Renee Duncan
New
January 30, 2003
Dear Members of DAN,
This letter, mercifully brief, is to update you concerning the facts pertaining to DANs present and future situation. It is being sent jointly by DANs Board Chairman and DANs President & CEO to assure you that we are in accord with regard to its contents.
The letter is prompted, of course, by the recent spate of negative publicityæstrong on implication but weak on proofæthat recounts in some detail the struggles between the Board and Management over the past two years. These matters were shared with you and addressed by DAN itself on our website prior to this publicity. The difficulties largely resulted from normal growing pains common to nonprofit organizations. Most important, however, is that these struggles are history. Board and management are now focused on the present and the future.
At present, DAN is intent on fulfilling its Mission. Clearly this is critical to you as members, and we take our responsibility to each of you very seriously. DANs attention to its Mission has been the key element of its phenomenal growth over the past ten years. Even during our recent internal turmoil, the Mission remained central to our day-to-day operations. Indeed, for a nonprofit organization it is our sole reason for beingænothing more, nothing less.
We are pleased to announce that the search process for the next President & CEO is in full swing. By the end of April it is expected that the Boards Search Committee will recommend to the full Board a candidate as Dr. Bennetts successor. The selection process is designed to solicit input from present staff, international professionals in the field, and of course DANs Board of Directors, who will make the final decision. We are working with an excellent search firm, and we are on a very tight timeline. It goes without saying that the multifaceted nature of the position makes it a challenging one to fill.
In addition, we are also working closely with officials at Duke University to further clarify and strengthen our partnership. Institutional relationships, like any other, require periodic review to ensure that they comply with present realities. DAN has rapidly risen from a fledgling effort within Duke to a powerful and complex international nonprofit organization. It is the goal of this review to firmly position the Duke/DAN partnership such that it will thrive over the next twenty years and beyond.
As DAN approaches the retirement of Dr. Bennett, we must also focus on ways to honor the multitude of his contributions to both DAN and to the field of diving medicine. Whereas there has been some unsubstantiated criticism of Dr. Bennetts tenure, no one denies that it has been his leadership and management that have made DAN the preeminent organization it is today. We will let you know about plans surrounding this retirement in the near future.
In conclusion, the Board and management want to assure all DAN members that DAN is fiscally and operationally sound. Further, DAN revenues and donations are being used appropriately in support of the DAN mission and services to our members.
Thank you for being a member of DAN.
Sincerely,
R. W. Bill Hamilton, Ph.D. Peter B. Bennett, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Board Chairman President and Chief Executive Officer
Dear Members of DAN,
This letter, mercifully brief, is to update you concerning the facts pertaining to DANs present and future situation. It is being sent jointly by DANs Board Chairman and DANs President & CEO to assure you that we are in accord with regard to its contents.
The letter is prompted, of course, by the recent spate of negative publicityæstrong on implication but weak on proofæthat recounts in some detail the struggles between the Board and Management over the past two years. These matters were shared with you and addressed by DAN itself on our website prior to this publicity. The difficulties largely resulted from normal growing pains common to nonprofit organizations. Most important, however, is that these struggles are history. Board and management are now focused on the present and the future.
At present, DAN is intent on fulfilling its Mission. Clearly this is critical to you as members, and we take our responsibility to each of you very seriously. DANs attention to its Mission has been the key element of its phenomenal growth over the past ten years. Even during our recent internal turmoil, the Mission remained central to our day-to-day operations. Indeed, for a nonprofit organization it is our sole reason for beingænothing more, nothing less.
We are pleased to announce that the search process for the next President & CEO is in full swing. By the end of April it is expected that the Boards Search Committee will recommend to the full Board a candidate as Dr. Bennetts successor. The selection process is designed to solicit input from present staff, international professionals in the field, and of course DANs Board of Directors, who will make the final decision. We are working with an excellent search firm, and we are on a very tight timeline. It goes without saying that the multifaceted nature of the position makes it a challenging one to fill.
In addition, we are also working closely with officials at Duke University to further clarify and strengthen our partnership. Institutional relationships, like any other, require periodic review to ensure that they comply with present realities. DAN has rapidly risen from a fledgling effort within Duke to a powerful and complex international nonprofit organization. It is the goal of this review to firmly position the Duke/DAN partnership such that it will thrive over the next twenty years and beyond.
As DAN approaches the retirement of Dr. Bennett, we must also focus on ways to honor the multitude of his contributions to both DAN and to the field of diving medicine. Whereas there has been some unsubstantiated criticism of Dr. Bennetts tenure, no one denies that it has been his leadership and management that have made DAN the preeminent organization it is today. We will let you know about plans surrounding this retirement in the near future.
In conclusion, the Board and management want to assure all DAN members that DAN is fiscally and operationally sound. Further, DAN revenues and donations are being used appropriately in support of the DAN mission and services to our members.
Thank you for being a member of DAN.
Sincerely,
R. W. Bill Hamilton, Ph.D. Peter B. Bennett, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Board Chairman President and Chief Executive Officer
