In an earlier post we described the fact that the numerous groups that seek relief from OIRA seldom support it when the organization is criticized for simply doing its job.
Now the retiring long term President of the Senior Executives Association makes a similar point regarding the protection of the integrity of the Senior Executive Service. More specifically Carol Bonosaro states upon her retirement:
I have only one regret and that is, that I could never succeed in getting the vast majority of the career executive corps to support SEA.
She also includes a gem of a quote from a former President:
As Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Every man owes part of his time and money to the business or industry to which he is engaged. No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve the conditions within his sphere.
The bottom line is that the attacks on the SES are not only going to continue but may expand in their scope and depth. The SES needs to have a forceful presence before the Congress and the American public; the SEA is such an organization. Members of the SES will either pay now or pay later.
More than ever, the difficult challenge facing the incoming President of the SEA is to energize its base to become actively engaged in its activities. To this end the SEA should enlist the services of former and retired members of the SES to assist in dealing with the Congress and the Press.
A forceful presence in the aforementioned venues means not only working the halls of Congress but also the wise use of the social media. Unfortunately we are in an era where the existence of established institutions without an effective outreach program are in jeopardy.
Q. E. D.
Full Disclosure: The author was a member of the SES at its founding and is a Lifetime member of the SEA.
