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  1. #21
    Registered User Crossup's Avatar
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    First just to be clear, nothing I said or am saying is based on personal knowledge: I was merely in the right place at the right time for someone to vent.

    I had no idea who was running the ATC nor that she was leaving, so I was more than a little surprised that "where can I get a hamburger?" turned into 20 minutes of the recent situation with the ATC.
    My first impression of what I heard was that while a likeable sort, Dixon was not exactly "one of us"(something that Marra DOES seem to be).
    Second, after time, apparently Dixon's path of new initiatives and programs left the board feeling too little was being done with the 32 organizations who do the brunt of the on trail work. I volunteered that seemed to me to be both the most important and difficult part of running the ATC- it has to be difficult to tell volunteers what to do, its not like dealing with employees. I did not get much feed back on that, mostly more about how Dixon had a different vision. Given Marra's history with the ATC, I'm sure things are headed back to the way they were before Dixon. So while "pushed out" may be a bit of an over statement(or not), its easy to see why Dixon would choose to leave rather than fight for her "vision".

    Quote Originally Posted by ldsailor View Post
    I commented on this topic in another thread and I was castigated for it as being a purveyor of "speculation." It's interesting to see this thread with a lot of speculation, so I'm going to repeat what I said before. She was pushed out. I've seen it before through decades of working for corporations and all the earmarks are there. They quickly replaced her with a board member and although her employment was to continue until the end of this month, the new CEO is in place and has been for some time.

    IMHO Crossup is spot on target.

  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by imscotty View Post
    Attachment 45613

    Has PilgramSW raised his ugly head yet again?
    Is this a knee jerk suggestion that only a 'troll' can ask questions that may have uncomfortable answers, or an obviously defensive suggestion that there is only a single person in the vast hikerverse of multitudes who asks them? Because these conclusions are facile, irrelevant, absurd, and only serve to deflect from the truth of the answers we have arrived at as a result of the questions only you seem to be uncomfortable with. Thanks for contributing cartoons to a serious discussion though!

  3. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Crossup View Post
    I got an ear full on this topic from a person who works at the mid Atlantic ATC office and the gist was she was not a good fit for the job and vice versa. It sounded like the organization needed someone to keep it on course rather than to change direction.
    Sounds like a disgruntled employee venting, not fact. Until there are some verifiable facts, it’s nothing but gossip.

  4. #24
    imscotty's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by crazylegs76 View Post
    Is this a knee jerk suggestion that only a 'troll' can ask questions that may have uncomfortable answers, or an obviously defensive suggestion that there is only a single person in the vast hikerverse of multitudes who asks them? Because these conclusions are facile, irrelevant, absurd, and only serve to deflect from the truth of the answers we have arrived at as a result of the questions only you seem to be uncomfortable with. Thanks for contributing cartoons to a serious discussion though!
    OK CrazyL,

    in all seriousness what I see is some nice people genuinely trying to help a community process their grief over terrible murder of StrongHold. I am thankful that Ms. Dixon came to address the community and I applaud and admire Odie's contributions to the AT community also. I do understand that you have a different take on things as you have stated here...

    "I think this was an ATC fumble and the completely inappropriate 'AT Strong' speech Dixon gave from the roof of the very bus used to carry the killer closer to his victims is emblematic of a history of poor judgement from a now skipperless ship with a broke rudder and no compass. Not to mention that ancient shuttle has no seats or seatbelts and is used to plug a business that Dixon plugged while exonerating the boob who gave aid and comfort to an enemy of hikers. If I was Stronghold's folks I'd puke at seeing that!"

    I would love to hear more of your analysis as a first-hand witness at Trail Days.
    Do you think that darker forces were behind this 'inappropriate AT Strong Speech'?
    Could Riff Raff be somehow involved?
    Is there a deeper ATC conspiracy going on that we should know about?
    Are there any other Trail Angels up to nefarious activities?

    Inquiring minds want to know.





    Last edited by imscotty; 08-29-2019 at 15:26.
    “For of all sad words of tongue or pen,
    the saddest are these, 'It might have been.”


    John Greenleaf Whittier

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by ldsailor View Post
    I commented on this topic in another thread and I was castigated for it as being a purveyor of "speculation." It's interesting to see this thread with a lot of speculation, so I'm going to repeat what I said before. She was pushed out. I've seen it before through decades of working for corporations and all the earmarks are there. They quickly replaced her with a board member and although her employment was to continue until the end of this month, the new CEO is in place and has been for some time.

    IMHO Crossup is spot on target.
    There you go, using the powers of perception and experience to come to a sound, logical, and reasonable explanation. How dare you!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  6. #26

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    At any rate, Sandra Marra won't be climbing onto any vehicles to give rousing speeches to the teeming multitudes! It appears she won't be climbing any mountains either. The ATC dumped a young avid conservationist and outdoorsperson for an old bean counting lunch lady. Great.
    Ageist misogyny.
    Teej

    "[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.

  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by imscotty View Post
    OK CrazyL,

    in all seriousness what I see is some nice people genuinely trying to help a community process their grief over terrible murder of StrongHold. I am thankful that Ms. Dixon came to address the community and I applaud and admire Odie's contributions to the AT community also. I do understand that you have a different take on things as you have stated here...

    "I think this was an ATC fumble and the completely inappropriate 'AT Strong' speech Dixon gave from the roof of the very bus used to carry the killer closer to his victims is emblematic of a history of poor judgement from a now skipperless ship with a broke rudder and no compass. Not to mention that ancient shuttle has no seats or seatbelts and is used to plug a business that Dixon plugged while exonerating the boob who gave aid and comfort to an enemy of hikers. If I was Stronghold's folks I'd puke at seeing that!"

    I would love to hear more of your analysis as a first-hand witness at Trail Days.
    Do you think that darker forces were behind this 'inappropriate AT Strong Speech'?
    Could Riff Raff be somehow involved?
    Is there a deeper ATC conspiracy going on that we should know about?
    Are there any other Trail Angels up to nefarious activities?

    Inquiring minds want to know.





    I'm actually reminded of the times some years ago when the folks you reference participated in a killer on the AT loose hoax. Or hoaxes? I saw the threads here. I was at Trail Days then too. Turned out to be a big nothing burger, but it sure made the police presence a real kill joy.

    As a paramedic that spends his nights scraping street meat into my bus, and as a parent of two teen girls, I happen to think that shuttles should have seat belts, frat boys belong in the frat house, and if James Jordan was allowed to hike his own hike then Mr. Sanchez would doubtlessly still be alive. Somebody else might be dead, but that's speculation and irrelevant. Maybe it was his being hustled and whisked off the trail for the trail's own good that set him off? Nobody really cares for being escorted from a party do they? If hikers hike, then let them.

    Also I think if trail management was led effectively - more proactively - by someone with a fresh perspective from outside the monolithic cult with Ms. Dixon's background the issues you describe and are discussed here might not be issues that are constantly revisited. For what is supposed to be a diverse and all inclusive Shangri-La, the AT community sure seems closed to those with new or differing ideas. The definition of insanity is what? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. We should not fear change, but fear.

    In closing it should be pointed out that whatever Ms. Dixon was paid for her 22.5 months of apparently unwelcome expertise by the ATC those donated funds were completely wasted. How cavalier of the ATC to just burn almost a half a million bucks of other people's money! Our money! (The exact figure is forthcoming, but I'm guessing she was close to $200K a year w/benefits, 401K, etc. Call it $400K and round up - half a mil. That's part of the attraction of an internal hire now. No headhunting, search, interviews, on and on. Maybe it's a lateral move with no bump? So we end up with the most cost effective choice in charge, not necessarily the best, and more safe, unchanging, same old same old, status quo. That's one step forward, and two steps back.)

  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by TJ aka Teej View Post
    Ageist misogyny.
    It wasn't meant to be. I apologize. I was clumsily trying to point out that a trail for hikers might be better led by someone that apparently actually hikes, and that often a fresh youthful approach to anything - a new way - is better than the old one. Ms. Marra not being old per se, but an old or long-time member of the ATC. I'd still wager that Ms. Marra won't be vaulting any buses or pulling any lashes. (I'd also feel similarly if the president of my running club was a septuagenarian that rolled up to my first meeting on a Lark electric scooter tho!)

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by imscotty View Post
    OK CrazyL,

    in all seriousness what I see is some nice people genuinely trying to help a community process their grief over terrible murder of StrongHold. I am thankful that Ms. Dixon came to address the community and I applaud and admire Odie's contributions to the AT community also. I do understand that you have a different take on things as you have stated here...

    "I think this was an ATC fumble and the completely inappropriate 'AT Strong' speech Dixon gave from the roof of the very bus used to carry the killer closer to his victims is emblematic of a history of poor judgement from a now skipperless ship with a broke rudder and no compass. Not to mention that ancient shuttle has no seats or seatbelts and is used to plug a business that Dixon plugged while exonerating the boob who gave aid and comfort to an enemy of hikers. If I was Stronghold's folks I'd puke at seeing that!"

    I would love to hear more of your analysis as a first-hand witness at Trail Days.
    Do you think that darker forces were behind this 'inappropriate AT Strong Speech'?
    Could Riff Raff be somehow involved?
    Is there a deeper ATC conspiracy going on that we should know about?
    Are there any other Trail Angels up to nefarious activities?

    Inquiring minds want to know.





    With specific regard to the now infamous and well known "killer on the loose" hoax, or hoaxes, perpetrated by those 'angels', a certain hiking club, and others who have made "contributions to the trail" back in '16', '17', and '18' I have one question I'd like to ask: What happens when we cry wolf?

  10. #30
    Registered User 4eyedbuzzard's Avatar
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    Default Break out your tin foil beanies!

    I've been informed by a low-level source that Wikiwackos has the emails that will prove Dixon's resignation is a result of a vast Buffalo wing conspiracy run by the shallow state, big oil, and of course, the AMC.

    Seriously y'all? She either quit because she didn't like the job, or was asked to resign because the Board didn't like the way she was performing, and more likely because of a combination of both of those reasons. That's just the way such things work.
    Last edited by 4eyedbuzzard; 08-29-2019 at 17:51.

  11. #31

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    You'd have to be wearing a tin foil beanie to think the GoFundMe crowd was hard at work making "contributions" to the trail, that Dixon's Trail Days "performance" wasn't a fireable offense, that a shuttle with no seat belts is safe, or that the annual spring "psycho loose on the AT" hoax run by the same aforementioned GoFundMe set had no impact on the communities perceptions of this year's real psycho loose on the AT warnings.

  12. #32
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    I was told that the Executive Director of the ATC spends about 2/3 of their time rasing money. If Suzanne Dixon wasn't bringing in the money she would not last long. Makes sense to me as the first email I received from Sandi Marra was one asking for money.

  13. #33
    double d's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4eyedbuzzard View Post
    Look where? I've read ATC's (and others) financial statements and irs 990's for many years. There are corporate partners/sponsors which generate revenue to ATC, bit I know of no for profit ATC entity. I really don't think there's a deep state conspiracy here.

    Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
    Couldn't agree more with you 4eyedbuzzard, as most non-profits that are the size of ATC have many regulations/rules that they have to publically disclose their revenue, both within the organization and their expenses/payments (salaries, operational expenses, etc.).
    "I told my Ma's and Pa's I was coming to them mountains and they acted as if they was gutshot. Ma, I sez's, them mountains is the marrow of the world and by God, I was right". Del Gue

  14. #34
    double d's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by crazylegs76 View Post
    With specific regard to the now infamous and well known "killer on the loose" hoax, or hoaxes, perpetrated by those 'angels', a certain hiking club, and others who have made "contributions to the trail" back in '16', '17', and '18' I have one question I'd like to ask: What happens when we cry wolf?
    Do you even hike the AT? Seems like you're a Troll in all honesty, as its hard to follow your posts, at least to me.
    "I told my Ma's and Pa's I was coming to them mountains and they acted as if they was gutshot. Ma, I sez's, them mountains is the marrow of the world and by God, I was right". Del Gue

  15. #35
    Registered User soilman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by crazylegs76 View Post
    It wasn't meant to be. I apologize. I was clumsily trying to point out that a trail for hikers might be better led by someone that apparently actually hikes, and that often a fresh youthful approach to anything - a new way - is better than the old one. Ms. Marra not being old per se, but an old or long-time member of the ATC. I'd still wager that Ms. Marra won't be vaulting any buses or pulling any lashes. (I'd also feel similarly if the president of my running club was a septuagenarian that rolled up to my first meeting on a Lark electric scooter tho!)

    Do you know Ms. Marra? What do you mean "someone that apparently hikes". Is that code for thru hiker? According to the ATC new release, Ms. Marra has hiked 1200 miles of the AT. She also is a trail maintainer.
    More walking, less talking.

  16. #36
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    Not sure where this fits but I've seen a bunch of posts advertising new jobs in marketing and outreach at the ATC. I'm guessing the new president sent the previous occupants packing, so to speak, and is bringing in a new set of people for those positions.

  17. #37
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    Quote Originally Posted by robbym70 View Post
    Not sure where this fits but I've seen a bunch of posts advertising new jobs in marketing and outreach at the ATC. I'm guessing the new president sent the previous occupants packing, so to speak, and is bringing in a new set of people for those positions.



    i always just thought their turnover was high......i dont think they pay very much, hence the turnover.....

  18. #38

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    Quote Originally Posted by double d View Post
    Do you even hike the AT? Seems like you're a Troll in all honesty, as its hard to follow your posts, at least to me.
    Strongly agree.

  19. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by double d View Post
    Couldn't agree more with you 4eyedbuzzard, as most non-profits that are the size of ATC have many regulations/rules that they have to publically disclose their revenue, both within the organization and their expenses/payments (salaries, operational expenses, etc.).
    So where do the proceeds of Darn Tough socks with the ATC logo on the ankle for a hundred bucks a pop at the ATC store go?

  20. #40

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    Quote Originally Posted by double d View Post
    Do you even hike the AT? Seems like you're a Troll in all honesty, as its hard to follow your posts, at least to me.
    Sounds like a reading comprehension problem to me. And calling someone names that minimize their humanity is an effective way to strike down ideas that you don't agree with, but is not a substantive, nor kind, approach to discourse.

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