Dear Sir,
My name is Terry Vidal, and I am announcing my candidacy for president of the Lake Chapala Society (LCS). I have applied to the LCS nominating committee to have my name placed on the ballot.
I served as executive director of LCS from 2008 through 2019, and I have received numerous calls to action from members, former members, volunteers and staff to return in this moment of uncertainty, due to the unsustainable direction in which the organization appears to be headed.
Here is a summary of my concerns, and my commitments to LCS’s members, volunteers and staff.
1. Financial Clarity: Due to an absence of clarity and accountability, the current financial management of LCS is lacking, and is again teetering in the red. I pledge to implement open financial reporting, ensure all expenditures are approved and recorded, and provide regular financial updates to members. All financials will be available to the members and accurately reported at the annual general meetings, an item that was overlooked at the last AGM. The membership was not openly informed of the 750,000-peso deficit recorded at the end of 2023. I pledge that these oversights will not happen during my presidency.
2. Improved Communication and Engagement: During the past four years, the LCS Board of Directors has acted unilaterally without communicating with members concerning their decisions. I commit to making board meetings and decisions more accessible and transparent, actively soliciting member input, and ensuring that leadership and committee positions are filled openly. Closed sessions will be rare, not monthly as is occurring now, and only to discuss personnel and legal matters. Likewise, decisions occurring within any closed session will be ratified in an open session, and reported to the membership in an honest and straight-forward manner.
3. Adherence to Bylaws and Strategic Plan: The most important responsibility of the leadership of LCS is to follow the organization’s bylaws and strategic plan, both of which have been neglected during the last several years. Reporting on the “LCS 2.0” strategic plan was also ignored during the last AGM. I promise that the board will review and update the strategic plan with membership input, ensure compliance with the bylaws, and involve members in revising these guiding documents to prevent future management issues. Board training will be a top priority.
4. Meshing with the Mexican Community: LCS has always worked and integrated with the local Mexican community. I pledge to continue enhancing this LCS value by having the board review through strategic planning exercises what we do now, where we have fallen short in the last few years, and what can be done as we continue building our shared future.
5. Operations and Governance: In the last several years the lines between day-to-day operations and administration have been blurred. I pledge to restore the separation of the two to allow staff to do their job free from board interference. Likewise, I pledge to get the board back on track with its fundamental work of policy development and approval, strategic planning and fundraising.
6. Administration: As a result of the problems highlighted above, and not visible to members, defects are seeping in daily through newly formed cracks. Things are not running smoothly. The cogs and wheels that keep LCS moving and modernized are jamming, and require immediate attention. These things are the responsibility of the executive director. I pledge that I and the board will nurture the new executive director, and give clear guidance and assistance in every way possible.
Overall, my pledges to you will restore trust and leadership within the organization, and make sure that LCS remains a sustainable and respected institution. I intend to continue sharing information about myself, my qualifications and my concerns as the election approaches.
Terry Vidal, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.