Governor-elect Dick Disney has requested a new zone alignment for the 2014-2015 administrative year and it was approved by the delegates at the 3rd quarter meeting held in Keizer, Oregon on May 17, 2014. The new alignment groups Optimist Clubs by state/province and asks for one lt. governor to manage the entire territory instead of a small group of four or five clubs.Dick explains that the new alignment will help the district save money and be more effective through the use of technology. He imagines and will coach his leadership team to have more frequent contact with the clubs in their areas via email and Skype as opposed to in person visitations. He also imagines that instead of local zone meetings, which many zones have long forsaken, that they might instead hold one super zone meeting a year to allow the Optimist Clubs to share in-person fellowship.
As a final incentive, Dick also believes that the new alignment will allow for a new job description for the lt. governor. He plans to ask them to focus heavily on membership retention and recruitment. The Optimist Clubs at the meeting, although many were skeptical, embraced the idea as a way of trying something new.
Elected by their states to serve as lt. governors for 2014-2015 were:
Idaho - Rick Matkin, Caldwell Optimist Club
Oregon - Bill French, Hillsboro Optimist Club
Washington and Alaska - Monique Connors, Chehalis-Centralia Optimist Club
British Columbia - to be determined
Congratulations and thank you to all
