Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Does WAC = Women Against Culture?


The current President/CEO of the Woodruff Arts Center, as well as the President of the ASO Board, are successful businesswomen who hold positions of authority that were only impossible dreams for women little more than a generation ago. Being comparable in age to them, I’m sure they have not forgotten that successful female role models were few and far between at the time we were growing up and making decisions about our own education and career. Now, when they are both in highly-visible positions where they could act as positive, proactive role models for young women who desperately need them, they are choosing to be the exact opposite. They are choosing to be examples of poor leadership (“look what happens when you put a woman in charge”) rather than constructively engage with the concerned parties to seek for and find a consensus solution. They have fostered a negative, adversarial environment. They have condoned the traditional hardline tactics that ruled business in a time when they could never have hoped to be anything but secretaries. In an environment where civilization is increasingly threatened and eroded with each passing day, they have chosen to help destroy a piece of it.
 
Ms. Hepner, Ms. Lloyd, you can choose not to continue on this course. You can take the high road and face your critics with humility and strength, and find a better way. You can inspire young ladies by demonstrating the courage and wisdom surely gained from your career and life experiences. Please do not disappoint me any further. More importantly, do not disappoint the many young women who are striving to become the leaders of this city’s and this country’s future.
 
Laurie Cronin
Former ASO Subscriber
ASO Chorus Alto I - No. 361

4 comments:

  1. You bring up an important point: the impression, growing in clarity, that the two women who occupy top positions in ASO and WAC are being 'handled' by ex-board members, men who formerly occupied key positions,. This is not a takeover. The WAC board are trustees of a public institution which belongs to the people of Atlanta.

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  2. Beware: "Hell hath no fury...." and all of that. These women are scary, and not in a good way. Let's hope they take your comments and turn away from the Dark Side.

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  3. We must be careful not to get off the subject. Whether these ladies are being "handled" or not should not be an issue. I think it has more to do with personality and situation. I could name several "strong women" who, if they were in similar positions, would exert "adult leadership". They don't live here and wouldn't fit the culture of these boards.

    Consider why and how these people get selected-some for donations, some doing "public service" for their corporations, some because the husband has connections, some because it enhances their resume etc. That does not excuse their not doing their job as board member.

    Of the two ladies in question, I consider Karole Lloyd to be the one who has failed to do her job as Chair of the ASO Board. I suspect she doesn't have a forceful personality or manner. Look at her background. She's a "climber" who doesn't want to rock the boat for fear of being thrown overboard. (My opinion only.) Only one ASO Board member stepped forward. How did that work out for him? He did the honorable and proper thing and resigned.

    Hepner's board is clearly being dominated by two members. No surprise when you have so many on the board, many who go with "the strong horse". With little backing, she can do little. What do you expect her to do? Maybe you could fault her for not assembling a coalition to oppose the two dominant members. But this is not a corporate board. I'm guessing most on either board would not go with such a move. She could follow Braves Hitting Coach, Greg Walker's example and that of Ron Antinori and resign. She may be looking for a job right now. With her background in banking, I suspect she wouldn't be unemployed very long

    In any event, it isn't pretty. The community suffers, whether they know it or not. The orchestra suffers. Patrons suffer. And so forth. How many will come back?

    Ed

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  4. A woman who, ostensibly, takes control of an institution, who is demonstrably ineffectual, but is revealed to have acceded her power to the parent institution, was put there for a reason. Not for her vision, her experience, her personal beliefs and values, but to toe the line. The truckload of awards, accolades and recognition Hepner receives is because she is perceived to be 'a woman in power' ...

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