| Letter from the President |
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December 29, 2007 I'm writing this letter to inform you that SWIMBA has recently gone through a strategic planning exercise. Because of this, at our regular Board meeting in November, we decided to change the structure of the organization in order to increase the likelihood of meeting the objectives developed during this exercise and to increase opportunities for involvement of SWIMBA members not on the Board. The Board agreed in the meeting to form a number of committees that align directly with our strategic objectives. The majority of the work performed in support of a given objective will be done at the committee level and the committee chairperson will report to the board on a monthly basis to give an update. It is the intent that topics submitted for consideration on the Board’s monthly agenda will be accompanied by a statement of explanation in order for the individual Board members to familiarize themselves with the topic prior to the meeting. With the majority of work being done at the committee level and the monthly agenda topics being accompanied by a written explanation, it is the expectation of the Board that the monthly Board meetings will be less cumbersome and take less time. Furthermore, this revised structure should free up time for individual Board members to pursue the SWIMBA work they are most passionate about, be it trail building, fund raising, etc. It is the board’s hope that this organizational change will also motivate the general membership to get involved with a committee that aligns with their personal interests. The committees and chairs determined at the November meeting of the Board are as follows: Membership: No chairman has yet been identified for this committee. Please contact David Thomas ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) if you are interested in participating or chairing this committee. This committee's main function will be to develop membership benefits. It is expected that this committee will work very closely and coordinate with the Marketing / Awareness committee. Marketing / Awareness: Chairman – Jill Giese; email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , phone: 208-761-5031. Objective: to increase awareness of SWIMBA. Our top strategies are to improve marketing-communication activities, improve the SWIMBA website, further capitalize on SWIMBA events such as Tour de Fat and Trailpalooza, develop and/or improve our partnerships with bike shops and bike clubs, and increase SWIMBA's involvement and presence at races. Education / Advocacy: Chairman – Tom Gattiker; email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , phone:208-331-3444. The Education and Advocacy committee has several objectives. Over the past few years, the popularity of our foothills trails has increased tremendously. This is good news, but it increases the potential for accidents and conflict among users. Furthermore, many of our trails are facing overuse with single track disappearing and short cuts popping up all over our trail system. Thus one of our objectives is educating users on trail etiquette and responsible trail use. Residential development and increasing pressure on our public lands create some threats to mountain-biking, but they also bring about some opportunities. Therefore another objective of our committee will be to monitor planning, land use, and development issues so that SWIMBA may engage in these issues when necessary. Our committee will meet once a month or less, and meetings will not exceed 90 minutes. Please consider making an investment in mountain biking by joining our committee. Trails: Co-Chairman – Dan Meeker & Al Casile; Contact info: Al Casile, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , or phone: 208-830-1981. Dan Meeker, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or Office: (208) 947-8300, Cell (208) 841-2660 This committee will coordinate volunteers for construction of trails, apply for grants necessary to complete trail construction and participate in other activities directly related to trails construction and maintenance. Fundraising: Chairman – Kristi Regotti email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , phone: 208-761-5872. The Objective of the fundraising committee is to generate money to support SWIMBA's mission statement through grants and outreach events, such at Tour de Fat. (This committee may be divided into sub-committees that work together to achieve this goal.) With all this said, I’m hopeful that you will seize this opportunity to contribute to the well being of the trail system that we all use and consider one of the greatest amenities of the Treasure Valley. SWIMBA has achieved much in the last decade. The work that SWIMBA has facilitated or taken on directly has benefited a large portion of the community. This work has been done through the efforts of numerous trail volunteers and dedicated board members. While there is always trail work to be done, I’d like this email to advertise to members that there are volunteer opportunities for members beyond trail construction and maintenance. Please consider volunteering some time with one of the committees listed above that interests you. Thanks for your support. Sincerely, David Thomas-President SWIMBA |