Candidate Information
Name: Nadine Day
LMSC: Illinois
Nominated for: President (nomination info)
Summary Statement
United States Swimming is an outstanding organization dedicated to life long swimming. The leadership at the Club, LMSC, Zone, National and Administration are passionate about this organization. We all want USMS to excel and be successful. We are proud to be members of USMS.
If elected, I would be honored to serve as your USMS President. I will help lead our board of directors and volunteers to follow the initiatives that the HOD will establish for the coming years. I have been active in the leadership of the organization for the past six years. I feel that I can provide stability with the current executive committee members and work with USMS Executive Director. I will maintain open communication and welcome feedback from our members. I will work continuously to promote quality assurance and strive to enhance programs and services for our members. I will lead our volunteers to promote USMS’s mission and vision.
Response to Questions
Why are you interested in this position and why do you believe you would be a good candidate?
Leadership, advocacy and administrative roles in my professional occupation have prepared me to be a leader. I have been a healthcare administrator and worked with orthopedic physicians, rehabilitation staff and nursing. I have worked under budgetary constraints and in supervisory positions. I am viewed as a doer because I follow through and focus on the completion of tasks.
As President of USMS, I will be committed fully and responsible to lead USMS and follow the USMS mission “To promote health, wellness, fitness and competition for adults through swimming.”
As part of the United States Masters Swimming House of Delegates, we decided that it would be in the best interest for USMS to hire an executive director to run our organizations daily operations. We felt that USMS had grown and needed someone to lead our organization on a daily basis. By doing this, we gave our organization professional status and prestige. I have worked on collaborative projects with paid staff and volunteers and feel that we can and need to work together.
Being a member of the USMS BOD for the past six years and the executive committee member for the past two years, I have gained knowledge of the leadership process. I will make sure that adequate resources are available to facilitate good, quick decisions. When I felt that I did not have enough information, rationale or justification to make a decision; I requested for reconsideration until supporting documentation could be reviewed and clarification could be given.
As members of the executive committee and BOD, we do our best to function in the best interest of the organization. We are entrusted to establish policies for this organization. I also understand that I will not be able to please everyone. With this knowledge, I will ensure that we will provide follow up to initiatives that we have established. I will be accountable for quality control of our organization’s resources and financial management.
I am interested in running for the office of USMS President because I feel that I can lead this organization through this transitional period of a volunteer organization to a volunteer/staff organization. I believe that I can work with the current board of directors and the executive director. I am familiar with the current initiatives of membership growth, open water and IT services and will make sure other programs and initiatives do not get lost with prioritization. We must continuously assess our performance and initiatives.
I have been an officer at the club level, local level and national level. This experience has provided me with insight of the challenges that our organization faces at various levels. Our volunteers at the grassroots level are the key component to ensure our organizations success and I believe working together will foster our growth. If elected, I will provide the leadership to the volunteers to continue to strive to promote USMS’s mission, vision, and objectives.
What do you consider to be the major issues facing USMS now and in the future. As a person holding an elected position within USMS, how would you address these issues?
One major issue that I am keenly aware of is the perception of how our organization is managed. We did hire an executive director to lead USMS, however the HOD and BOD provides the initiatives. While we should not micromanage the executive director, we do hold him accountable for every outcome that occurs on a multitude of levels. He has done an excellent job and has been fiscally responsible. I am committed to ensure the success of the executive director and the organization. A successful executive director will make our organization successful. I will perform my due diligence and communicate our concerns with the executive director on a weekly basis. We need to work together to better serve the organization. I believe that it is the role of the President to collaboration with the EC to define roles and responsibilities within the organization.
Another issue that I would like to champion as president is membership growth. This is always a concern as this provides our organization the revenue to operate. This past year USMS focused efforts on retaining members. I do believe that if USMS provides quality programs and services, we will retain members and attract new members. I also believe that the leadership at the local level and clubs are the driving force for growth and need to provide a consistent message to our members. USMS also needs to provide the resources necessary to the local leadership and communicate effectively the message that we want our members to receive. In addition, providing and enhancing programs and services to our members will promote growth. An issue that we have addressed but not fully supported is providing exclusive benefits to clubs and members. This will create a value for our membership.
We have begun investing in our coaches. We have initiated a coach’s certification, various swim clinics and educational opportunities for both coaches and swimmers. Coach’s education will help provide a consistent message and promote our mission, vision and objectives to our members. Coaches interact with swimmers every day. Programs that succeed have coaches that are dedicated in promoting masters swimming. USMS/LMSC have to continue to invest in their coaches. I am committed to ensuring that coaches are recognized for their efforts and provide resources to promote masters swimming.
With the Governance Committee becoming a standing committee of the BOD, we have recognized the importance of monitoring the structure of our organization. They will assist with recommendations on defining roles and responsibilities. I value our longstanding members as they provide important historical value and leadership. How do we keep these members engaged in the new process? I will work with committees, leaders, and members on planning and succession of our organization. While I know I cannot please everyone, I will definitely take everyone’s input into consideration. I do believe and have demonstrated my belief that decisions should not be made unilaterally. I also believe that while the governance committee is responsible for the organization as a whole. We have to look at the governance structure at the LMSC level. The LMSC Development committee, zone chairs, membership staff and club and coach services must collaborate, however the same consistent message must be relayed. LMSC’s provide the volunteer experience that is necessary for the organization to operate. How do we attract more volunteers? How do we engage current volunteers? Providing opportunities for our members to participate and to volunteer by utilizing the expertise of our membership is critical for our leadership success.
Another issue is Information Technology-IT enhancement and IT services. We have had three task forces that have informed the BOD that our IT staff is not adequate and more staff is necessary to meet the demands of the committee requests and BOD initiatives, while it is not our job to hire the personnel; it is our fiscal responsibility to allow the ED to hire the staff with the approved budget. Our web presence is outdated. We need to modernize our web presence and make some programs member exclusive. Web technology is leading the way of communication.
We recently surveyed our membership and as a result a strategic planning task force was established. This will help USMS gain an understanding of our membership and what they want. We need to figure out how to be more effective. This will help with establishing goals for our organization’s future and with long term planning. I will support and promote the initiatives that are recommended by the strategic task force, BOD and HOD.
The national office is hosting the 2012 USMS LCM National Championships at the same venue as the USA Swimming Olympic Trials, which is an amazing opportunity for us. While I have run events before, I will admit that I do not have the experience of hosting a national championship. I will ensure that the national office is accountable. There is an understanding that this event will have a deficit budget. I will create a task force and utilized the experts of the Championship Committee and Finance Committee to have oversight of the event. We are making a financial investment in an event that will have a lifelong impact.
I am committed to ensure communication occurs in two directions. I will keep the leaders of the organization informed. If elected, I will work continuously to promote quality assurance and strive to enhance programs and services for our members. I will lead our volunteers to promote USMS’s mission and vision.
Please list USMS committees on which you have served. Include the dates you were on the committees and the names of the committee chairs under whom you served:
- Marketing Committee 2003 to 2008: Chair-Doug Garcia, Tom Boyd, Chris McGriffin
- Sports Medicine 2003-2007: Chair-Jessica Seaton, Jody Welborn
- 2005 USMS Convention-Sport Medicine Presentation on "Rehabilitation of Common Swimming Injuries"
- Safety Education 2004-2006: Chair-Julie Heather, Shannon Sullivan
- Publications Committee 2005-2007: Chair-Lynn Hazlewood
- BOD Committee
- Compensation and Benefits 2007-present: Chair. Committee was responsible for Employees Benefit Policy, Paid Time Off Policy, Severance Package, Executive Bonus, Employee Handbook and Relocation Package of USMS Staff.
- BOD Task Force
- Workout Group Task Force: 2011-Chair present, 2010 Chair-Rob Copeland
- Club Development/Mentor: 2006-2009 Chair-Julie Heather, Jeanne Ensign
- Executive Director Search: 2008 Chair-Jim Miller
- Executive Director Transition Team: 2008 Chair-Jim Miller
- National Office Search: 2008 Mike Heather
Please list any other experience that relates to your qualifications for the position.
I have been a member of the US Masters Swimming BOD for the past six years with two of those years as a member of the Executive Committee. I have been involved with the policy making of the organization, including the strategic plan in 2007. For the past two years, I have served as Vice President of Community Service, which has oversight of the coaches committee, sports medicine and science committee and fitness education committee and various task forces.
NIRSA (National Intramural Recreational and Sports Association) USMS representative 2006, 2007, 2008;
Dorothy Donnelly Service Award 2007, Great Lakes Zone Director 2005-2009; Illinois LMSC Chair-2005-2009 Illinois Vice Chair 2002-2005, Illinois Sanction Chair 2001-2005.
Please list any other information you would like included.
I am a physical therapist and co-own a private practice, which gives me the flexibility to serve this organization. I have been a coach for the past 12 years and have an ASCA Level 3 certification. I have worked in the administrative level of health facilities serving as a clinical administrator, rehabilitation director and director of physical therapy. I have been on a YMCA BOD, and I am currently on the programs and member’s service BOD committee at the Danville YMCA.