Where's Waldo?

We know Howard is remarrying on September 7, to Chicagoan, Beverly Siegel. But do dating, prenuptial activities and wedding planning excuse Rieger from being in the office all of August and most of July (but for his brief appearance here to announce his "retirement"?) If you read Charity data on CEO compensation, you will find that our CEO is paid a G-d awful amount to be a wedding planner. Or maybe he is trying to draft a strategic plan in absentia.

If anyone has seen Howard Rieger, please call Pat McNamara at UJC and advise as to his whereabouts.

Buh Bye

"nuff said. Amen. Selah.

boys/girls

...Back at the Water Cooler...

Rumors abound -- that's all we get here.



Howard has called an all-hands meeting at 111 on the 23rd:

• Is it to announce he is leaving immediately?


• Is it to announce he will not seek a new contract?


• Is it to announce his engagement?


• Is it to announce that his trusted senior management team will be restricted to Orthodox or traditional Jews only (as already may be the case)?

None of the above? All of the above? Meeting canceled?

boys/girls

...and no one cares..

Yesterday, another professional woman observed her last day here at UJC, fired rather than forced into retirement. We'll leave it to you, our readers, to come to your own conclusions as to whether something is terribly wrong with an organization that spends tens of thousands on consultant studies of women in the workplace yet terminates or forces out one woman after another over the past three years.



Someone, maybe the Chair of the Executive, ought to examine this management's woeful track record on retaining women on its staff. That's one task of an Executive Committee, isn't it?

Happy Fourth of July.


boys/girls

Questions...continued

It seems likely that no one really cares about UJC anymore except the CEO but we have a few lingering questions:

• What ever happened to the "Great Place to Work Survey"? Has anyone ever read it beyond the CEO? Has it been suppressed/ Do the Chairs believe that it's no one's business? The staff, of course, has never seen it; and, under this chief pro, never will. Is there really a Chair of the Executive or is she a myth?



• Pros in the few federations that the CEO has visited have passed the word to some here to "get their resumes out" because Rieger has told them that when he goes in two years or less, it "..will be all over for UJC." What? He may be that full of himself (or full of something) and he may, therefore, even believe it, but why say it?



• Has anyone taken a look at the success that those maligned senior professionals who were forced out of UJC under this administration are having in the free world out there? How could that be given how all of them continue to be bad-mouthed at the remaining Senior professional level here -- right up to the top of the food chain.

boys/girls

What's Up?

Nothing is really happening here at 111. And, apparently, few care.

The highest levels of UJC professional leadership have been in Israel for ove a week. Rieger, Kanfer (and one of his daughters) and Toni Young all participated on Panels at a "major" conference convened by Sheatufim -- you have all heard of that one haven't you? The Israel Center for a Civil Society. It has important work to do -- this Conference brought among others Olmert and Tony Blair to speak. We here in NYC were intrigued that the UJC restricted itself to three speakers, of course only from within its own leaders, to talk about fund-raising and strategic partnerships...about which UJC is doing really nothing...but talking.

We are in suspended animation here. The professional leaders of UJC Rieger "left behind" (he went on the the Jewish Agency meetings) are totally afraid to move UJC's agenda forward, if they could find it, in Howard's absence. You make a mistake, you're gone. So they seem to get periodic incoherent e-mail directions day -in and day-out often internally contradictory.

Meanwhile, another Senior Professional is leaving, joining the parade, moving on and into the federation system. Can anyone imagine why the grass is greener anywhere, everywhere else?

AT THE WATER COOLER

If you listen to the gossip here -- and, unfortunately, that's all this is -- there is real concern on the north side of UJC headquarters. Rumor has it that J. Kanfer will not seek another Term as Chair of the Board. We don't believe it, but the CEO is frantic. He may fear that getting the "wrong" successors to Joe and Kathy Manning might result in his firing. One problem is that two of the "candidates" to succeed the Chair are hiding behind the skirts/pants of their wife's/husband's gifts, and how would that look?

In all events the Chairs appointed a strong and independent lay person as Chair of the Nominating Committee. Now we will see if the law of unintended consequences will come into play -- having appointed Susie Stern of New York, will they let her and her Committee do their job? We have our doubts.