Bill Daniels wrote:
Tom, you make a eloquent argument against the "edifice complex" that has
plagued so many organizations. The organization is not the building nor is
the building the organization. Broadband internet makes communication and
collaborative tasks vastly better and cheaper that anything possible when
the Hobbs site was selected. I use internet based VoIP and
videoconferencing and prefer it to physical travel.
However, allow me to become the "devils advocate" for a moment. There are
many outsiders who will first ask, "who are you guys and what do you do?" A
headquarters in a real building on a soaring site where one could point out
the window to answer that question would be a real asset. Many of these
visitors might be people who could help us if the headquarters were located
near places they pass through anyway.

I don't know exactly where that magical building site is but I note that the
AOPA is in Frederick, MD on an GA airport near Washington, DC and the EAA is
located on their "Aviation Center" campus in Oshkosh, WI. Putting the SSA
on a year-'round world class soaring site near some international crossroads
might have some advantages.

Bill Daniels

Yeah, that old "nesting instinct" rears its ugly head, pushing us into
making irrational decisions. In reality, our public persona is really
our web site. Have you ever been to the SSA headquarters? I haven't and
don't intend to in the foreseeable future.

The SSA is in dire circumstances requiring an equally dire response. I
admit that I am thinking "outside of the box" here, but it is
definitely worthy of consideration.

Tom