Posted by Adam W. in Questions for the Candidates - Vice Presidents
This is a question for our vice presidential candidates.

As a former Vice President, I’m aware that sometimes while the President is on LOA while the President moves to a different continent, the Vice President needs to take care of urgent matters. Examples could be handling a rather tricky e-mail about a complex and sensitive situation and having a cabinet member suddenly quit who only informs you. At least that’s what usually happened to me when the President was on such an LOA.

It can be a bit intimidating being thrown into the position of Acting President. How would you go about tackling urgent matters as Acting President like the ones I described?

Adam W.

Adam, that is a great question. From my perspective, addressing things like this is a multi-step process.

First, I already anticipate having to do something like you describe. It would be both foolish and naive to think that David will always be available over the course of an eight month term. So by anticipating the task, I feel prepared for when (not if) it will happen.

Second is preparation for just such an occurrence. David and I have discussed at length how I would handle certain situations (including ones similar to the example you posited about the ‘sensitive email’) should he find himself temporarily unavailable. We have discussed potential responses, who I could go to for assistance, where to look for information, and so forth so that both he and I are operating on the same page. That would enable me to respond not only in a timely fashion, but in a manner consistent with our Administration.

Third is clear and concise communication between myself as the Acting President and the involved parties. Managing expectations, keeping people apprised of the process of resolving the issue(s), and making sure that I am making decisions and taking action based on clear and concise information is key here. Also, documenting all actions and decisions made, and why, so that David can review upon his return.

Acting President is just that… ‘Acting’. The elected President will still be overall responsible for my actions upon his return. That is where the trust that David I and have with each other is also key. He knows that I would never act in a way or make a decision that would negatively impact his ability to perform his duties or the club as a whole.

I hope that answers your question. If you need any further clarification, please let me know.

James