do you begin to sense a pattern here?) of ALL the organizations were
  invited. Only one or two were not able to attend. The meeting was an open
  one and an invitation for concerned individuals to attend was issued.
  Some individuals elected to participate. Unfortunately, a number if
  individuals whose opinion would have been valuable choose not to
  participate.
        The purpose of the meeting was to give everybody a chance to air
  their concerns and issues and to similarly hear the concerns and issues
  of all the other participants. The feeling was that this airing of
  concerns would be a good representation of the concerns of the membership
  at large and that the information gathered would be valuable in drafting
  the bylaws and structure of any new organization. The MAJORITY in
  attendance voted in favor of continuing with consolidation.
        That pretty well brings us up to the present. The steering
  committee, comprised of the presidents and immediate past presidents of
  ALL the organizations met in the National Office last week to review the
  draft bylaws formulated by the executive directors of AAOP, ABC, AOPA,
  and NCOPE. This draft is being revised and will be reviewed again by the
  steering committee. Once this process is completed the results will be
  communicated to the membership.
        While I personally don't know all the details, it is my
  understanding that open debate and discussion about the matter will occur
  at the AAOP meeting in New Orleans. If the decision is made there to
  proceed then the plan calls for in person presentations at CECs, state
  and regional meeting, and any other venues possible. Plans also call for
  informational articles and other means to disseminate information about
  the matter. A committee to assist Robin Seabrook, Exec Director of NCOPE,
  in this communication effort was named last week.
        The membership of AAOP and AOPA will vote on the issue in the late
  summer early fall.
        In short, the duly elected leadership of AAOP, ABC, and ABC decided
  to pursue consolidation. It was a collective decision, not the decision
  of one person. Again I remind you that in doing so the leadership is
  pursuing its responsibility to draft recommendations that is feel best
  address the problems confronting the field. The final decision rests with
  the membership of AAOP and AOPA, not the leadership.
        I don't have a definitive answer as to how much this is costing us.
  Thus far though, most meetings about the matter have occurred at
  regularly scheduled meetings of the organizations (Miami, Chicago, etc.).

  C. Pritham

Citation

“US Politics Consolidation,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 25, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/211183.