Re-reading a past post made by outgoing board member Brian Geoffrey (Should’ve Bought Him The Tie) has opened my eyes to the commitment of being a WGA board member.

“If you are going to be on the BOD, it will require a little bit of work all of the time. “

I work on geocaching ALL the time. It’s my passion. I’m now prepared and willing to to step up and assist the WGA board.

“BOD members communicate is with a private forum here on the WGA site. An effective BOD member will read all new posts on that BOD forum, at least 5 to 7 times a week”

I’m on the WGA forums daily. This will not be an issue for me.

“You will need to stand up for what you think is best for the organization, even if the eight other people involved disagree.”

I will always stand up for what I believe is the best decision. I am sometimes opinionated but I will always listen to the opinion’s of others and take all information into consideration to make informed, intelligent decisions.

“Sometimes, being on the BOD is a LOT of work and a substantial time commitment, especially before/during/after WGA events. All BOD members are expected to be in attendance for both WGA events.”

This is an exciting proposition for me. The May 2009 Campout was the first WGA sponsored event I have attended and I am “hooked”. Not just hooked on attending but hooked on assisting with making the event the best it can be. I was on the campout committee and truly enjoyed this experience. Being on the board will allow me to “always be on the campout committee” an opportunity I will give 100% to.

“Do you mind loading full, sopping wet garbage bags in the back of your van to take them out of the park?”

Having organized and managed the last 2 annual Appleton CITO events (see my profile page for more details, pictures, and the cache page links) I have and will haul trash. I will also bring my passion for recycling to the WGA and future WGA events as I did for the CITO events. I will ensure that we do our part to recycle so that our Earth’s resources are not dumped into landfills.

“Do you have the desire to champion an idea and work it all the way through to the end? “

I will be persistent. I am “wired for continuous improvement”. In my daily work life I am paid to come up with ideas and carry them through to implementation. That involves discussing, convincing, and compromise to make sure that the idea comes to fruition.

“do you have enough time left over in your life to dedicate to this organization?”

Now that my children are a bit older I do feel that I can commit the time needed to assist with all WGA events and attend board meetings and dedicate time to make the WGA the best it can be.

“Do you have some money?”

My job pays the bills with money left over. 😉

“Being on the BOD gives you a chance to give back to the geocaching community in a real and lasting way. You will have the opportunity to guide the direction of this organization.”

No doubt an exciting opportunity for any geocacher.

Now for what I promised. What I would plan to do/change if elected to the Board.

If I am elected to the board, I would like to bring more and better communication to the Board of Directors. Our board members should not be afraid to tell the members what’s being done or considered within the Board. Adding the “ask the board” sessions at the WGA events is a great thing but not all members attend the events and it would also be a great thing to offer this opportunity on the forums as well.

I will bring my work experience in web-based software development to the board as Jeremy is departing as a board member. I feel that the next 2 years is the perfect time to revamp the look and feel and most importantly the usability of our group’s Website. Our Website is the “life and blood” of this organization between events. Many members spend time here daily and I would like that experience to be the best it can be. I also have some great ideas on how to make our Website more inviting for bringing in new members who find our “home page”. One of the goals in our mission statement and purpose is to facilitate communication between WGA members. Our Website is key to that communication.

As stated above, I will bring a passion for Cache In Trash Out (CITO) events and preserving our Earth’s resources to the board. I will make sure that we assist in future CITO regional events like the Wausau event in 2009 if asked for WGA assistance by event organizers. I will also try to resurrect our groups “adopt a highway” that seems to have gone by the wayside as I have not seen much about this lately.

Finally, as I have already mentioned on another question response I would like to see the WGA board actively seek out community outreach events and assist members who request assistance. As a group we should do our part to help the community and as board members we can help to organize.

As our mission statement and purpose states:
“The Wisconsin Geocaching Association (WGA) is a group of geocachers dedicated to promoting and protecting geocaching within the state of Wisconsin. “

I feel that I can help the board to promote Geocaching and our group in the communities throughout Wisconsin.

I agree with k0rpl’s (a current sitting board member seeking re-election) statement that this is YOUR WGA. You get to vote for the Board that makes decisions to shape and form this great group of Geocachers. I hope I can represent all of you with your interests, opinions, and needs on the board for the next 2 years.

Thanks for your time and consideration in electing me to your WGA Board of Directors.