Message-ID: <24103083.1075858221527.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2000 08:44:00 -0700 (PDT) From: phillip.love@enron.com To: alove770@cs.com, bwax@ghg.net, jimmy.simien@enron.com, cntrybr279@cs.com, james.love@msl.redstone.army.mil, jmjaked@mindspring.com, wax@ghg.net Subject: FW: Auburn Alumni Board Disaster Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Phillip M Love X-To: alove770@cs.com, bwax@ghg.net, Jimmy Simien, cntrybr279@cs.com, "James Love" , "Jason Dobbs" @ ENRON, "Scott Wachsler" @ ENRON X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Phillip_Love_Dec2000\Notes Folders\All documents X-Origin: Love-P X-FileName: plove.nsf ---------------------- Forwarded by Phillip M Love/HOU/ECT on 10/23/2000 03:32 PM --------------------------- "Love, Dianne" on 10/23/2000 01:19:30 PM To: "'plove@enron.com'" cc: Subject: FW: Auburn Alumni Board Disaster > -----Original Message----- > From: Perdue, Grady > Sent: Monday, October 23, 2000 12:56 PM > To: Love, Dianne > Subject: FW: Auburn Alumni Board Disaster > > Do you know anything about all of this stuff? > > -----Original Message----- > From: Flores-Olson, Linda > Sent: Monday, October 23, 2000 12:15 PM > To: Perdue, Grady > Subject: FW: Auburn Alumni Board Disaster > > UHCL is not the only one... > > -----Original Message----- > From: Ott, Resa > Sent: Monday, October 23, 2000 11:08 AM > To: Flores-Olson, Linda > Subject: Auburn Alumni Board Disaster > > > This is from the Chronicle of Higher Ed > > Resa > > As Accusations Fly, Judge Orders Auburn Alumni Association to Hold New > Election > By COURTNEY LEATHERMAN > An election for new members of the Auburn Alumni Association's board > turned so ugly Saturday that first the voting was postponed and then, > after a state judge was called in, the whole thing was scrapped. The judge > ordered the association to hold a new election in two weeks. > Voting for a new slate of alumni leaders is traditionally a low-key > affair, but it turned into high drama when an alternative slate of > candidates was put forward at the last minute and at least 150 people > showed up to vote. Beneath all the accusations -- that proxies were > improperly collected and that fax machines were jammed to prevent opposing > votes -- is the real issue: Next month, voters in Alabama will decide > whether to amend the state constitution to change the way that Auburn's > trustees are elected. If the referendum passes, as it is expected to, > leaders of the alumni association will have a say in the selection of > trustees. > The amendment calls for the creation of a nominating committee consisting > of the governor, two trustees, and two directors of the alumni > association's board. Currently, trustees are appointed by the governor. > On Saturday, seven nominees -- a new president, vice president, and five > other members -- were to have been elected to the association's board. The > slate, which was put forward in July by the association's nominating > committee, included some people who have pushed for changes in the way > that Auburn's trustees are elected. The proposed changes on this year's > ballot include a measure that would establish term limits for Auburn's > trustees and that would allow alumni who live outside of Alabama to serve > as trustees, as well as involve alumni leaders in the selection of > trustees. That's the legislation that will go before voters. > Less than a week before the alumni association vote was to take place, an > alternative slate for all the posts but president was put forward by the > nominee for president, Golda McDaniels. Ms. McDaniels could not be reached > for comment, but critics of the new slate believe that Ms. McDaniel was > nervous about whether she would really be elected and sought proxy votes > in her behalf from many alumni, including a controversial and long-time > Auburn trustee, Robert E. Lowder. > Mr. Lowder has opposed efforts to change the way trustees are selected, > and his critics speculate that he saw an opening when Ms. McDaniels asked > for his support: He planned to get her to put forward a whole new slate > for all the other posts to be elected by proxy votes. The suggestion is > that Mr. Lowder wanted to "take over" the alumni association so he and his > allies could maintain control over the Board of Trustees. > "We failed to realize the steps that Mr. Lowder will go to to not allow > any alumni involvement in the election of trustees," said Andy Hornsby, a > nominee to the alumni association's board and an outspoken advocate of > changing the trustee-selection process. > Mr. Lowder called the charges "ridiculous." He said his only involvement > was that Ms. McDaniel had asked for his proxy vote and he had agreed to > give it. "I was just trying to help the lady," he said, noting that she > would be the first woman elected president of the alumni association. "I > get blamed for everything over there," he said. Mr. Lowder accused the > supporters of the original slate of improperly adjourning the meeting > because they didn't have enough proxy votes to win. > While Auburn's homecoming game against Louisiana Tech was going on, alumni > leaders were meeting in Lee County Circuit Court, where Judge Jake Walker > denied Ms. McDaniel's request to reconvene the election meeting and her > request to end the period for proxy votes. Instead, the judge told the > alumni association to hold a new election. > > Resa M. Ott > Community Relations Coordinator > University of Houston-Clear Lake > Phone 281-283-2016, FAX 281-283-2017 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > -------- > >