For those who have not heard, I am sad to report that we have lost our SCCA Enterprises Board Chairman, Andy Porterfield, to illness following a successful heart valve replacement a few weeks ago. I’ve taken a week to see if I can even come close to putting in words my thoughts on the loss of Andy. I really can’t, and it is such a personal loss to me I am just going to say that we all lost something; most of you have no idea of the magnitude of the loss to SCCA Enterprises and the SRF / FE community. Andy was a true leader, friend and mentor to me, and is not replaceable to Enterprises or to myself. However, we are all so much better off having had him in our business and lives.

Please know that as we move forward, after paying our respects and grieving, we will update the makeup of our Board and try to make Andy proud of Enterprises as he looks over us from a new perspective. Gary (Pitts), Chris (Funk) and I know what a job we have to continue on without Andy, and in my heart I think it will take a couple of members to come close to balancing all that Andy brought with him to our leadership team. I think that it is reasonable to share what my thoughts are regarding what the Enterprises Board could use going forward.

The general process for all SCCA subsidiary Boards is that new applicants, or suggested applicants, are reviewed by the leadership team of the subsidiary and the current Board for that subsidiary. After review, the new members that are the best fit, and offer the best skill sets to compliment the leadership team / Board, are forwarded to the SCCA Inc Board to be approved as an addition to the subsidiary Board. More often than not, it is the leadership team that goes out and asks key individuals to join. It would be reasonable to copy your local SCCA Inc Area Director, or the SCCA BOD Chairman, regarding suggestions or as an applicant.

Here are my thoughts:

1. I think we would benefit from a proven business leader, with a hobby interest in racing (preferably SRF), who also has some ties to SCCA Inc leadership or at least the possibility of being a good communicator to SCCA Inc.

2. I would like to have someone with good motorsports supplier / industry connections. A regular attendee of the PRI and or SEMA show who could assist us with higher level supply agreements.

3. I want one of the new members to have a NEDiv connection ideally and maybe the second a SEDiv connection; due to our customer density in these areas.

4. Bonus skills include anti-trust knowledge or strong legal knowledge in general, and at least a willingness to learn some of the technical nuances that so often dictate our decisions. Website and marketing knowledge can be helpful too of course.

Those are only my thoughts. Chris and Gary may see things differently and of course someone with skills not yet thought about might completely change my mind (or theirs).

I would be remiss if I did not add that with our current challenges we are not going to be rethinking large portions of how we are structured and / or how we use our tiny resources; at least not for 12 – 18 months. Our key staff members are at a really critical point in terms of workload and frustration. My largest issues are of critical importance to our ability to keep moving forward as well. I dream of more resources and certainly am hoping that with new Board members we will find improvements I have overlooked. Andy was anything but easy on me, and he was quite critical when he felt it was needed (our last discussion was not entirely a good memory, but I hoped his anger was a sign of recovery). So, while we won’t be debating publically new Board members merits and resumes, I am in no way going to push for someone who would be 100% agreeable. (I would prefer suggested new members names were not posted here. If they are, no comments will be made by Enterprises or the Board; during or after the process.) I enjoy learning, and have benefited from every Board member I have had the pleasure of serving under; I want to soak up more knowledge from the best members we can recruit.

I think any new Board member will be astonished by what SCCA Enterprises is and what it takes to keep it going. With my corporate background (GM, GE Plastics, Siemens Automotive and other auto industry leading companies) along with my exposure to successful businesses run by people like Andy, Chris and my father, as well as my exposure to entrepreneurial types like Gary; I still cannot summarizes what Enterprises is most like. However, we are serving a great community and have a correct business model for what we do. Can we do better?…I sure as hell hope so every day!

Thanks again for the call. Gary would be my first and Chris F ("IF" he has the time) would be second.
I would also consider Johnny when his health returns.

Duck-Out