PGP Personnel Committee Phone Conference

PGP Personnel Committee Phone Conference
September 12, 2003, 12’30 P.M.

Participants: Liz Trojan, Michael Sonnleitner, Joanne Cvar, and Daniel Bonhan, Chair

Discussion topic: Whether to accept Trey Smith’s offer to fill the PGP fundraiser position for the next 100 days on a temporary basis.

Situation: The PGP is currently without a fundraiser and not in a position to meet its financial obligations. Adequate time is necessary for the Finance Committee to seek input from chapters all across the state and consider all proposals and for the Personnel Committee to prepare the necessary job description, advertise the opening, interview applicants, and decide on a recommendation to hire.

Arguments against included a perception that the next 100 days is not that critical financially, that Trey has been a divisive player in the PGP and hiring him would be difficult for some PGP members to accept, that handing him the position now would be tantamount to rewarding him for past negative behavior, and the possibility that the SCC itself could handle the fundraising in the short term without hiring an additional employee.

Arguments in favor included a perception that the next 100 days, in particular the month of December, is indeed crucial for PGP fundraising during the year, that hiring Trey for that period would buy us time to make a better-considered decision, that the main issue is competence and that controversy is peripheral to getting the job done, that the SCC is already overworked, that Trey has the qualifications to meet our pressing need, that stepping into the fundraising position at this point is taking on a bad situation rather than being rewarded, that our treasurer has stated that he can work with Trey if the fundraising position is limited to strictly that, and that in the face of the PGP’s current financial exigency, we have little choice.

Decision: The Personnel Committee recommends that the SCC hire Trey Smith for a fixed-term period, beginning September 15, 2003 and ending December 31, 2003, as an independent contractor working on a commission basis exclusively in a fundraising role.
Consensus, with no blocks or stand-asides.

Rationale:
1) The state PGP is in dire financial straits and fundraising must be a priority before the New Year.
2) Trey knows what the fundraising job is about, is experienced, and knows the database – and so can step into the role and be functional on very short notice.

3) Trey’s contract would be only for the “fixed” time frame (9/15-12/31/03) and would focus “exclusively” on fundraising responsibilities (including critical before January mailing appeals.

4) Trey would function as an “independent contractor” working on a “commission basis”, unlike the staff position we intend to have filled and functional by January 1st. That Trey is agreeable to this status is a concession to the PGP financial situation and is
not what the Personnel Committee would like to see for an Ongoing Staff position.

5) The SCC needs time to consider critical issues relating to the Ongoing Staff position, including such things as a) job description, b) job qualifications, c) job physical relationship to a State Office, and d) where State Office(s)? may be located, while d)
assuring at least a 4-6 week minimum time for advertising the position and accepting (hopefully many) applications.

6) Trey should understand that, while he would clearly be free to apply for the Ongoing Staff position, there is a very strong feeling on the part of myself and several others on the SCC that “qualifications” for the Ongoing Staff position would clearly include the ability to perform a bridge-building role among the various PGP chapters throughout
Oregon — a role not effectively possible without recognized skills as a conciliator.

As a new SCC member who has heard much about the conflicts of the past (and who has yet to even meet Trey Smith personally), I would urge all with strong feelings to look to the future more than to the past and consider the clear limitations present in the
Personnel Committee’s recommendation. With these limitations in mind, I am impressed that Trey would remain willing to proceed forth with his offer to be helpful.

Let us see what transpires in the next three months and seek not to be pre-judgmental.
Let us all seek to be conciliatory by example (ourselves) and work together to build a united party for the upcoming election cycle. As for the Ongoing Staff position, let us be open to input from all and do our best to take many different perspectives into account in designing the “whats” and “wheres” of the position (without reference to particular individuals) while encouraging a large number of “whos” to apply.
Sincerely,
Michael Sonnleitner

Proposed Schedule:
By 11-1: Define the job description, advertise the position. Applications due 11-1.
By 11-15: Begin interviewing candidates
By 12-1: Conclude the interviews, make recommendation to hire
By 12-15: Employee in place for training with Trey