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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>All,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>I urge everyone to help out on this. I sent you information on the GDB issue earlier this month. It is the opinion of many of us that, in fact, the GDB board is still quite disconnected and does not understand the severity of the problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>The letter Bob Burke sent last Friday says nothing to address the issues and concerns of the various stakeholders of GDB. This school is National in scope and thus deserves National attention.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Thanks for your assistance.</span> <span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Best,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Michael Hingson<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Sheila Styron [mailto:noreply@list.moveon.org] <br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, June 25, 2013 10:26 AM<br><b>To:</b> info@michaelhingson.com<br><b>Subject:</b> GDB's board still needs to hear from you!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span lang=EN style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans","serif";color:#333333'><a href="http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-the-board-its-time?mailing_id=13545&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=7790633&r_by=8014728">http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-the-board-its-time?mailing_id=13545&source=s.icn.em.cr&%3Br_by=7790633&r_by=8014728</a></span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><br><br>Dear petition signers,<br><br>I am sharing a recent communication from GDB's board which many of you may not have read, followed by my response. I have included email addresses for the board for your convenience in responding directly to them. You may use the included petition link to encourage people to sign, as the board does not yet appear to recognize that our concerns are much broader than those addressed in the correspondence below. Therefore, we must continue to address our issues directly to GDB's board. Once again, thank you for signing, and I hope you will continue to lend your support, as issues currently faced by GDB and their resolution are relevant to all guide dog training programs.<br><br> Subject: Communication from GDB Board<br>Dear Alumni, <br>As a GDB graduate your support and understanding is extraordinarily important to the board and leadership of GDB. We have a responsibility to earn that support and understanding with frank and ongoing communications. You may have heard about recent and substantial changes to our programs, which resulted in the layoff of eight employees. GDB is a large and complex organization, and from time to time, change is required to respond to new economic and program environments. However, we are also a community with a shared mission. I believe the board and GDB executive leadership are doing a good job of becoming an even more mission-driven organization, which is a wholly good thing in spirit and strategy. But, in execution, the way we announced the changes increased doubt instead of understanding. The past few months have been challenging for GDB. The organization may have been well served but our community was not. Both the board and GDB leadership have learned from this experience and from your comments, questions and concerns. The board recognizes and honors its relationships with clients, puppy raisers, donors and volunteers; and it also recognizes its responsibility to do what is necessary to ensure mission fulfillment in the future. That said, we will be evaluating the program changes with a set of rigorous metrics based on our traditional program standards of the annual number and quality of working teams. We will track progress, or the lack of it, and make adjustments in order to achieve our goals. We will share evaluation results on a quarterly basis. We understand that trust and confidence in GDB executive leadership has been brought into question. The board is confident in the executive leadership of GDB. The board believes the changes that have taken place, some of which predate Paul’s arrival, are important to the ability of the organization to realize its mission. At the same time, the board realizes fully that it is also important to do a much better job of communicating about such changes, as we intend to do moving forward. We are reaching out to the Alumni Association board to improve our communication and teamwork. A meeting is scheduled at the end of July to conduct a comprehensive discussion of the board-approved five-year strategic plan. The AA board’s involvement will help guide the development of the associated operational plans. We will continue to ensure that our alumni community and interests are represented through graduate participation on the GDB Board, as they are currently through our graduate board members. In the coming weeks and months, I believe you will see changes in our communications and approach all designed to deepen outreach to our constituents, rebuild relationships and refine leadership goals. The voice of all those who love and support the mission of GDB is important to us. We value and respect the role that the AA Board plays in making sure we hear and understand it. Your input and feedback will help all of us at GDB keep the focus on our graduates and on getting better in all that we do. <br><br>Sincerely, Bob Burke Board Chair </span><o:p></o:p></p><p style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><br><br>To:</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'bburke@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'gkerscher@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'sodell@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'ruthann.dodson24@gmail.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'jboyd@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'mwatkins@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'sbutton@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'dgershen@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'jharris@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'amathieson@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'smansfield@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'>; </span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:blue'>'jackscott@guidedogs.com'</span><span style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";color:black'><br>Response to recent board communication to alumni</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Hello, Board,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>I am writing to express my thoughts on your recent communication to alumni. Thank you for finally breaking your silence, though what you stated in this communication is hardly encouraging to many of us and that you still do not understand the depth of concern and loss of trust many are experiencing. It appears that the board feels that the only thing which is amiss is in how changes have been miscommunicated, as when I spoke with George Kerscher on the heels of the shocking layoffs, he expressed this idea that if only messaging had been better, controversy could have been avoided. That was not true then, and it is not true four months later. The recent board communication implies that the board is still confident in current leadership and the plan the organization has been implementing. Therefore, it appears that the board has not yet understood our concerns regarding the inappropriateness of the current administration and its recent unpopular mandates. Given all the feedback you have received to date, which has surprisingly not shaken your expressed confidence in current leadership, it is doubtful to many of us that meeting with the alumni board to discuss the strategic plan represents little more than an effort to convince them that staying the course is their only choice. Sadly, the corporate board has the power to enact meaningful change, while we the people who need guide dogs have little recourse other than to continue to ask the board to carefully reconsider its position. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>On a more personal note, I trained with my first guide in 1971, and each time I have returned for a successor dog, I was pleased at obvious improvements in many areas of the program. Now, attempts are being made to convince me that less is more, and my trust of and pride in GDB is evaporating, a sad disappointment and sense of loss I never imagined I would experience in my lifetime. Unless the corporate board realizes that by allowing cuts and shortcuts which are already diminishing GDB’s overall quality and reputation, along with eroding the organization’s innovative spirit, you will lose me and so many others, alumni, donors, raisers and other volunteers, essentially GDB’s core reasons for existing. I feel as if I am in mourning over the slow decline and death of a loved one who will soon be gone forever. Gretch is nine now, and I do not have confidence that GDB will feel like a safe place for me when it is time to return to train with my sixth guide dog. Please, please, please do not continue along this course as the negative consequences are far reaching and have already begun to seriously destroy GDB’s morale and reputation. </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Sincerely,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Sheila Styron</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><br> <o:p></o:p></p><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><hr size=2 width="100%" align=center></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>This message was sent to Michael Hingson by Sheila Styron through MoveOn's public petition website. MoveOn Civic Action does not endorse the contents of this message. To unsubscribe or report this email as inappropriate, click here: <a href="http://petitions.moveon.org/unsub.html?i=13545-8014728-AxTxKK">http://petitions.moveon.org/unsub.html?i=13545-8014728-AxTxKK</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Want to make a donation?</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt'> MoveOn is entirely funded by our 8 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. <a href="https://civic.moveon.org/donatec4/creditcard.html?cpn_id=687">Chip in here.</a> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=1 height=1 id="_x0000_i1026" src="http://petitions.moveon.org/o?i=13545-8014728-AxTxKK"><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>