CAMPAIGN STATEMENTS
Note: Candidate statements reflect the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Candidate statements are published word-for-word as submitted by the candidate and are not edited by the Academy of Model Aeronautics’ staff for grammar, punctuation, or spelling. Candidates are listed alphabetically by last name when there is more than one candidate for an open office. The Academy of Model Aeronautics reserves the right to remove any portion of any statement which it determines, in its sole discretion, might contain potentially defamatory remarks.
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
As the current District VII Vice President, the members of that district have seen that I not only visit them, but I listen to what they say. I have heard the concerns of those members, and I am sure many of their concerns are the same as yours: costs, decline in membership both at the club level as well as nationally, value for membership, and support from AMA Headquarters.
Let’s start with value and support. At AMA, we ask much from the clubs acting as ambassadors for the hobby and reaching out to the community; however, we don’t provide you with the tools necessary to do this. I am aware of people who contact headquarters to ask how to host various types of events. The calls are often transferred several times, ending with a message that may or may not be returned, with the result being information that is not as useful as it should be. When looking into this directly, the first question asked was what is being done locally, at AMA Headquarters, to learn from, create events that we ask clubs to do such as community relationship development, and provide information and tools to you, the national members, to follow as guidelines. Finding an unsatisfactory answer, I took it upon myself to develop outreach and relationships within the Muncie area, culminating in several successful events and ongoing development of relationships in the community. The key to doing this is to create a template for you, our members, which can be used as a guideline for your event development. When you call and have an idea for a program you wish to develop, as we build our database, AMA should then be able to provide you with a starting guide.
Next, let’s discuss fiscal responsibility. Many of you have seen the recent increases in membership dues, additional charges should you wish the print version of the magazine, reduced quality of the magazine itself, and surcharges levied for payments made via electronic methods. Costs have increased. I will not ignore that fact, but internally at headquarters we need to look at attacking internal waste and tightening our belts. As council members, we have a fiduciary responsibility to our members. Areas that are not effectively serving you, our members, need to have changes made.
I cannot promise you that these changes will be made instantaneously. The situation we find ourselves in did not appear overnight, nor will it be corrected in such a manner. For the survival of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, while we talk of membership growth, to accomplish this, we must make sure we have a self-sustaining organizing that you, the members, are proud to be an active part of.
Proven Leadership on the Executive Council
For the past seven years, I’ve had the honor of serving as your District XI Vice President. In this role, I’ve worked hand-in-hand with the Executive Council and AMA staff, gaining deep operational insight into our organization. Serving on the Publications and Marketing & Membership committees has allowed me to help shape how AMA communicates and grows.
Furthermore, helping our members navigate complex FAA rule changes and proposals has been some of the most
