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Date Posted: Monday, September 03, 10:54:41pm
>This was sent to State EDs earlier today. Recent
>events have come to the attention of former Miss
>Americas and myself. We think some are of the details,
>but not all. Unfortunately, the lack of transparency
>and incompetency that spurred the states and formers
>into action have now been placed on the shoulders of
>our titleholders. It is imperative that recent events
>are made known. Regina Hopper (CEO) called two
>meetings with contestants over the weekend. Here are
>details of what transpired: Significant changes are
>being made to the manner in which the phases of
>competition are being conducted and, accordingly
>judged, at the 11th hour. After months of being asked
>to describe the new format for which these contestants
>would be competing, and hiring producer Phil Gurrin,
>of Shark Tank fame, to help create an interactive
>interview “Shark Tank-type” phase of competition,
>Regina announced, along with Ernst&Young present via
>conference call, that on the telecast, the Top 15 will
>no longer compete in this phase as previously
>described. In fact the contestants will now submit
>questions to ask each other during this first phase of
>competition. Be advised, this is the time when the
>public and new celebrity panel were to get to know
>these contestants better via an extension of their
>interview. This is now being scrapped at the last
>minute despite contestants and state executive
>directors have prepared amongst anxiety and ambiguity.
>While the Miss State and Miss America must be strong,
>confident and flexible, this crosses a line with mere
>days before competition begins. These women have
>competed one way at the state level, prepared another
>way over the summer with ever-changing directives on
>this new phase of competition, and yet again another
>format change is being thrown at them at the last
>minute. More incompetence is exemplified, this time
>supported by a $200,000 consultant. Why did they
>ignore his advice? Why was he hired in the first
>place? This demonstrates incompetence. MAO, through
>its CEO and other leadership, are continuing the
>campaign of keeping state organizations in the dark
>and seeking to divide your state contestants from
>their state officials. At this first meeting, Regina
>asked all contestants not to communicate this to their
>State ED's. This supports Cara’s claim that this
>leadership wants to “keep things in the family”.
>This speaks to the lack of transparency and integrity.
> State directors are being left out production-wise
>and prep-wise of their respective state
>representative’s competition at Miss America. The
>contestants are having the rug pulled out from under
>them. Demanding the contestants keep this secret so as
>to help Regina cover up her incompetence is
>compounding the pressure on the contestants to do as
>they are told and to not reach out to their support
>system for fear of retribution. This is intimidation.
> MAO, through its CEO and other leadership, have been
>unwilling or unable to answer reasonable questions
>asked by the contestants. Sunday night, Regina called
>the second meeting with all 51 contestants. Confirmed
>documentation that contestants ask tough questions but
>Regina dodged and diverted from answering them. MAO,
>through its CEO and other leadership, is
>systematically, distancing contestants from the state
>and local programs. Contestants were directed not to
>refer to themselves as “Miss”-State, but rather
>“I am from the state of….” Fortunately, the
>contestants did announce they would be using “Miss
>State” regardless of what has been directed. This
>completely devalues the achievement they have earned
>and it is causing further confusion as to the identity
>of this program. Could this be laying the groundwork
>to eventually eliminate State organizations and have
>at-large (regional) competitions? The state
>representatives are confident young women who clearly
>see the the concerns related to integrity,
>incompetency and intimidation. At this Sunday night
>meeting contestants asked: 1) why they are changing
>things when they all competed under a certain criteria
>and are applying for the job of Miss America yet they
>can’t use that title for their current achievement.
>2) for the employee contract but still were put off,
>as “Changes are still being made”. 3) why
>leadership has changed everything that is CORE to MAO
>brand and why setting the program back 50 years.
>Regina responded that it is “all about balance”.
>Regina explained she had to raise money and she had to
>do “whatever it took” to raise that money. (Note:
>this is the complete failure of this national
>leadership team since no money has been raised yet
>core elements of the program are being changed,
>expensive consultants are being hired then ignored,
>last minute-wholesale changes are announced, and the
>contestants are isolated from their support systems
>necessary to navigate and understand this chaos.) This
>speaks to lack of good governance and questionable
>ethics. 4) how they are supposed to recruit new
>participants when they themselves are unclear on what
>job they are interviewing for and what organization
>they currently represent. Contestants reported* a
>myriad of reactions after this meeting. (*Paraphrased
>for confidentiality) They expressed that they are now
>bearing witness to the type of mistreatment that Cara
>has experienced and described. They are distressed,
>confused and frustrated by the lack of transparency
>and integrity that leadership is now subjecting them
>to during their Atlantic City experience. This is
>preventing our young women from competing at their
>best in a competition for which they have prepared for
>and deserve honest and ethical leadership. We know
>that states are scared to speak out for fear of
>retaliation but now the titleholders, the very women
>some states cited as the basis for their delay in
>taking any action, are bearing the full brunt of this
>incompetence.See below, the news from this evening
>concerning the Miss America Pageant, copied and pasted
>from Jennifer Vaden Barth. Also, see the attachment of
>“Miss America 2.0 by the numbers”, all wrapped up
>in a nutshell. What they are doing to our pageant, our
>wonderful Miss America and now, the state contestants
>is absolutely infuriating! The nightmare and the
>destruction of our beloved icon continues...
>(Apologies, this is long) This was sent to State EDs
>earlier today. Recent events have come to the
>attention of former Miss Americas and myself. We think
>some are of the details, but not all. Unfortunately,
>the lack of transparency and incompetency that spurred
>the states and formers into action have now been
>placed on the shoulders of our titleholders. It is
>imperative that recent events are made known. Regina
>Hopper (CEO) called two meetings with contestants over
>the weekend. Here are details of what transpired:
>Significant changes are being made to the manner in
>which the phases of competition are being conducted
>and, accordingly judged, at the 11th hour. After
>months of being asked to describe the new format for
>which these contestants would be competing, and hiring
>producer Phil Gurrin, of Shark Tank fame, to help
>create an interactive interview “Shark Tank-type”
>phase of competition, Regina announced, along with
>Ernst&Young present via conference call, that on the
>telecast, the Top 15 will no longer compete in this
>phase as previously described. In fact the contestants
>will now submit questions to ask each other during
>this first phase of competition. Be advised, this is
>the time when the public and new celebrity panel were
>to get to know these contestants better via an
>extension of their interview. This is now being
>scrapped at the last minute despite contestants and
>state executive directors have prepared amongst
>anxiety and ambiguity. While the Miss State and Miss
>America must be strong, confident and flexible, this
>crosses a line with mere days before competition
>begins. These women have competed one way at the state
>level, prepared another way over the summer with
>ever-changing directives on this new phase of
>competition, and yet again another format change is
>being thrown at them at the last minute. More
>incompetence is exemplified, this time supported by a
>$200,000 consultant. Why did they ignore his advice?
>Why was he hired in the first place? This demonstrates
>incompetence. MAO, through its CEO and other
>leadership, are continuing the campaign of keeping
>state organizations in the dark and seeking to divide
>your state contestants from their state officials. At
>this first meeting, Regina asked all contestants not
>to communicate this to their State ED's. This supports
>Cara’s claim that this leadership wants to “keep
>things in the family”. This speaks to the lack of
>transparency and integrity. State directors are
>being left out production-wise and prep-wise of their
>respective state representative’s competition at
>Miss America. The contestants are having the rug
>pulled out from under them. Demanding the contestants
>keep this secret so as to help Regina cover up her
>incompetence is compounding the pressure on the
>contestants to do as they are told and to not reach
>out to their support system for fear of retribution.
>This is intimidation. MAO, through its CEO and other
>leadership, have been unwilling or unable to answer
>reasonable questions asked by the contestants. Sunday
>night, Regina called the second meeting with all 51
>contestants. Confirmed documentation that contestants
>ask tough questions but Regina dodged and diverted
>from answering them. MAO, through its CEO and other
>leadership, is systematically, distancing contestants
>from the state and local programs. Contestants were
>directed not to refer to themselves as
>“Miss”-State, but rather “I am from the state
>of….” Fortunately, the contestants did announce
>they would be using “Miss State” regardless of
>what has been directed. This completely devalues the
>achievement they have earned and it is causing further
>confusion as to the identity of this program. Could
>this be laying the groundwork to eventually eliminate
>State organizations and have at-large (regional)
>competitions? The state representatives are confident
>young women who clearly see the the concerns related
>to integrity, incompetency and intimidation. At this
>Sunday night meeting contestants asked: 1) why they
>are changing things when they all competed under a
>certain criteria and are applying for the job of Miss
>America yet they can’t use that title for their
>current achievement. 2) for the employee contract but
>still were put off, as “Changes are still being
>made”. 3) why leadership has changed everything
>that is CORE to MAO brand and why setting the program
>back 50 years. Regina responded that it is “all
>about balance”. Regina explained she had to raise
>money and she had to do “whatever it took” to
>raise that money. (Note: this is the complete failure
>of this national leadership team since no money has
>been raised yet core elements of the program are being
>changed, expensive consultants are being hired then
>ignored, last minute-wholesale changes are announced,
>and the contestants are isolated from their support
>systems necessary to navigate and understand this
>chaos.) This speaks to lack of good governance and
>questionable ethics. 4) how they are supposed to
>recruit new participants when they themselves are
>unclear on what job they are interviewing for and what
>organization they currently represent. Contestants
>reported* a myriad of reactions after this meeting.
>(*Paraphrased for confidentiality) They expressed that
>they are now bearing witness to the type of
>mistreatment that Cara has experienced and described.
>They are distressed, confused and frustrated by the
>lack of transparency and integrity that leadership is
>now subjecting them to during their Atlantic City
>experience. This is preventing our young women from
>competing at their best in a competition for which
>they have prepared for and deserve honest and ethical
>leadership. We know that states are scared to speak
>out for fear of retaliation but now the titleholders,
>the very women some states cited as the basis for
>their delay in taking any action, are bearing the full
>brunt of this incompetence.
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