Leadership
One thing I am very pleased with since taking office is the way our officers, directors, committee members, and staff have formed a cohesive team to push our club forward. It would be impossible for a few people to run this organization alone, and the cumulative effort of many is really what makes things happen.
The IAC is a different sort of business because it largely exists on a volunteer effort with assistance from a small paid staff to coordinate and administer activities. You would think it would be difficult to attract people to volunteer their valuable time to be a part of the organizational infrastructure of the IAC, especially since there is no pay involved. Sometimes it is, but we always seem to be fortunate to attract fantastic people that continue to make a real and positive difference in the direction of the club.
One such person is Maryilnn Holland, who among other projects chaired the Judges Recertification Program. She handpicked Greg Dungan to take her position, and she couldn’t have picked better. Greg also agreed to take on the chair of the Judges School Program, which was excellently run by Lois Rose. What was impressive in this case is that Maryilnn Holland showed great leadership by not only doing a fantastic job for the IAC, but also by cultivating the right successor.
We all possess some leadership skills, some more than others, but some none the less. This club depends on people sharing these skills to make things happen. It may be leadership for something as big as being a contest director or as little as wiping up breather tube oil off the hangar floor without being asked. The point is that it has to come from somewhere within us, and people have to have an environment that encourages its use. We need to cultivate tomorrow’s leaders by giving them a chance to exercise their leadership skills. It’s not always easy to allow this to happen, but it’s essential for people to learn and grow.
As IAC president, I hold a position on the United States Aerobatic Foundation (USAF) Board of Directors. Our last meeting was in December, where I witnessed a nice demonstration of how successful, strong leaders work together as a coherent team to improve the fundraising arm of our U.S. teams. They were very professional and efficient, and they have nothing to gain from it other than doing something good for a passion they believe in. The IAC owes a big thanks to Sigrid Baumann, treasurer of the USAF, for helping the foundation through its transition to become a more lean fundraising machine and to Michael Racy, who has recently agreed to assume the president’s position. Also, no stranger at stepping up to the plate, Doug McConnell, a former IAC president, has agreed to act as secretary.
The thing that struck me most at this meeting is how blessed we are to have such a successful, professional bunch of people that are willing to participate in a meeting in Chicago, in the winter, on a weekend, and on their own nickel to help us raise money for our U.S. teams. This is another example of strong leadership and willingness to be a part of a team effort to do good for an organization.
Another big example of terrific leadership is the job that Phil Knight—with the help of Bob Stark—is doing with the 2003 World Aerobatic Championships, which will be held in Lakeland, Florida, June 25 through July 4. What Phil can’t do by himself is demonstrate to the world the heart of an organization and our country. He needs our help for that.
If you’re planning on coming down to Lakeland to check out the international action, how about being part of it? Ann Salcedo, one of the best volunteer coordinators in the business, is heading up the WAC volunteer effort. The WAC website is up and running with a section dedicated to this effort. Check it out at www.WAC2003.org and be a part of this special event. Displaying your leadership doesn’t go unnoticed, even if it’s a little thing. The bottom line is that it all adds up into a winning Team IAC you can have pride in. Thanks for your efforts and know that I am grateful for your contribution to aerobatics. We need to cultivate tomorrow’s leaders by giving them a chance to exercise their leadership skills.
