National President Canidate - Chris Marshall

[ViperX]

To All Viper Owners,

Chris Marshall has announced his intentions to run for national president of the VCA.  I strongly support Chris in this endeavor.  This type of information has not been shared with the club members in the past but I thought that you'd like to read his announcement.

Regards,

Dan

*ANNOUNCEMENT OF CANDIDACY FOR NATIONAL PRESIDENT*

     
To My Fellow VCA Officers:

     
     As one of the founding members of the Kansas City VCA in the summer of
1999 (with only a VIN – the car would be built five months later), I was eager to help fellow owners as they had helped me when we first started researching our dream car – the Dodge Viper.  And what a ride both have
been: Three Vipers, two years as Regional Treasurer, four years as a Regional President (two of which also included the role of Southwest Zone Director at Large), and about six years of those same years serving off and on as a forum moderator and Website Committee member for the National VCA site.  It has been an incredible ride – both in and out of the car.
   

     This brings me to my current role as National Treasurer, where I am in my final year of a two-year term.  I have been blessed in that my predecessor is none other than our current National President, Bob Carroll.
Under his guidance, we have grown the VCA to what I believe is the strongest it has *ever* been financially.  Our ties to Chrysler are as strong as ever and we continue to work towards improving the benefits for all our members – and thereby increasing the membership itself.I have had the pleasure of interfacing directly with the folks on Team Viper, SRT, and other Chrysler personnel since 2001 when then-VCA President Tony Estes first asked me to help funnel member issues back to the manufacturer.
   

     Like all major projects, they take time and dedication.  It is my very firm belief that we need to continue on the path Bob Carroll started as National Treasurer and has successfully carried into the current administration.  I have spoken with numerous other officers at every level of the club and all have suggested that we continue in our current direction, while also adding value to the membership experience and increasing our membership base as a whole.  So with that in mind and after very careful consideration, I humbly submit my candidacy for National VCA President for 2009-2010.  With the future of the very car itself in question, it is *critical* that the VCA presents a strong, unbiased, and unwavering voice to the manufacturer.  The incoming team of National Officers will face a daunting task with an uncertain future.  I would be honored to lead and be a part of that team.
   

     The bottom line is this: You want your officers at every level to demonstrate a passion for the car, the people, and the club itself.  That fire still burns very, very bright with me and I am not alone.  Now is the time we need to unite in support of the club, and thereby the car and the manufacturer.  We need to make the best use of *all* our resources, but most especially our people.  Our regional presidents need to have a bigger presence, especially those that continue to demonstrate their dedication day in and day out.  We also have a wealth of previous regional, zone, and national officers that are rarely heard from these days but would gladly do what they can to protect the legacy of the car and the club.  We have a great club that can be even greater when we recognize and utilize the assets we already have in place.
   
 
     My vision is very simple: Increase the member benefits to increase the member numbers, bring together former officers to help us represent the club's strengths to the manufacturer, and utilize our regional presidents to bring it all together and truly unite the Viper Club of America.  We need a team of experienced and passionate National Officers to set the tone for the rest of the club.  I had pretty big shoes to fill as National Treasurer and welcome the opportunity to fill them one more time as your National President.  I look forward to providing more  information about me over the next couple months, as well as more details on how I think the next team of officers can be a defining point for the future of the club and possibly even the car itself. 
   
   My thanks to all of my fellow officers for their time and dedication to the greatest car club on earth.
   

     Respectfully submitted,
   

    Chris Marshall
June 14, 2008
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