Sons of Ben Board Candidate Q&A (Part II)
As always, when we hold elections for the Sons of Ben Board, we ask the candidates to answer some questions to help you get to better know them, their positions, and their goals. This year is no different, but thanks to the new format we have several candidates who are running for another term in office. As such, we had specific questions for the incumbents, some for the new candidates, and several more for both. Because there are so many candidates, we’ll be breaking up the responses by office. In the first part of the article, you saw the responses for the President, Tifo, Tailgates and Travel positions. Here in Part II, we have the responses for Philanthropy and At Large.
PHILANTHROPY
KRYSTAL KANE
What do you consider your strengths to be, and what additional skills and talents will you bring to your role?
I’m very passionate about soccer, especially the Philadelphia Union, and philanthropy, and I use that drive to get others involved in these initiatives. I know how to get people excited about giving and involved in helping the community. I know how to work with nonprofit partners to support their missions. I feel passionately about giving and helping the less fortunate.
What makes now your time to join the SoB Board of Elders?
I love the Union, and had been hoping to get more involved in the SoB for some time now. When I saw the election announcement for the Director of Philanthropy position, I knew that it was the right time for me to step up. The position fits my skillset and experience very well.
How will you implement past experience you discussed in your biography into your role
I have a lot of experience running very successful charitable initiatives and managing volunteers. I’ve been doing this for years, and I would love to use my experience to help the SoB be even more successful at our charitable initiatives! I have a lot of relationships in the local nonprofit world, and I know how to build connections with community partners.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
In my day job, I’m a lawyer who manages the pro bono program at a large national law firm. I work with volunteers and nonprofit organizations all day, every day. I’m great at it, and I love doing it.
I have a lot of experience working on charitable initiatives – it’s my entire career, basically! I’ve done both high-value drives (over $500,000) and smaller events, like the professional clothing drive to benefit the Veterans Multi-Service Center that I organized this past summer. I’ve won awards and recognition for my work, most recently a certificate of recognition from the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office for organizing green card clinics for refugees through the Take Action Philly program.
How do you feel you can best represent the Sons of Ben as a part of the Board of Elders?
I honestly think that I’m made for this role. I am involved in many community organizations, and do a lot of volunteering and organizing for them, but I really love the Union. This is incredibly special to me. I also have the ability to put on my serious person/lawyer hat when needed, and sometimes you just need a person who speaks corporate on your side. I am known in my professional community as a rabid Union fan, and I’m very, very happy to use those connections for our benefit.
What goals do you have for your position and how do you hope to achieve them?
My goals for the Director of Philanthropy position are 1.) to keep up momentum on the already-established, awesome philanthropic events that the SoB has put on for years, 2.) to get more people involved in the SoB in general, but especially charitable events, and 3.) to expand our reach to nonprofits in the community, especially in Chester and especially to organizations that support soccer.
If you were elected, what key initial steps or activities would you perform to get started?
The first thing that I would do is reach out to the larger membership to expand the pool of those who want to get involved with the SoB but don’t know how to get started. If elected, my first goal would be to get more people involved in the SoB, and our charitable initiatives. I think that, as a group, we have the numbers to make a very powerful impact, but I also think that there are so many people out there who might be a little shy or reserved about jumping in.
I already have a few ideas for events that can promote soccer in the greater Philadelphia area while also elevating the brands of the Sons of Ben and the Philadelphia Union. I would love to implement these in addition to the awesome events already on the calendar!
What do feel the goals and objectives of the Sons of Ben should be as a group?
I think that the goals of the SoB should be to support the Philadelphia Union, to help build a community of Philadelphia Union fans, and to use our powers for good. I’ve been impressed with the overwhelmingly positive vibe of the SoB, especially as compared to other fan associations, and I think we can build on that.
What do you believe is the current perception of the Sons of Ben as a whole, and how would you use your role to impact that?
I honestly think that there is a lot of mystery surrounding the Sons of Ben in the larger community outside of the soccer world. People see us standing, cheering, and being rowdy in the River End, but I think it ends there for so many. I would use my role as the Director of Philanthropy to show both the local community and the wider MLS community what we’re all about!
What do you consider the greatest challenges to the Sons of Ben as the group moves forward?
I think that the greatest challenge to the Sons of Ben is the negativity directed at the Philadelphia Union. I think we can continue to grow as a group, and develop more support for the team we love, by continuing to be positive, by expanding our ties in the community, and by inviting others to join us in the River End, to get a taste for our spirit even when things are going rough for our team.
JON LIGHT
What do you consider your strengths to be, and what additional skills and talents will you bring to your role?
I consider my strengths to be that I am organized, persistent, and devoted. I find great joy in seeing projects completed correctly from start to finish. Additional skills and talents I plan to bring to this role is my ability to delegate tasks, problem solve, and lead.
What makes now your time to join the SoB Board of Elders?
I previously ran for Social Media Director in 2015, but since then my outreach with the Sons of Ben has improved greatly. I feel as though now is the perfect time for me to join the SoB Board of Elders because I have made myself more well known amongst the current elders through various volunteering efforts. I have also shown my passion for this organization (both the SoBs and Union) by being far more vocal when it comes to ideas and issues then in 2015.
How will you implement past experience you discussed in your biography into your role?
My past experiences in philanthropy will be completely utilized in my role with the Sons of Ben. In my biography, I mentioned 2 major philanthropic events that I have organized and successfully coordinated. My first major philanthropic event, a benefit concert I organized for my fraternity at Millersville University, helped me develop skills in coordination, delegation, and organization. All of these are crucial when putting together any major event for any purpose. My second major philanthropic effort. a campaign to help the homeless of Lancaster, Philadelphia, and Trenton by creating and delivering homeless kits, taught me to work within a budget and to be persistent through outreach in order to obtain goods. What I have learned in these past experiences in particular will be crucial in how I coordinate the Sons of Bens philanthropy campaigns as the skills and abilities developed are necessary for success.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
The only major difference I see between myself and my opponent is that my opponent appears to have more professional experience than me when it comes to philanthropy. Which may be damning to my campaign at first glance to some. Personally, I think my lack of professional experience could be considered a strong suit in some cases. Much like the formation of the Sons of Ben, all of my philanthropic campaigns have been built from grassroots efforts and have still succeeded. I used any form of outreach I could find to make sure my campaigns were a success. I relied on persistence to obtain any materials or goods needed. I had to be creative when it came to problems that my prohibit my campaign. I am not saying my opponent doesn't have to face these very same challenges in a professional line of work, I am saying I may have had to do it differently without the backing of an company or organization behind me. All of that being said I think that either of us are very well suited for the position.
How do you feel you can best represent the Sons of Ben as a part of the Board of Elders?
Representing the Sons of Ben as a Board of Elder means lending an ear and being welcoming to anybody who supports our cause.
What goals do you have for your position and how do you hope to achieve them?
My goals are simple for this position. Continue the tradition of hosting our annual philanthropy events (HKH, The Shertz Tailgate, Etc). A major goal for me would be to Develop new events ,some smaller and some bigger. These would include anything from a new event to benefit on behalf of Kenny Hanson to FIFA tournaments during tailgates. I would like to see more ongoing philanthropic efforts such as collecting school supplies/canned food at every tailgate instead of just a few. Finally I would like to develop merch that has all profits going towards a cause to be determined at a later date. Things as simple as Sons of Ben bracelets, pins,and stickers are cheap enough to produce and could yield big profits for whatever organization we choose to help. I hope to achieve all of these goals by being timely in contacting the appropriate parties, doing the proper research to assure whatever philanthropic effort is being performed is successful, and making an active push to get more Sons of Ben members involved with our philanthropic plans.
If you were elected, what key initial steps or activities would you perform to get started?
Initial steps or activities would be going back and seeing exactly how our philanthropic endeavors were carried out and ultimately learning and building off that. I would be very interested in contacting all of the former Philanthropic Directors and seeing their input on what they think they did right and what they think they may have been able to do better. I would also be interested in sending out a short survey to all members to learn what we could be doing to strengthen attendance at these events and what they would like to see added or taken away from these events going forward.
What do feel the goals and objectives of the Sons of Ben should be as a group?
The Sons of Ben ,first and foremost, should support the Union. After that it is our exemplify the fan base in a positive way, to help the communities that surround us, and to grow interest in the game and the team throughout the city.
What do you believe is the current perception of the Sons of Ben as a whole, and how would you use your role to impact that?
I believe the perception of the Sons of Ben is either positive or negative depending on who you ask. You have a bulk of the fanbase that looks at the Sons of Ben exactly as they should...We are the group that get loud, has fun, and are here to create an atmosphere come game day. On the flip side I think another chunk of the fan base thinks of the Sons of Ben as the group that gets drunk and is vulgar at times. I think my role could impact the latter as it allows us to say “Yes we drink at times and yes we are vulgar at times...but we also do a ton of good for not just our members, but the cities of Chester and Philadelphia as well”
What do you consider the greatest challenges to the Sons of Ben as the group moves forward?
The greatest challenge for the Sons of Ben going forward is not going to be a philanthropy issue. I believe there will always be strong support in some capacity for the philanthropy events we throw. I think the biggest issue will be maintaining/continuing to achieve strong membership numbers given the perception of the team. It will be harder going forward to get people involved and interested in our cause if the team is not performing well consistently and that is truly unfortunate. The Sons of Ben are going to have to continue to be as loud as ever going forward and not let off the gas pedal when it comes to supporting just because the team isnt doing well. Personally I think this last year showed that we as a group are capable of that, but, nevertheless, I think thats our biggest obstacle at this time.
AT LARGE
PAUL ETHRIDGE
What do you consider your strengths to be, and what additional skills and talents will you bring to your role?
Leadership, organization, and flexibility are critical skills for managing any organization or team. Luckily, I have these skills and have demonstrated them within the SoB by being both a capo and a member of the game day committee. Additionally, I am both easy to talk to and find in person and on social media.
What makes now your time to join the SoB Board of Elders?
I have been a capo for a few years now, through both the best and the worst of times. I think now is a good time to give the opportunity for others to take on that role and allow me to focus on better utilizing my skills to further serve the SoB membership.
How will you implement past experience you discussed in your biography into your role?
If you are taking the time to read this, I have likely been in your shoes at some point. I have been the new guy, showing up to a tailgate and not knowing anyone. I have been the guy on the ladder, giving his all. I have been the guy that shows up to help Ryan Bross paint and setup tifo before a game. I have been involved in almost all aspects of this organization and I know and understand the challenges and difficulties of each role. With this pool of knowledge, I will be able to best understand and overcome any challenge. I would argue that more effort and energy needs to be spent on connecting with new members of the organization so that they will be more involved as opposed to remaining spectators.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
Between my leadership skills, talent, and experience, I know that I will be a strong contender for the member at large position. The open-ended nature of the position is a great fit to my wide variety of experiences within the Sons of Ben and would allow me to best serve the membership.
How do you feel you can best represent the Sons of Ben as a part of the Board of Elders?
With my business leadership background, I want to focus on community engagement, involvement, and our overall game day experience. I would argue that our day-to-day involvement has declined both outside the stadium as well as inside the stadium. By cultivating the membership within the organization, I strongly believe that we can light that fire again and have successful march-ins once again and be as loud and united as we were at the open cup final games.
What goals do you have for your position and how do you hope to achieve them?
Ideally, more unity and membership involvement on game day. We need to do more to encourage others to participate in their own ways, not just within the standard ‘guidelines’. I would love to see more individual tifos (two poles, etc.) or flags created by our membership or new organic chants started by the crowd. There have been times where I would have loved to make something or brought something in, but I did not know where to look for the appropriate process or who to ask for that information. This can be encouraged by ensuring that the up to date regulations, processes, and procedures are available on the SoB website and that we actively encourage organic growth and change.
If you were elected, what key initial steps or activities would you perform to get started?
I would like us to overhaul our website and the content available on it. While I think that most of the information such as song lyrics and the event calendar are great steps in the right direction, we can do more by giving additional information about ways to get involved or the tailgates on game day.
What do feel the goals and objectives of the Sons of Ben should be as a group?
There needs to be a return to focusing on supporting the team and supporter culture as a whole. Instead of focusing on growing from a quantitative or membership number standpoint, more focus needs to be spent on the qualitative or involvement aspect of the membership. As unpopular as it sounds, having more members that are not better members is a recipe for failure, not success. Members need to be given the opportunity to be more involved in the day-to-day and have more options for being involved. Having a more involved but smaller membership base is significantly stronger than a larger but less involved one. By focusing and rewarding the organic growth and change that occurs over time, we will become a stronger supporters group.
What do you believe is the current perception of the Sons of Ben as a whole, and how would you use your role to impact that?
Within MLS, we are sometimes looked at as a two headed dog that can’t figure out which way to go. One head wants to continue to grow larger but is not very focused, the other is smaller, louder, and more focused. I would argue that we need to be more focused on our approach and worry less about membership numbers and group size. By identifying the members that are currently the most involved, we can look at the reasons why they are involved. Using that information, we can make appropriate decisions that ultimately shape our supporters group for the better.
What do you consider the greatest challenges to the Sons of Ben as the group moves forward?
The largest problem we have right now is a clash of identity. This is apparent by the increasing number of ‘offshoot groups’ of former members that are unhappy with the current direction. While it may not be possible to reunite these groups, the reasons behind their unhappiness must be recognized so that any further change is only positive and not a step backwards.
JESSE MacBETH
What do you consider your strengths to be, and what additional skills and talents will you bring to your role?
I see myself as an intelligent, personable guy with a passion for Philadelphia sports and soccer in general. I am a quick learner and I am willing to do whatever work may be asked of me in my “At Large” role if I do get the position.
What makes now your time to join the SoB Board of Elders?
I’ve been a member of the SoBs since 2010 but I haven’t lived in the area since I graduated high school in 2011. Now that I have moved back home permanently and am able to support myself financially, I want to get more involved in this supporters club that I have felt a connection to for all these years. I am finally going to be a season ticket holder for the first time and I want to get to know as many of my fellow SoBs as possible and contribute to the growth of our supporters club.
How will you implement past experience you discussed in your biography into your role?
I have experience working with a budget of half a million dollars and I had to take responsibility for 130 college-aged kids who didn’t always make the best choices. I know how to delegate, and ore importantly I know how to take charge of a project and galvanize others to help me accomplish my task. I’ve put in the long and thankless hours that are required of a leadership position within an organization and I can handle the flak I may receive from members who disagree with the board’s decisions. I also know I have a lot to learn about the workings of our supporters club and feel that I am at the right time in my life to absorb as much as I can from seasoned members of the board and put in the time necessary to improve our supporters club in whatever way I can.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
I feel that I have a unique perspective regarding our supporters club that has come from me supporting the Union from afar while living in other parts of the country. I have seen how other supporters clubs like Portland and Chicago operate and I have studied what makes a fan base powerful in MLS. I have watched the changes to our fan base from a distance, and experienced it first hand when I have been able to attend games. I have valuable experience being a part of a group as well as leading groups who all want to accomplish the same goal. I know how easy that can sound and how difficult that can actually be to accomplish. I am prepared to do whatever is necessary to improve our supporters club.
How do you feel you can best represent the Sons of Ben as a part of the Board of Elders?
I can represent the Board of Elders as a young man who is part of the next generation of leaders within the Sons of Ben. I want to learn as much as I can from the experienced members of the board and put myself in a position where my voice can be heard and my ideas can be put into action. I am a passionate fan and I want to bring that passion to the Board and inspire others to bring that passion back into every seat in the River End. I hope to take the SoB membership to a new level.
What goals do you have for your position and how do you hope to achieve them?
My primary goal is to learn as much as I can about how the board works so that I can understand where my talents fit within the organization and best utilize my skills to benefit the group as a whole. I’d like to help the tifo board member with ideas for tifos that will get every supporters group in the MLS talking. I’d also like to implement specific chants for opposing teams when they play in Talen Energy stadium, and not just against Red Bull and DC. I’d also like to work with the board to come up with something to replace the YSA chant, which continues to be heard throughout the River End. I think the reason this chant refuses to die is because we have not put something new in its place. I’d also like to develop new chants that would rally all the fans in the stadium. Something as simple as the ATL chant that Atlanta rolled out this year would be a strong start. If we create something the entire fan base understands, the energy level in the whole stadium will rise. In general I’d also like to work to find a way to have the River End be more cohesive. Presently, there are fans in the section that do not chant and there are some who do not represent the Sons of Ben in a way that benefits us. We need to get back to the level of focus and energy that we had in our inaugural season. Currently, I do not have the power to implement these changes on my own. Instead I hope to find a path forward with my ideas if I am elected to the Member at Large position. Holding the position will enable me to begin to work with the people who can help make these changes happen.
If you were elected, what key initial steps or activities would you perform to get started?
I’d like to begin to reach out to people in the area to try to recruit new SoB members who will remain passionate and engaged throughout every game for the entire season. I would like to explore the possibility of reaching out to local soccer organizations or high school and college soccer teams and setting up some kind of tournament or event that can get the SoBs exposure and hopefully drum up interest for more people to join our supporters club. I think we should also find a way to reach out to members of the SoBs who may not know anyone else in their section. The supporters club should feel like a family, regardless of whether or not you’re a season ticket holder. Personally, I think we should go back to the policy of not sitting in the section if you aren’t an SoB member or a guest of someone who is. I’ve experienced rude people in the River End section in recent years. The real low point was a season or two ago when people were yelling at others to stop chanting during the game. No prospective member wants to join an organization that is crushing positive team spirit. I’ve also seen that no more than 15% of the River End holds up their scarves during our Looking over a Four Leaf Clover chant. Unfortunately, even less sing along. Most people who sit in the River End have little to zero interest in actively participating in supporting the team and don’t have incentive to do so. This is something we must change. I understand that we are Philadelphians and we aren’t great at supporting losing teams. However, whether we are winning or losing, we don’t want the Sons of Ben section to be filled with negativity. Furthermore, The River End can’t just be the section of the stadium where 21-35 year olds choose to sit in because that’s where they can drink the most and get rowdy. The supporters club should be a special section of the stadium that certainly does get rowdy, but for the right reasons and in the right way.
What do feel the goals and objectives of the Sons of Ben should be as a group?
I think the SoBs need to have a goal of supporting the club first and foremost. Personally I think booing Jim Curtain is pretty stupid, but I wouldn’t say that we should be tossing members out for that kind of display. However we need to do a better job of actually spurring the Union on to victory. We should also have a goal of being the best supporters group in the league. We have an exceptional passion for sports in the Philadelphia area and the soccer supporter culture here is even more unique. I think we should make other teams want to hate to come to our building and we should drown out any noise any opposing fan contingent may try to make. We should have tifos that are noteworthy. We need to create chants that demoralize our enemy and, in turn, energize our squad. I would also like to see us make a stronger statement at away games, especially in DC New York and New England. We should be loud as hell in those opposing team stadiums. If we were able to make noise with a smaller group before we actually got the team in 08 and 09, we should be even louder now. Finally, and just as important, I believe that we should be campaigning for the betterment of Chester as a city. We need to bring that revitalization project back onto the desks of the people in the Union organization that can do something about it.
What do you believe is the current perception of the Sons of Ben as a whole, and how would you use your role to impact that?
As a member of the Sons of Ben, my perception is that we are a shell of our former selves. I understand that our final game against Orlando meant nothing for our playoff hopes, but I had never been so embarrassed to be standing in that supporter’s section. We are disjointed; confused, and different sections start different chants that are usually ones they’ve made up on the spot. Even when we have capos at every section the engagement is poor. We have lost our identity. And to be honest I don’t have one solution to fix it. As I said earlier I think we need to make the section SoB members-only again. We need to reach out to new members and I think moving forward we should also bring the current members who do want to be a real part of the section closer together. I think we should consider throwing a party for any new member who joins the SoBs and let them meet with current members and Board of Elders members. We need to facilitate an experience that makes the SoBs a more close-knit community. No more petty name-calling. No more confusion or apathy. If you’re in the SoBs, you stand, you sing, you make life hell for the other team. Every single game, minute 1 to 90.
What do you consider the greatest challenges to the Sons of Ben as the group moves forward?
The greatest challenge is that we do not have enough people who really want to take a stand and make a difference in this organization. We need to cultivate more members who want to take charge. While we cannot ostracize members who only want to be part of the force on game day and nothing more, we should try to inspire our members to be a part of the positive force of change our supporters section must go through. If we continue to allow people into our section who simply do not care about what the SoBs are about and stand for, then not only will we lose the interest of prospective members but we will lose the interest of current members as well.
SID MacLEOD
What do you consider your strengths to be, and what additional skills and talents will you bring to your role?
As a lifelong communicator, and people person, I feel that I can effectively be a bridge between the rank and file SOB, and the board. I am also a facilitator, which means that I have the physical and mental capacity to get ideas transformed into real world applications. I can also juggle, and ride a unicycle, but sadly, not at the same time.
What makes now your time to join the SoB Board of Elders?
As a member of the Management Committees for the past few years, I have gained valuable insight into what it actually takes to make the Sons of Ben run at the most basic levels. I feel that using this knowledge, I can use my skills to help move the group forward.
How will you implement past experience you discussed in your biography into your role?
I have a lifelong flare for all things theatrical, and I’d like to see that all our events are EVENTS! Almost anything can be accomplished with a little hard work, and a lot of smoke and mirrors. Plus, if we can think it, I can probably build it.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
The size of my penis.
How do you feel you can best represent the Sons of Ben as a part of the Board of Elders?
By using my skills as a communicator and facilitator to express the passion for Philly Soccer that we all share. From the Special Olympics, to local youth and amateur programs, to away Union matches, I think that what sometimes gets lost is the fact that we are supporters. As much as I am part of the BooBird culture, it is important to me that we truly support our club, especially the players, most importantly, the kids just fresh out of the Academy.
What goals do you have for your position and how do you hope to achieve them?
I would like to see every seat in The River End filled for every game, with an infectious enthusiasm that resonates throughout the stadium. As “the new kid on the block”, I see my role as continuing to support the board, but using my skills to help dial our impact up to “11”.
If you were elected, what key initial steps or activities would you perform to get started?
I have talked about this in the past, but due to mainly geographic setbacks, we don’t march into the stadium much anymore. With our move next season closer to the stadium, there is no reason not to set the tone for the match from the jump. The marches not only get us fired up, they get the players and the rest of the fans excited as well. And- MORE FREE BEER!
What do feel the goals and objectives of the Sons of Ben should be as a group?
As the driving force behind the birth of the Union, we need to continue to be the driving force that sees the club into maturity. We have had a rocky road lately (read: all 8 seasons), but our support should only intensify as the club’s performance wanes.
What do you believe is the current perception of the Sons of Ben as a whole, and how would you use your role to impact that?
Our fans and players love us. Opposing teams hate us, and can be slightly taken aback by us. The Front Office sees us through both of those lenses. Enthusiasm is infectious. By my words and actions, I promise to make more fans love us, more visitors hate us, and smack the front office around just enough to keep them in line.
What do you consider the greatest challenges to the Sons of Ben as the group moves forward?
To keep up our enthusiasm even as the club’s performance has been, well, shitty. If you look at the current situation in Columbus, we have to realize that we need to appreciate what we have, and work hard to move forward, or risk submitting to the whims of ownership. They won’t go anywhere if the seats are filled.
ROB MIGLIACCIO
What do you consider your strengths to be, and what additional skills and talents will you bring to your role?
I'm a people person, I love to get to know others and make new friends and help them out. This organization needs someone to be the voice of the general membership and if elected I want to listen to all of our members if they would like to speak with me at events or games and bring their concerns, comment and questions directly to the board. When the time arises for me to be a leader, I can switch gears and become that leader with no problem. I'm also very creative and ready to bring my ideas to this already great organization.
What makes now your time to join the SoB Board of Elders?
I am ready for a new challenge to help better serve my fellow Sons Of Ben and elevate our already great organization to the next level. I have already served as a volunteer for tifo and capo for the past three years and one year on the Game Day Committee. With this experience I am ready to bring some of my ideas and skills to the board.
How will you implement past experience you discussed in your biography into your role?
I have been with this organization for the past couple of years and went from a regular member to a major part of the game day crew; with that I know how to listen to the needs of the organization and what we can do to help forward the organization. I also am the chair of Arcadia University's Young Alumni and Student Committee, member of the Alumni Steering Committee as well as the Alumni Leadership Council. At the age of 26 I am able to be a part of these committees and bring my ideas to the table and for them to be implemented.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
I believe that I am different from my opponents because I can bring a younger view to the board and connect the general members to the board. From my time on my Alumni committees at Arcadia I heavily rely on communicating with my fellow alumni to see what works and doesn't as well as seeing what they want to see from the committees. I honestly believe that my opponents are all great choices as well, but I will be there for my fellow Sons Of Ben as I am for anyone I consider a family member and I consider all of you that I know a part of my overall family.
How do you feel you can best represent the Sons of Ben as a part of the Board of Elders?
I feel that as a member of the Board of Elders I can be more of a public figure than I already am on the Capo stand. I can be an advocate, a voice for the members so that their voices and ideas can be heard and ultimately change the organization. As a Board member I want to help this organization heal, we have been through some rough times recently and I want to see that this organization has a bright future. We are on the verge of an organizational renaissance and with the help of this newly appointed Board we can take the leap and get back to the organization that we once were, A STRONG ONE.
What goals do you have for your position and how do you hope to achieve them?
As of right now I just want to help the general membership to be heard. I know some members believe that their comments and concerns aren't being heard, but I want to be the one to listen to them and help their ideas come to light. Ultimately, I want to breathe new life into this board and now is the time for that new life to come to the board. I don't have a game plan for this position because for this and any position the plan always changes in one way or another. As I start to learn the position and merge with the rest of the board I will formulate a plan and execute it to the best that I can.
If you were elected, what key initial steps or activities would you perform to get started?
I think the logical answer is to really sit with the board and get to know each member and what they can bring to the table and figure what is already in progress and build off of it. You can't go into a new position such as Member At Large and take control of the group, you have to build up trust and then implement your plans.
What do feel the goals and objectives of the Sons of Ben should be as a group?
The Sons of Ben is first and foremost here for the club. The Philadelphia Union is ultimately what binds us as a whole and the major objective of our organization is to stand behind and cheer on our Boys in Blue on the field.
BOB PRESSER
What do you consider your strengths to be, and what additional skills and talents will you bring to your role?
My biggest strength is organization. Having the ability to compartmentalize situations is key to time management. I believe this is extremely relevant to the member at large position, as this role requires the candidate to be available and understanding to the boards day to day needs.
I’m also extremely passionate about the Sons of Ben & Union. This passion for our group is my motivation for wanting us to succeed and grow.
What makes now your time to join the SoB Board of Elders?
Now is the perfect time for me to join the Board of Elders. I’ve been a member of the SoB for many years. I’ve seen elders come and go, implement their ideas and watched them fade out. I see now as a transition period, not only for the team, but for the Sons. To truly grow as a group, we need constant input and fresh perspective.
I’ve been a member of the Sons, and was hooked from my very first game. I’d like to bring my experience as a Son, and also my experiences with other supporters group here and abroad to bring that new outlook, or new ideas to the elders.
How will you implement past experience you discussed in your biography into your role?
Member at large, in my opinion, is a pretty vague position. I think that affords me the opportunity to get involved with all aspects of the board and the SoBs.
I want to implement everything I, as well as the entire SoBs have been through throughout the years. The tribulations and celebrations. I want to use what has always made this organization wonderful, and grow it, develop it, and evolve it into something greater. That being said, I also want to go back and look at the struggles and arguments that have occurred and learn from them, and see what it is that can be fixed and built on.
What sets you apart from your opponents?
This is a very difficult question. I will just say what makes me an ideal candidate for this position is my willingness to participate, discuss, lead, and be the ideal member and elder.
How do you feel you can best represent the Sons of Ben as a part of the Board of Elders?
I’d like to best represent the board as being an outlet for members. We’ve all been a part of social media arguments and complaints. If we could turn the negativity on the internet into something productive and positive, there’s no telling where our organization can go, both on game day or otherwise.
Giving the members a further outlet to voice opinions to the board is a positive aspect to a position such as member at large.
Having been around for some time now I’m also very well aware of the amount of work the Board of Elders puts in daily to make the Sons of Ben experience what it is. I want to be an outlet for them, and to help us proceed the best we can.
What goals do you have for your position and how do you hope to achieve them?
Let’s face it, we’re limited on the craziness by what the Union will or will not permit us to do. They’re not going to let us go full Galatasaray and light up flares in TRE. Completely understandable, but I guess I’ll have to nix that goal.
My goal as a member at large is to be a support function for the board of Elders. I want to be the type of member that the board can rely on to drive us forward. I want to also help focus on our development through the offseason, to help us be the best prepared we can be going into the season. New chants, new tifo, new events…I want to be part of the conversation.
If you were elected, what key initial steps or activities would you perform to get started?
Easy enough. First thing would be to work with the board to determine the goals set out for the new season and upcoming events. Being in the offseason now, would allow for a little more concentration on building us up before the upcoming season.
It also provides the opportunity to provide members the focus and attention they deserve. Understanding what the membership wants will only help further our overall goals as an organization.
What do feel the goals and objectives of the Sons of Ben should be as a group?
I’m a pretty big proponent of strengthening, rather than expanding. That’s not to say I don’t want the organization to grow, and to gain new members. So ensuring members are joining for the right reasons, to join a supporters group, is imperative. It will go a long way to enhancing the TRE experience come game day. We need to work with our membership to determine what direction we should be headed in. Being solidified and on the same page will help in our goal to be the epitome of support.
Another objective I’d be interested in pursuing is new events. HKH and Pints for Pets are great events for great causes. My question is, what else can we do, who can we do it for, and where can it get done?
What do you believe is the current perception of the Sons of Ben as a whole, and how would you use your role to impact that?
Honest answer is transitioning. We are no longer a new team, or new organization. We are here and are a known quantity. It’s time to take stock of where we are as a group, and where it is we need to be. We need to blow up, and be loud.
As a member at large, it would be my job first and foremost to help push the elders objectives forward, but also to be that communication between the membership and elders. Working together will make us stronger, and I believe that will translate throughout the organization.
What do you consider the greatest challenges to the Sons of Ben as the group moves forward?
We’re still too young to have had glory days. But, getting the entire organization on board, and TRE raucous and intimidating again are key to the group going forward. The group was started. Our city got its team. Now it’s time to determine how we need to evolve and grow as an organization. I think the best way to drive that evolution is communication and active conversation between our membership, the elders, and the Union.