Who has the MOST influence over Gallaudet?
Due to Gallaudet University’s recent announcement of two newest members of the Board of Trustees, and watch Amy Cohen Efron’s commentary on this issue.
The question remains, who may have the MOST influence over Gallaudet University?
Thank you Allison, the commenter, who pinpointed an error and this video is revised.
Play Quicktime version
3.42 minutes long
For whom who cannot view this video above, here’s the *REVISED* YouTube video available.
Source: Gallaudet University’s Board of Trustees website.
Names and their affiliations:
* Dr. Cynthia W. Ashby, Georgia (Georgia Department of Education)
* Dr. Jorge L. Díaz -Herrera, New York (Rochester Institute of Technology)
* Dr. Lawrence R. Fleischer , ‘67, California (California State University at Northridge)
* Dr. Harvey Goodstein, ‘65, Arizona (GUAA)
* Cheryl A. Heppner, Virginia (Northern Virginia Resource Center)
* Jeffrey L. Humber, Jr., District of Columbia (Delon Hampton and Associates)
* Dr. Tom Humphries, ‘68 & G-’72, Secretary, California (University of California, San Diego)
* Nancy Kelly-Jones, ‘72 & G-’75, Illinois (Illinois School for the Deaf / CAEBER)
* L. Richard Kinney, Wisconsin - (Legacy Wealth Management, LLC - couldn’t find the icon/logo)
* Dr. Richard Ladner, Washington (Boeing and University of Washington)
* Pamela Lloyd-Ogoke, North Carolina (NC Division of Services for the Deaf and the Hard of Hearing)
* James R. Macfadden, ‘62, Maryland (JR Mac, Inc. - couldn’t find the icon/logo)
* Marlee Matlin, H-’87, California (Hollywood)
* James Lee Sorenson, Utah (Sorenson Companies : Sorenson Development)
* Dr. Benjamin J. Soukup, Jr., E-’74 & H-’00, Chair, South Dakota (Communication Services for the Deaf)
* Tiffany Williams-Granfors, ‘89, Maryland (International Committee of Sports for the Deaf - CISS)
* Frank H. Wu, Vice Chair, District of Columbia (University of Maryland and George Washington University)
Voting Trustees Public Members
* The Honorable Ray LaHood, Illinois (House of Representatives)
* The Honorable Lynn Woolsey, California (House of Representatives)
* U.S Senator - vacancy
June 19th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Hmm.. after doing some research from http://www.guidestar.com did you know that the Sorenson Foundation gave Gallaudet 2 million dollars in 2006 for “general support”? Its right there in their 990.
Also the logo that you had for Legacy Wealth Management is not correct. If you looked at the biographies for the people listed there, you would see that L.Richard Kinney does not work there. They are a very tiny company that does not have a website.
June 19th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Thank you so much Allison, for pinpointing the wrong logo for Legacy Wealth Management, LLC. You are correct.
I will update my video to remove the logo.
Thank you very much!
Amy Cohen Efron
June 19th, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Does anybody want to play Monopoly?
June 19th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
My Video responses to everyone:
Comment »
Amy Cohen Efron
June 19th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
It’s not the jobs they hold that shows who has the most influence. It’s the position on the Board. Soukup is the Chair of the Board. He can control the Board’s agenda and using the power to appoint chairs and members of all committees. Therefore, Soukup technicially has the most influence on the Board.
However, you should also remember that there are Trustees Emeriti. While they don’t have voting powers, they still can attend and use their voice at all meetings. If they spoke their minds effectively, then they can sway the other Board voting members. Nonetheless, after reading the names of Trustees Emeriti, I doubt they carry that much influence.
One thing you have to look at is how much the Board members have contributed financially to Gallaudet. Whosoever contributed the most is more likely to have the most influence, at least financially speaking. It could be Sorenson holding the most influence, after all, he is a millionaire, actually a billionaire’s son, if you start to think about it anyway. Notwithstanding, we shouldn’t forget the US House Representatives either. They’re ones who are holding Gallaudet’s purse strings. The seat of a US Senator is now vacant, so it would have to be filled, as appropriation bills have to be passed by both the House and Senate.
Lastly, in my opinion, it’s not either money or position on the Board that carries the most influence. You want to know? It’s what kind of philosophy all members are holding to their hearts and minds. If all members believed that the Deaf is somehow inferior to hearing people, then money or position means absolutely nothing. Nothing. If a key member of the Board is a closet audist, then he’s going to use that position to influence others to his thinking or to promote his own agenda over that of Gallaudet’s.
You should examine what kind of philosophy or opinions they hold toward the Deaf in general and Gallaudet University’s role in the Deaf world as well. Instead of discussing what jobs they hold, one ought to discuss about establishing some sort of watchdog organization to watch what the Board members are doing daily and what kind of agenda they are indeed promoting. As far I am aware, no true watchdog organization exists right now.
That’s it, I’ve given my two cents, and I hope it was worth. Have a nice day.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Jim Macfadden’s company website is: http://www.macf.com/index.php There is a logo on front website that represents him & his company.
June 19th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
My response to Picard,
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Amy Cohen Efron
June 19th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Do not forget that Ben Skoup is not a big fan of Sorenson so it would be interesting to watch…
June 19th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
IN response to David, re: James MacFadden and talking about the business relationship between Soukup and Sorenson.
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Amy Cohen Efron
June 19th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Gallaudet have a watchdog. It was called FSSA. FSSA shut down after Davila is the Interim President
June 19th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
It is important that at least one trustee to have experience in various area of expertise. Does Gallaudet University has someone who’s an expert in accounting (or it may be finance) and legal? Sorry, I didn’t get the chance to review each person but perhaps someone knows the answers quicker than I.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Thanks Amy… never knew he had sold his business. I must’ve been behind the news about his business. I could have check with his sister, Joni but haven’t talk with her awhile. Thanks again.
June 19th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Asking this question, who has the most influence over Gallaudet is like asking who has the most influence over America? The people the governing board serves or the governing board itself?
Sure, there are differences between the American government and the board of trustees at Gallaudet but asking that question, who has the most influence is, to me, somehow inane. The relationship between the governing board and the people is one of symbiosis.
I think it is the people being served has the most influence. If Americans do not like their leaders, they could act to impeach. The DPN and BPN illustated this point.
Who has the most influence? The current students, the faculty and staff, and the alumni, meaning you, Amy, and me. We are the one who should watch the governing board and be sure they do their job AND that their decisions are in our best interests. If not, we growl and bark. Now who has the most influence?
June 19th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
For Charles Katz,
Comment »
Amy Cohen Efron
June 19th, 2008 at 8:54 pm
Amy,
My view of this is that we need to look at what’s happening at Gallaudet now and what is needed. Giving is way, way down and Gallaudet has some serious financial issues. James Sorenson has deep pockets and connections and should be able to help Gallaudet bring in some much needed money.
I’m not sure about Tiffany Granfors qualifications or what she brings to the table but it will be interesting. Now, we know the make-up of the Board that will select Gallaudet’s tenth President. The important thing is this board listens more to outside groups such as alumni, students, faculty, and staff, so the next selection process should be more fair.
If there becomes a vacancy on the Board, would you consider yourself qualified for it? Who and what should the next appointee be? Also, has the Senator seat been filled?
June 19th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
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June 19th, 2008 at 9:08 pm
According to past movements the collective community has the real power.
According to past decisions (made while you deaf and sometimes dumb people goes “comatose” (I roughly quote Bridgette Bourne-Firl)–like you folks did for 18 long years after 1988) the perpetual leadership has the real power. Think Dr. Fernandes and company tenured some who didn’t deserve and whatever while you deaf (and sometimes dumb) folks slept after naively rooting for IKJ sine 1988. I was opposed from the get go. I wanted Davila back in 1988 and learned that his name was put in the hat in 1983. He got screwed over twice.
Now, take out 600 students across Undergraduate (400), Graduate (100) and beyond (100) and Gallaudet is in collective trouble not to mention faculty, staff and administration thrust in the picture.
Just don’t forget the collective power of commoners like you, Amy Efron Cohen.
After all the board of trustees is overrated. It just became that way especially after Tiffany Granfors was named. In terms of reputation there are problems surrounding ICSD and especially its U.S. affiliate, the United States of America Deaf Sports Federation–which is presided by none other than Dr. Lawrence R. Fleischer who I acknowledge his strengths in other areas thus meriting being on the board of trustees. Presently, I feel there’s someone better qualified than Tiffany Granfors who’s time (and merits) hasn’t yet come. Why not Dr. Donalda Kay Ammons or Dr. Bobbie Beth Scoggins now of CSD? Oh I forgot, Sorenson will have an issue about this won’t they? They’ll want to top CSD by nominating Ron Burdett (deaf) of Sorenson. Irony, CSD and Sorenson sleeps together when giving out money to USADSF (under both Scoggins and Fleischer’s regimes) so why should Soukup feel threatened by this? He isn’t. He’s already set for life.
What I think will happen is that Gallaudet will languish in mediocrity because of perpetual problems affecting ALL U.S. Deaf schools and deaf in mainstreaming programs all over the country. The real concern here is the quality of students.
June 19th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Hi Amy
I wonder about Dr Richard Ladner, is his parents deaf?
June 20th, 2008 at 9:21 am
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June 21st, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Gallaudet employees say that the student enrollment has plummeted since the protest of 2006 and there’s a lot of doubt about whether it can be pulled back up now or ever. The loss of students represents a huge loss of income — Gallaudet needs money especially if the federal appropriation is flat or cut back.
Sorenson Media represents a way for Gallaudet to generate income to operate the university through the Video Relay Service and other innovations that Sorenson Media is working on. This is good.
What raises eyebrows is that Sorenson is now a member of the Board of Trustees. He already has a business interest in the VRS and the profits earned through the Gallaudet-Sorenson partnership. Isn’t it a clear conflict of interest for Sorenson to be on the Gallaudet Board?
Since he is, it seems likely there’s a plan to make Sorenson the next Gallaudet president and turn the university into a more business-like, corporate enterprise.
See what I mean?
T.G.