JulyAug_2012

Glenn
continued from page 5
So to me, COAI represents everyone.
And what better thrill could anyone ask
for but to represent EVERYONE.”
It is the duty of the president and his
board to represent the organization’s
membership. Commenting on the new
board, Glenn shares, “I look across the
room and see a combination of history,
experience, youth and energy. It is this
combination that will be the driving
force of this board. You need to know
where you have been to chart a course
to where you need to go. You need to
understand the past in order to avoid
pitfalls in the future. And you need the
energy, talent and vitality of the newest
members to be fearless in our approach,
vibrant in our step, and willing to enter
into the new and fresh.”
As the COAI President, Glenn
plans to focus on strengthening the
membership, bringing more excitement
to our organization and activating open
channels of communication. He wants us
to remember what brought us to COAI
in the first place. He wants the members
to share with the board what they want
and need out of the organization. “Our
membership is the heart and soul of the
organization and the sole reason we
exist.” As Glenn puts it, we members
can take ownership in the path COAI
will take into the future.
Glenn feels he can truly make a
difference as the COAI President, yet
he knows that change won’t happen
overnight. More importantly, he knows it
shouldn’t happen overnight. With a well
thought-out plan and appropriate timing,
change can be effective.
“Any time a new president takes
office it brings change. Change is
never easy nor is it fun; it meets
with resistance and gets some folks a
little scared. I would like to promote
teamwork, but not just in words. I want
our boardroom to be a safe haven to
try out ideas, a place where members
can give their opinions without fear of
being ridiculed or dismissed. All ideas
bring merit and sometimes they will
spur other thoughts and conversations,
which develop that idea into a better,
more polished team-driven solution
that everyone is on board with. This is
the environment I want to create and
think we need. So I look forward to this
opportunity and feel I can give COAI the
best chance to succeed in the future.”
Glenn is ready to amp up the
excitement and participation of COAI
in all aspects, including conventions,
elections, and alleys. Currently, less than
10% of our membership participates in
conventions and just 17% participated
in this past elections. The board is ready
to listen to what you want. Are you
ready to communicate to them and make
COAI stronger? Paraphrasing a famous
uncle of ours, Glenn says to us all, “I
want YOU … to be involved.”
We are an international organization
and we’re ready to dive into the 21st
century, so we can build a strong
future for those that will
follow in our clown shoe
footsteps.
Glenn and the COAI
board have already hit
the ground running with
ideas on strengthening
membership;
reaching out to
alleys; reaching
out to clowns;
reconnecting; reviving;
re-energizing; tightening
the budget and creating
new revenue; evolving the
conventions; introducing new
publication formats; creating
educational webinars and
DVDs; promoting
supplemental websites
and resources; and marketing our
wonderful organization.
Glenn truly is an open-minded leader
who’s with the times, knows when to be
funny, knows when to be serious, and
knows how to blend funny and serious
(funnious) into his leadership so we keep
having fun while continuing to improve
COAI.
We need to keep moving forward,
so it’s fortunate that our new president
also has a deep passion for parades! He’s
paraded all over, from Texas dirt roads to
Macy’s on 34th street. Think of Glenn’s
presidency as the grandest parade of all
– and he’s asking us to march alongside
him. Be excited, COAI members, and
let’s start cheering in this parade!
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July/August 2012 Page 7