Too many resignations?

[Captain]

Does anyone else have an uneasy feeling when they reflect on the number of resignations that we have seen, or just recently heard of, at the top of the RAA?

 

And does the recent resignation of the President indicate instability that concerns you?

 

My recollection of the recent history of resignations and the reasons surrounding them are set out below. Is anyone able to add background or correct my post:

 

2008 - John G, the then President, pulled the pin, then withdrew his resignation and the Board refused to accept the withdrawal. My take at the time was that John G brought in some worthwhile, but pretty strict, changes to management and governance which required those in power to report regularly and comprehensively to the Board. That didn't go down too well and the old guard reacted, with John basically being forced out.

 

200? - Mark Christie from the NT resigns after copping a gob-full from our present President.

 

2010 - Carol R either resigned or was forced out (or both).

 

May 2012 - Nick S pulled the pin when the President advised that there was, or may have been, no Director's and Officer's Insurance. This was probably a justified action. But his tendered resignation was either withdrawn or not accepted & he was welcomed back into the fold.

 

Approx. Mid 2012 - Bill Cain resigned.

 

Around mid 2012 - Don Ramsey resigned from the Board & as Treasurer once he was privy to the accounts, the insurance issues and a number of the other points that have since come to light.

 

Nov 2012 - Steve R resigned because one Board member had the temerity to question him on an issue or 2 and that Board Memeber also had the guts to advise SR that he did not support him on those issues. SR was immediately taken back with open arms under what I feel are very questionable circumstances (see the other threads about his simultaneous resignation as NQ Rep).

 

And in the middle of all that, the Board also moved a vote of no confidence in the then Treasurer, D. Caban ..... who is now back on the Board again to carefully look after member's interests.

 

This all rings bloody big alarm bells for me. Anyone else?

 

And further Staff/Management changes:

 

2009 - Lee Ungermann went (under what circumstances?)

 

2010 - Robbie Costmeyer joins as CEO, then leaves after a short duration, to be replaced by Tizzard after a recruiting process that has been criticised in this forum.

 

2011 - Julie Roll pulled the pin.

 

2011 ??? - Mick Poole went to CASA.

 

2012 - Steve Bell left (possibly pushed ???).

 

2012 - Adam Finn was exterminated.

 

2012 - Steve Tizzard resigned and for some reason was permitted to stay on until 2013.

 

Looks like there have been some Major problems in the organisation since about 2011 and perhaps immediately before. How coincidental is that?

 

And the membership still have not received or been able to see the Audited Accounts for the past 12 months or the Minutes of the last AGM.

 

Regards Geoff

 

 

[facthunter]

Bill Kane is the person you mention I think. Carol has an award that may affect her ability to run for the board? ( as does the previous secretary). Nev

 

 

[Captain]

Thanks Nev and those that have been in touch in other ways.

 

I have edited post # 1 accordingly using italics for edit #1.

 

 

[pylon500]

And that's only the recent list of 'upper echelon' movements.

 

Some of the movements from the 'workface' level are worthy of note as well.....

 

 

[Captain]

And that's only the recent list of 'upper echelon' movements.Some of the movements from the 'workface' level are worthy of note as well.....

Good point. Is anyone else able to develop a cronology of staff exits and executions that they can post in much the same format as my #1?

 

 

[winsor68]

Does anyone remember the whole "Secrecy clause" Scandal? The BS that occurred then still has my mind boggling... Or was that all my imagination and rumour as my Board Member and now President assured my personally.

 

 

[Captain]

I am advised by a member that Mark Christie of the NT also resigned from the Board. Does anyone also have a date and brief background to that?

 

 

[Captain]

Further mark-up of post #1 has been done in black italcs.

 

 

[turboplanner]

Does anyone remember the whole "Secrecy clause" Scandal? The BS that occurred then still has my mind boggling... Or was that all my imagination and rumour as my Board Member and now President assured my personally.

The secrecy clause was just a new tip on the iceberg.

 

Members should consider what has come to light over the past couple of months versus what they'd been told to judge whether or not secrecy still prevails.

 

 

[Teckair]

Does anyone else have an uneasy feeling when they reflect on the number of resignations that we have seen, or just recently heard of, at the top of the RAA?And does the recent resignation of the President indicate instability that concerns you?

 

My recollection of the recent history of resignations and the reasons surrounding them are set out below. Is anyone able to add background or correct my post:

 

2008 - John G, the then President, pulled the pin, then withdrew his resignation and the Board refused to accept the withdrawal. My take at the time was that John G brought in some worthwhile, but pretty strict, changes to management and governance which required those in power to report regularly and comprehensively to the Board. That didn't go down too well and the old guard reacted, with John basically being forced out.

 

200? - Mark Christie from the NT resigns due to ??????????.

 

2010 - Carol R either resigned or was forced out (or both).

 

May 2012 - Nick S pulled the pin when the President advised that there was, or may have been, no Director's and Officer's Insurance. This was probably a justified action. But his tendered resignation was either withdrawn or not accepted & he was welcomed back into the fold.

 

2012 - Don Ramsey resigned from the Board & as Treasurer once he was privy to the accounts, the insurance issues and a number of the other points that have since come to light. And around the same time Bill Cain resigned for similar reasons.

 

Nov 2012 - Steve R resigned because one Board member had the temerity to question him on an issue or 2 and that Board Memeber also had the guts to advise SR that he did not support him on those issues. SR was immediately taken back with open arms under what I feel are very questionable circumstances (see the other threads about his simultaneous resignation as NQ Rep).

 

And in the middle of all that, the Board also moved a vote of no confidence in the then Treasurer, D. Caban ..... who is now back on the Board again to carefully look after member's interests.

 

This all rings bloody big alarm bells for me. Anyone else?

 

And further Staff/Management changes:

 

2009 or 2010?? - Lee Undermann went (under what circumstances?)

 

2011 - Julie Roll pulled the pin.

 

2012 - Steve Bell left (possibly pushed ???).

 

2012 - Adam Finn was exterminated.

 

2012 - Steve Tizzard resigned and for some reason was permitted to stay on until 2013.

 

Regards Geoff

Geoff you left out Mick Poole.

 

 

[Captain]

Thanks Tecky. Spot on. Another update of post # 1 has been done with the latest changes in orange italics.

 

 

[Guest Lofty1]

Robbie Costmeyer?

 

 

[Patrick Normoyle]

This is of great concern, this may unsettle an already nervous CASA to make some significant changes to the way things are done. I have seen this before when I was working for Ansett and Qantas, a large management turnover or significant changes in an organisations structure is a real safety concern. The reduction in the knowledge base and lag time needed for new staff to "get up to speed" are significant factore in a safety related industry. CASA will want to know what RAA are doing to mitigate the risk?

 

 

[Captain]

Robbie Costmeyer?

Thanks Lofty. Have made that edit in green, and that also establishes that LU must have left in 2009.

 

Patrick N. An addendum to your post # 13 is that those directly involved at CASA are LU and MP, who left RAA and have ended up in the arm of CASA that interfaces with RAA, so they are well aware of all this.

 

Looking back at the multi-edited post #1, and bearing in mind that both Board Members and Senior Management are usually most productive in their 2nd and 3rd years in a job, and most have run out of fresh ideas by years 5 - 7, it looks to me like the staff turnover is excessive for good management, & the Board has had a large turnover through either intimidation or as a result of Board Members being concerned at the results of poor management .............. or we have long term Board Members some of which, it could be argued, have been there over the 5 - 7 year "cut-off date" that I have mentioned above.

 

 

[cazza]

Bill Cain, Board Member from Victoria pulled the pin before Don.

 

cazza

 

 

[Captain]

Bill Cain, Board Member from Victoria pulled the pin before Don.cazza

Thanks Cazza. Have edited again in purple italics.

 

 

[nomadpete]

That is indeed a lot of people involved in the high turnover of committee and office bearers. But has it been too many?

 

Keep your coloured pen ready for next week. There just might be some more changes occurring for one reason or another.

 

 

[coljones]

Given that there is now no job for life is it unreasonable to expect a job for 7 to 10 years (equivalent to a 10 to 15% per annum turnover rate)

 

 

[turboplanner]

Nobody has said there are no jobs for life.

 

I know of many professionals with decades of service, including people under 40

 

That's a Y Gen excuse for poor performers. (I'm not applying that to everyone - many people need to move on because of politics or other genuine reasons)

 

Don't be conned into having to sit in front of someone looking for a job when you're 50 and having to present a 35 page CV.

 

 

[facthunter]

You could go back to the techmen from the time of Mike Valentine. Unbelievable rate of turnover. No-one left happy (as far as I could tell). Have we had a board which is not technically inclined? Unsympathetic, Not prepared to listen ?

 

People who don't live in Canberra, don't take on really responsible jobs like that, move to canberra and leave quickly. Nev

 

 

[Gibbo]

Brett Mitchell. ex YLIL CFI - was an Assistant to Mick performing FS Audits (I think?) after he left YLIL. Same Era as Mick Poole. Lot of respect for both. Had a Bantam at YTDN for a short period.

 

 

[coljones]

Nobody has said there are no jobs for life.I know of many professionals with decades of service, including people under 40

That's a Y Gen excuse for poor performers. (I'm not applying that to everyone - many people need to move on because of politics or other genuine reasons)

 

Don't be conned into having to sit in front of someone looking for a job when you're 50 and having to present a 35 page CV.

The current mantra from employers and government is "no jobs for life!!" Unfortunately this is also true for people like farmers, police, nurses, teachers and priests.

RAA with a small staff is not in a position to give quality staff a career path where they start at the bottom or middle and work their way up without someone moving out of the way.

 

While it is desirable to keep them, sometimes it is better for them to move on. I don't know why the staff are resigning perhaps it is for a better (inc. better paid) career path, family, location (inc. the threat to move RAA to less desirable town) outside.

 

One should feel entitled to THEIR JOB but life doesn't play favourites and things change. So the 50 YO should keeping building on that 35 page CV just in case s**t happens.

 

Quite a large number of the staff sacked by the Qld govt were not, at any stretch of imagination, Gen X Y or Z but good old Boomers, a lot well qualified, occupying senior professional positions. Where are they now? spending the kids inheritance, rapidy losing their skill sets and geneally now, not available to either the government or private enterprise to go and clean up the mess that Qld finds itself in

 

 

[winsor68]

not available to either the government or private enterprise to go and clean up the mess that Qld finds itself in

The mess Qld finds itself in??? Hang about... weren't these people running the show when the mess was created... ?

 

 

[facthunter]

Let's not get into state and federal Politics. We will never get concensus on that. It's off topic anyhow. I asked about the techmen. No one got any info? The current situation is in that arena, so it's pretty relevant. I wonder if "they" had too big a job to do and didn't get support or empathy from the Board(s). This will be close to, if not THE hardest position to get the right man for. He might have to carry the can for that whole tin of worms. Would be nice if the Manager had some qualification and capability in that area too. I got to know quite a few of them and they all seemed to be pleasant people not trying to make the job difficult. ( Like nearly every other beaurocracy does.) Nev

 

 

[coljones]

The mess Qld finds itself in??? Hang about... weren't these people running the show when the mess was created... ?

No i am talking about the engineers and suchlike who were let go by the Qld Govt and may now not be available to to help out rebuilding rail, roads, and bridges - and maybe a few airports destroyed in the latest floods. These are the sort of people who can say "look in cabinet 22, 3rd draw, towards the back, and you will find the flood plain analysis and the engineering designs for that damaged bridge. Oh, the Director General, the one who isn't an engineer sent all that stuff to the dump, did he?"

All the politicians, past and present, have s**t on their hands

 

Planning for the future and sacking infrastructure professionals is not planning for anything. bit like the ads on TV "planning to plan is not a plan"

 

It seems that NO job is for life no matter how good you are