[DMVR] Election statement - final try

[Jennifer.Igou@kemin.com]

It appears that the mailing list software doesn't like the default settings
of our company's e-mail software.

Here's another try. I apologize for the blank messages earlier.

Jennifer

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By now, you all should have received your ballot to elect your R.E. for the
upcoming 2005 year.  For those of you who do not know who I am, I want to
take this time to introduce myself and give you some idea of how I stand on
a few topics.

Although I have only been a member of SCCA for 3 years, I am extremely
passionate about it.  After meeting my husband, Jarrod, he introduced me to
this world of racing and I jumped in with both feet.  I've worked corners,
registration, pits & grid, along with race control, most recently serving
as Assistant Race Chair for the roadracing events at MidAmerica Motorplex.
I have attended several solo events where I supported Jarrod while he auto
crossed in his blue Acura Integra. As his race career has evolved, my
support has evolved by being his crew chief while he races his Spec Miata.
I currently hold the title of Secretary for the Board of Directors.  In my
daytime job, I am a Key Account Sales Manager for Kemin Food Ingredients in
Des Moines, where I have been employed for almost 7 years.

The social aspect of this club is definitely a plus.  The friendships I've
built through my experience with SCCA have been priceless, as I'm sure most
of you will agree.  Another thing I'm sure most would agree with is the
fact that we need to continue to recruit new members to the club. While we
may be drawn together by a love of automobiles, the social aspects are what
truly draw our family together.

Going hand-in-hand with this social aspect, it is my opinion that it is
everyone's responsibility to hold the title of Public Relations Director.
Although the board decided unanimously to eliminate this position this past
year, that doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.  As a member in this club,
if you enjoy it, then tell someone who you think might enjoy it too.

Club racing has definitely been my focus over the past couple of years as
I've helped with the events being held at MAM through our partnership with
the Nebraska region.  This area of our club has evolved tremendously over
the last couple of years and everyone involved has learned a lot.  It has
been fascinating to see, in particular, the Spec Miata growth in our region
and the overwhelming offers to help each other out or to get someone new
started.

The recent success of our club racing program should not, however,
overshadow the success our solo group has seen this year.  Our Solo group
has done an excellent job by continuously breaking attendance records. This
area of our club is a vital lifeline where we have seen most of our new
members recruited.  I would love to see these new members at membership
meetings and to get them more involved.

There are some ideas for the area of Rally that are floating around within
the division that could potentially help bring up the participation
numbers.  Once again, through a unanimous decision of the board, Rally
Director was eliminated as a board position, with the intent to restore the
position if interest was expressed.  I am fully open to bringing this
position back if someone has interest in doing so.

Finally, it has come to my attention that there may have been some
misinterpretation of a few comments I made at a Board of Directors meeting
recently.  The comments I made surrounded a potential liability to our
club, not only to DMVR, but also to SCCA in general, after an incident that
had occurred at a solo event.  I took the stance that honesty with the SCCA
national office, regardless of the repercussions, was the best policy. At
that time, I made the statement that if for some reason our actions would
prompt national to take our sanctions away for a period of time, that is
their prerogative.  This statement should in no way be misinterpreted as
non-supportive to the solo program as it appears some may believe; rather,
the statement should be viewed for what it is: an acceptance of actions
that may have come as a result of our handling of the situation.

There are areas in every organization where improvements can be made.  I
feel when issues such as that occur, we need to take the opportunity to
learn from them and improve our programs, both for current and future
members.

It is here where I am asking for your vote as RE for DMVR for the upcoming
2005 season.  This is your club, so please vote for the person you feel
will continue to support the foundation of the club, as well as the
exciting opportunities we have in front of us.

Jennifer Igou