TRSA Letter to UTSA

January 18, 2006

Mr. Jim Buik, Chairman
UTSA
1300 North 17th Street, Suite 750
Arlington, VA 22209

Dear Jim,

Thank you for your letter informing me that the UTSA Board has recommended that the proposed Board of the new association meet to discuss the issues raised by the TRSA Board in November.  I had asked you for a copy of the UTSA Board resolution and I would like to see the resolution before any meeting.

I am in favor of a meeting but since we are still operating as two separate organizations and will be required to do so for some time, I believe that the meeting should be a meeting with the three current TRSA officers, the Chair, Vice Chair and Treasurer and the same three UTSA officers.  I would also like Steve Fellman present as our counsel and you are welcome to bring John Wittenborn as your counsel. 

I suggest that the meeting be held in Washington at TRSA’s office. I will be away from February 3rd through February 13th but we could meet February 23rd or 24th.  In order for the meeting be productive, I suggest that the following agenda be used.

Agenda:

I. Call to Order

II. Attendance

III. Substantive Issues
a.  Retaining consultant to address structural issues:  TRSA recommends that a consultant be retained to assist the two groups address structural issues.

b.  The consultant should address these issues:

1. Budget: the consultant should work with Woody Ostrow, George Ferencz and Deborah Hodges in preparing a realistic budget for the new organization.

2. The consultant should review the magazine issue but no decision on whether there should be one or two magazine should be made until the consultant submits his/her report.

3.  Associate member dues: The consultant should examine the associate member dues issue. We recommend that associate members be charged dues and not be compelled to advertise.  Associate member dues should begin at a low level to encourage smaller associate members to join the organization.

4. Committees: The Consultant should examine the Committee structure and recommend how the Committee's should be integrated.

5. Officers: Since you and I have obviously not started out to well, the consultant should look into the question of whether one or both of us should step out of the picture.

c. Staffing: After the Consultant submits his/her report which should address staffing issues and we decide where the new association is going, we should begin searching for a new President.  No staff changes should be made until the new President is on board and he or she makes recommendations.  We believe that for the first few months of the new President's tenure, Roger Cocivera should remain on Board to help integrate the new President into the industry. When the new president is hired, David Hobson should retire. The staff's should not be put together until the new president takes over.  At that time, the staffs should be consolidated in the TRSA space.

d.  Cooperation: While the process is underway, the two associations should continue to cooperate on legislative and other issues.

e.  Joint Executive Committee member; now that Steve Donly is no longer in the industry, he should be replaced on the joint search committee by a person representing a company that is in both associations and who has been active in both associations.  We recommend Pat Dempsey for that job.

III.  Future Action based on what agreements have been reached, we can decide on a joint press release and appropriate future action.

IV. Adjournment

If we can get through this agenda in one day, we will have accomplished much.  I would recommend that we ask Steve Fellman, Roger Cocivera and David Hobson to prepare a list of three or four consultants who would work with us and bring the CV's of these people to the meeting.  Since you have hosted the previous meetings, I would be glad to act as host of this meeting and make all the necessary arrangements.

Warmest regards,
Michael Potack