WABA has announced that it has selected its new Executive Director
Ludwig Gaines
Welcome Ludwig Gaines!
Congratulations on the New Position!
yes... Ludwig aka Lud
this is the new leader of the Washington Area Bicyclists Association
but one thing...
the announcement came...
there was a wordy introduction...
there was a lengthy resume...
but there was no mention of the bike
nope
no mention
no photo
nothing bike... not one bicycle reference... no cycling history...
not even an anecdote
now... it is not vital for the leader of a bicycle advocacy group to be a cyclist
"but it would be cooler if you did"
my thought...
if there were two equal candidates
one of them is an avid cyclist
the other is not
I would think that the logical choice would be to hire the cyclist
unfortunately I guess no cyclists applied for this job
so... they went with this guy
when the announcement came out
there were a number of people who felt the same way about the new ED having no mention of "the bike" in their resume
saw some words on Twitter
small talk with people on the street echoed a similar sentiment
I had seen his Linked in Profile
looks like he changed and added two images pertaining to "the bike"
one image was a silhouette and the other was a photo of Lud on a Lime Bike out in front of WABA in Adams Morgan
a weak effort at "white washing"
personally...
I think a stronger stance would be to take the position that an advocate does not need to be a member of that group to represent them
rather than trying to pose as something that he is not
heck...
LIME Bikes were Safety Orange up until a week ago...
here he is on a photo on a White and Green LIME bike in front of WABA on his first day of work
the photo emulsion process is not complete... that is how new that photo is...
no black and white photo on a tricycle as a kid?
no image teaching the kids how to ride a bike?
nothing?
not one documented bicycle experience?
I am sure that Lud resume was a bit of a form letter
where WABA was put in the spot that read "insert new job assignment name here"
I get it... I have applied for jobs with that same trick
only it seems to work better for him than it works for me
so many people jumped to his defense...
some claiming that the lack of bike attacks were attacks on this man's race
when that brings up the easiest of metaphors to refute that attack
and
to explain to the outsiders why a cyclist may want someone who bikes to represent them as the leader of a bicycle advocacy group
When seeking a leader for the NAACP or the Congressional Black Caucus would you want that leader to be Black?
I do not need to pontificate on this notion any longer...
it is obvious...
it is not necessary... but it would make the most sense
we would all prefer that the representative of each group be a member of that group so that they can fully represent that group
I get it... Not for Profits man not be about Profit
yet nonprofits are still about money
for WABA to be more strong...
WABA not only needs more volunteers
but a larger staff
to pay a larger staff... that takes money
hmmm... with all that money... maybe there is a job for me...
MAYBE LUDWID NEEDS TO HIRE A BICYCLE CONSULTANT
(insert Gwadzilla resume Herę)
I could stand behind Lud in my cycling gear
leaning in to assist with verbiage
in the mornings I could meet with Lud and "brief" him on the situation of the day
whispering "Dutch Reach" or "Door Zone" into his ear to aid in strengthening his understanding of the dangers of life on the bike and what needs to be done to make the world of the cyclist more safe
time will tell...
Ludwig Gaines appointment is much like the new name of the Washington Football team
you can have your opinion...
you can like or dislike the selection...
but that does not change things
the decision has been made
and well
we just need to live with it
Welcome Ludwig Gaines
not sure if Greg Billing left tough shoes to fill
you are lucky
although Greg owns cycling shoes... they were never his more frequently worn shoes
not sure if I recognize any of these people from any of the cycling events that I have attended over the last 20 years...
