Knew Conscious is set to host Tennis Jacket ft. Marc Brownstein and Big Gigantic‘s Jeremy Salken tonight after Phish, while local jammers Cycles will close out the weekend tomorrow night. For tickets and more information, check out the Knew Conscious website. With Phish in Denver, CO for their annual, summer-ending 3-night jaunt at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, tens of thousands of heads have flocked to the Mile High City for a Labor Day weekend full of music, music, and more music. Last night, DJ Logic and a group of “Phriends,” including bassist Marc Brownstein (The Disco Biscuits), guitarist Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds), keyboardist Borahm Lee (Break Science/Pretty Light Live Band), and drummer Jeff Franca (Thievery Corporation / Congo Sanchez) got the Dick’s late-night lineup off and running, doling out funkafied jams to the sellout crowd until 4am.Phish Gets Dick’s Swinging With Improv-Heavy 5-Song Second Set On Night One [Photos]DJ Russo opened the night, with a proper warm-up set of funky, hip-hop-inspired mixes. Next, DJ Logic spun a set of his own prior to the main event. Knew Conscious recently moved into a beautiful new space, allowing for some extra room to dance, with some truly inspiring artwork adorning every wall for all to take in and enjoy visually. Check out a little video from the DJ Logic & Phriends set below: read more
The Daily Gazette Sign up for daily emails to get the latest Harvard news. The first presidential debate was a chaotic night filled with shouting, name-calling, and cross talk that left many voters reaching for their remotes. But despite the fireworks, a trio of Harvard voice and movement experts kept watching to assess the performances of President Trump and former Vice President and Democratic nominee Joe Biden and suggest ways to improve performance. Thursday’s debate begins at 9 p.m. and will be broadcast from Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., on all major broadcast and cable outlets.Marjorie NorthAn expert in speech and language pathology who teaches public speaking at the Harvard Extension SchoolTipsTrump: Keep quiet, think, listen, and “abide by the rules.”Biden: Stay on point, cut down on the nasty comments, and “talk to the American people more.”Critique notesThroughout the debate both candidates maintained a steady vocal register that served them well, said North. Trump’s was “sort of loud and one-note,” while Biden’s was much calmer. “He did raise his voice once when he pointed his finger at Trump and got really upset, but most of the time he really stayed within that range of sort of quiet, calm.”North said Biden’s occasional stilted replies to Trump’s verbal barrage highlighted something important. “When [Biden] stumbles and trips up over a word on stage in that kind of high-pressure situation, you really have to cut him some slack,” she said. “This is not mental acuity. This is part of his stutter.”During the event Biden, who opened up in February about his lifelong struggle with a stutter, could also be seen frequently blinking or closing his eyes, a physical tic North suspects is related to his speech. “When he gets stuck a little bit for a second he’ll close his eyes. And that looks to me like it’s a little bit of a secondary characteristic [connected to stuttering] because he’s struggling to get a word out.”When it comes to body language, North considers finger-pointing verboten. “[It’s] a very aggressive gesture,” said North, who instructs her students to avoid it at all costs. Instead, she prefers the “Clinton thumb,” a favorite of Biden’s and of its namesake, President Bill Clinton, in which the user presses their thumb against the middle joint of their index finger that is part of a closed fist. (Trump often opts for making a kind of OK circle by joining together his forefinger and his thumb.) Margie ZohnExecutive coach and consultant who teaches public speaking at Harvard College TipsTrump: Turn toward the camera and opponent more, and reach out to the people “physically, and with eye contact.”Biden: Use shorter sentences; take deep breaths; and avoid the “verbal abuse.”Critique notesZohn was immediately struck by the candidates’ postures as each took his place on the debate stage. Trump was holding onto the dais with his arms “ramrod straight,” she said; by contrast, “Biden was standing with his arms by his sides, or maybe they were resting on the podium more relaxed.” As a result, Trump appeared to be “full of tension,” said Zohn, while Biden seemed to be saying “I’m here, I’m open, and I’m relaxed.”For Zohn, Trump’s cocked head and “pursed-lip scowl” was off-putting, whereas Biden’s laughs and smiles suggested of a kind of bemusement and “emotional range.” Zohn said Biden also made an emotional connection with the viewers. “He looked directly into the camera and actually talked to the people. At some point … it was almost like he was reaching out toward the people who were watching, and Trump did nothing of the sort.”Zohn also noticed key differences in their body language. When addressing the president directly, Biden often turned to look at Trump, she said. When Trump engaged with Biden he kept his body facing forward, cocking his head up and turning it slightly to the left. Trump’s posture projects arrogance, said Zohn, and implies “I’m the one with the power here, and you’re sort of beneath me.”Erika BaileyHead of voice and speech at the American Repertory TheaterTipsTrump: Stop interrupting.Biden: Work on delivery.Critique notesBailey said Trump’s efforts to “steamroll with sound” appeared to be working until an exasperated Biden bluntly told the president of the United States to “shut up.”“I thought something shifted there,” said Bailey, who is also a professional dialect coach.” It’s not that [Biden] was able to answer everything super smoothly after that, but I feel like he stopped being as rattled. He does this thing when he’s trying to fix the phrasing, he closes his eyes a little bit. … And [after that moment] I felt like that was happening less.”Bailey said Trump is a better impromptu and physical speaker who uses hand gestures, as well phrasing and accentuation, more effectively than Biden. “What [Trump’s] saying, and how it’s organized, isn’t particularly strong. But there’s a particular word that gets lifted, and that makes it make a little more sense.”During the debate Biden’s rehearsed lines fell flat, said Bailey, because he failed to accentuate key words. “There were a couple times that happened where clearly something that had been worked on just didn’t get the oomph it needed.” read more
The cloud can be a powerful tool for optimizing business outcomes, which is why our customers are actively mapping out their cloud strategies. When embarking on the journey to the cloud, you must carefully consider how your cloud data is managed – as data is increasingly becoming the most valuable asset of your business today. A cloud strategy therefore requires a data first approach, where you can ensure your data is: secured, protected, available where and when you need it, delivered at the performance levels required by your applications, and within compliance of your company policies.Dell Technologies is focused on being your trusted partner on your multi-cloud journey with cloud enabled infrastructure. Today, I am pleased to introduce a host of new and enhanced cloud capabilities, designed to help make the cloud work for your business and your data.First, we are excited to announce Dell EMC Cloud Storage Services which delivers Dell EMC Storage as a public cloud service for Disaster Recovery as well as many multi-cloud use cases like analytics, test/dev and more. Cloud Storage Services frees you from system management, while getting the benefits of enterprise-grade data security, performance, capacity, replication, and availability in the public cloud. The flexibility of this offering allows you to optimize cost, while keeping you in control of your data.Disaster Recovery in the CloudSecondary data centers have relatively high overhead. You’re paying for real estate, power, cooling, compute, network, storage gear, and people to manage it. The gear just sits there idling – waiting for an unforeseeable event. Which is why customers are looking to public cloud for disaster recovery, but to get it right you must cover management of applications and the data, for failover and failback.Cloud Storage Services enable organizations running VMware environments to implement an enterprise-grade Disaster Recovery solution, using VMware Cloud on AWS as the secondary site. VMware Site Recovery Manager along with native replication of the Dell EMC storage arrays enable automation of DR operations. This makes it easier and more affordable to achieve lower RPOs and RTOs and provides complete operational consistency from on premises to the cloud. Nobody else has this level of integration!We also have options for customers who want their DR solution to leverage AWS, GCP or Azure. With Cloud Storage Services, customers no longer need to maintain a secondary site. They gain the flexibility and economics of the public cloud, while maintaining control of their data with enterprise-grade Dell EMC Storage.Multi-Cloud Data Services with Zero GravityMulti-Cloud Data Services give you the freedom to choose your cloud and just as importantly, change your mind. One constant we can all rely on is change, and your cloud strategy needs the flexibility to adapt:What if your business requirements change?What if the economics of running your applications change?Are you locked in?In addition, data sharing across clouds is becoming an area of interest for customers:What if different departments of your business want to operate on the same data sets, but are using different applications in different clouds?What if you want to share data sets with your customers with each using different clouds?Are you copying data sets to multiple clouds?Data has gravity, where it takes time, resources and money to move it. Dell EMC Cloud Storage Services offers multi-cloud access to data allowing you to leverage multiple clouds and switch between them without having to move the data. That’s zero data gravity! You can avoid vendor lock-in by keeping data independent of the cloud, and you do not have to worry about high egress charges, migration risk, or time required to move data.Infrastructure Insight in the Palm of Your HandDell EMC CloudIQ is a cloud-based application that delivers insight, monitoring and analytics about your storage environment – empowering IT specialists to report, predict, and prevent problems. You can access it from anywhere on the planet, through any web browser or via the CloudIQ mobile app.CloudIQ now supports our core primary storage portfolio – Dell EMC Unity, PowerMax, XtremIO and SC, and we’ve expanded it beyond the storage stack to include support for VMware and Dell EMC Connectrix. We also plan to expand to Isilon and PowerVault by the end of the year. Users now have broader data center visibility through a single, cohesive portal with insights ranging from object level, to storage, to the network.CloudIQ continues to grow smarter with new advanced analytics for capacity forecasting, performance impact analysis, noisy neighbor detection and storage reclaim. Plus, the re-designed interface provides users with a simpler, more streamlined experience. Customers love it! In fact, CloudIQ adoption has grown 3x over the past year alone.[1] Clarity Through the CloudsAs your data continues to grow and become more distributed, spanning clouds, it becomes important to have the right tools to manage it all.Dell EMC ClarityNow enables organizations to tag, locate, access and manage data in seconds – across file and object storage, in the data center or in the cloud. It also offers self-service capabilities to find, use, and move files to the appropriate storage tier. ClarityNow is helping customers take control of massive amounts of unstructured data today, and I’m looking forward to where we’re heading with it.A Data First Approach to CloudThe cloud can be a powerful tool for optimizing your business, and with data increasingly becoming your most valuable asset, your cloud strategy must take a data first approach.Today’s introduction of our new Cloud Storage Services and data management capabilities demonstrates how Dell Technologies is focused on being your trusted partner on your multi-cloud journey. By working with you to understand what you are trying to do with cloud, we can apply a data first approach, and deliver cloud enabled solutions designed to help make the cloud work for your business and your data.[1] Based on Dell internal analysis, April 2019 read more
Christmas is just around the corner and—wait, you still haven’t finished shopping?! Wow, way to live on the edge. OK, don’t worry, Broadway.com is here for you. Broadway show tickets happen to make great stocking stuffers, and from flashy, splashy musicals to highbrow, intellectual drama, there’s something for everyone—even your aunt who always dozes off during the emotional ballad in the second act. We’ve got you covered! And don’t forget, if you can’t decide on a show, there’s always a Broadway.com gift card! Check out our top picks below. View Comments KINKY BOOTS Don’t be fooled by the name. Kinky Boots is definitely an aunt-friendly show. Plus, this Tony-winning hit musical includes one of the most thrilling moments on Broadway right now—we dare your aunt to doze off while sparkly drag queens dance their way down moving conveyer belts. Click for tickets! MATILDA While Matilda is great for kids, it’s fun for adults, too—whether the show’s stars are swinging, riding scooters or scarfing down chocolate cake, there’s never a dull moment in this action-packed musical about a bright young girl with mysterious magical powers. Click for tickets! THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME This dazzling British import is equal parts visually stunning and emotionally compelling. Based on the novel about a peculiar boy who tries to solve a mystery, Curious Incident is a moving thriller that’s sure to keep your aunt on the edge of her seat. Click for tickets! WICKED We can almost guarantee it: no audience member in the history of the world has ever fallen asleep during Wicked’s “Defying Gravity.” Featuring some of the most stunning (and certainly greenest) costumes and sets on Broadway, Wicked is a truly opulent evening for all ages. Click for tickets! MOTOWN With over 40 hit songs crammed into this Broadway jukebox hit, Motown the Musical is definitely easy on the ears—but it’s a feast for the eyes, too! The glittering costumes, vibrant lighting design and glitzy sets will keep your usually-dozing aunt sitting straight up and alert. Just make sure she doesn’t sing along. Click for tickets! read more
Source: Governor’s office. 2.9.2010 Governor Jim Douglas today released his recommendation to abolish 55 state boards and commissions and modify six others. The Governor s proposal would streamline bureaucracy and allow state workers to focus more time on their core duties. Regardless of our fiscal situation, we must always look for ways to make state government more efficient and save taxpayer money, said Governor Douglas. This is an important effort to modernize state government making it sustainable for the years to come.The recommendations are part of the Administration s Tiger Team response to the projected $150 million shortfall in the FY 2011 budget. This Team led the effort to take a fresh look the 300 state boards and commissions. The Tiger Team found many boards and commissions have been inactive for years, while others have overlapping missions and functions. The Governor s proposal calls for the abolishment of 45 boards and commissions through statute and 10 through Executive Order. Six others will be modified and otherwise consolidated. Some of the proposals will be difficult and meet resistance, but with such daunting fiscal challenges we cannot maintain the status quo, the Governor remarked.These recommendations represent a combined General and Special Fund savings of nearly $700,000. Of this amount, $171,000 was included in the Governor’s FY 2011 Recommended Budget. Additional administrative savings from not staffing and servicing these boards and commissions will be realized by Agencies and Departments. The Administration s Director of Budget Operations Otto Trautz briefed the recommendations to the House Government Operations committee this morning. I want to thank Otto for his tremendous leadership and hard work, and that of his Tiger Team, in identifying opportunities to streamline state government, noted Governor Douglas. “I also want to thank the House Government Operations committee for their continued interest and collaboration on this important work.”The list of boards and commissions recommended for abolishment and modification is pasted below and attached. read more
FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享Energy Storage News:The first ever wind and solar hybrid project in India, completed in April 2018, is to be retrofitted with energy storage after strong winds this year led to a curtailment of solar production.Speaking to our sister site PV Tech at the REI Expo in Greater Noida, Rahul Munjal, chairman of Delhi-headquartered clean energy firm Hero Future Energies, said the plan is to use lithium-ion battery storage technology and the firm is currently in the process of procuring a technology supplier.Munjal added: “The hybrid plant saw extremely good winds this year and when it saw good winds we had to back down solar because there was a constraint on the capacity we could put on the grid. Now to augment that, we feel the right thing to do is rather than waste the energy, store it.”The second reason for adding a battery is that Hero wants to learn more about the technology by using it on its own plants and the battery will act as a pilot. If the trial goes well, then Hero will consider retrofitting some of its other renewable energy projects with storage in the future.The hybrid plant is located in the state of Karnataka and PV Tech attended the inauguration in April this year, publishing a lengthy insight on the project. The plant at Kavithal, Raichur District, which included an existing 50MW wind farm, now has a neighbouring 28.8MW solar PV site to form a hybrid system. The project’s evacuation capacity remained at 50MW since the primary aim was to address grid-integration concerns around variable power coming from renewable energy. The off-takers of the power are a number of unnamed private companies also based in Karnataka. More: Storage retrofit will combat curtailment and constraints for India’s first solar-wind hybrid project Solar-wind project in India to get storage too read more
The habitats are similar, with a good variety of shoals, cobblestone shallows and gravel bars to fish. This structure is interspersed between long stretches of flat water with deep holes and bank timber. Popping bugs off the banks or dredging the depths with crayfish or baitfish patterns yields good numbers of smallies in all age classes, said Stranahan. The fishing calls for standard river bass tactics with 6-weight rods, popping bugs and streamers, said Humphrey. What’s unique is the ability to canoe, raft or kayak through pristine wilderness and make riverside camp for an overnighter. The river fishes best from late spring into fall. “Muskie fishing is about being in the right place at the right time,” Miles said. “I can put you in the right place and teach you the right way to do it. I can’t make it the right time. So much depends on the conditions and the way the fish are acting.” “As soon as you get that hook in him it’s long, powerful, blistering runs—over and over,” Rose said. “They just don’t tire out.” There’s a brutish undercurrent gaining momentum in fly fishing. Across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, anglers are taking the delicate tools and techniques traditionally associated with surface-sipping trout, and they’re adapting them to pursue warmwater fish. Reid said he hits the river loaded for bear because it’s tough to tell what conditions will bring. He keeps 7- to 10-weight rods rigged and ready with everything from floating lines to 300 grain sinking lines. Clients throw 2- and 3-inch long baitfish patterns to match the shad that are the predominant forage. But sometimes a big 5- or 6-inch streamer is what it takes to tempt the larger fish. Sometimes called the North Fork of the Cumberland, the river changes character in its run through the national forest. From the Redbird Boat Ramp outside the small town of Williamsburg, Ky., it runs flat and riffled before dropping into a sandstone gorge to emerge wide and shoal-broken upstream of the last take-out above the falls. There is some mild whitewater and plenty of holding water for smallmouths up to 20 inches as well as spotted bass. The peak carp season on Catawba River impoundments like Lake Norman, Lake James and Mountain Island Lake runs from May through September. August and September are the best dry fly months. Casts from 15 to 60 feet must be accurate, as carp are even more persnickety and skittish than their saltwater counterparts. Rose said many clients hire him to hone skills before a trip to the Bahamas or the Keys. They return because carp are so much fun. April into October is prime time for the smallmouth bite. The topwater action is best later in the season. A drift boat or canoe is necessary to fish either river effectively, and there are adequate access points to arrange a float. Bring 6- to 8-weight rods, with floating lines for fishing the surface and sinking lines for streamers. Etowah River Striper, Georgia Guide Matt Miles eagerly pointed out that most of the fish they catch, the 35- to 42-inchers, were spawned in the upper James. He said the monster 50-inchers might have originally come from the hatchery, but they still prowl the river, ready to give anglers the adrenaline rush of a lifetime. Daniel Boone National Forest in southeastern Kentucky is more than 700,000 acres of low mountains, steep wooded slopes and sandstone rock formations. The Cumberland River flows west through this rugged landscape for 17 miles before plummeting over massive Cumberland Falls upstream of Cumberland Lake. “You’ll catch a lot of 12- to 14-inch fish,” he said, “and you’ll also hit fish up to 3 or 5 pounds. We get those 20- and 22-inchers from time to time.” Nick Carter is the author of “Flyfisher’s Guide to North Carolina & Georgia.” The guide is available on Amazon.com, and autographed copies are available by emailing the author at nsc8957@gmail.com. From river-run striped bass to muskie, black bass and carp, fly-rodders are developing new ways to catch freshwater’s most powerful fish. Here are seven destinations to do battle with fish that break hearts and fishing rods. Catawba Chain Carp, North Carolina James River Muskie, Virginia East of Knoxville, Tenn., the French Broad and Holston rivers make a final run to their confluence and the formation of the mighty Tennessee River. Fly fishers might be familiar with these two rivers for the trout they offer farther upstream. This low in the system, they are smallmouth bass factories. Guides/Information: Southeastern Anglers, southeasternanglers.com, (866) 558-7688, danelaw@southeasternanglers.com. PHOTO BY SCOTT MARTIN Troy Humphrey, aka Streamer Troy, said there’s no better adventure than floating, fishing and camping along this remote stretch of river. Humphrey guides for trout on the Cumberland tailwater below the lake and relishes the rare opportunity to fish for smallies on the upper river. Beginning in late spring, striped bass from Alabama’s Lake Weiss begin an annual spawning migration. They run upstream some 75 miles to a lowhead dam across the Etowah River near Cartersville, Ga. Initiated by the urge to spawn, the exodus becomes a summer vacation. Stripers spread out across 45 miles of the Etowah, prowling and feeding comfortably in the cool-water refuge of the tailwater below Lake Allatoona. French Broad & Holston River Smallmouth, Tennessee Upper Cumberland Smallmouth, Kentucky Fed by trout streams of the 900,000-acre Monongahela National Forest and flowing unchecked for 173 miles through the gorgeous Alleghenies of eastern West Virginia, the Greenbrier River quietly dishes out some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the region. Fishing is best May through October, when an outstanding topwater bite can arise at any time. Chugging poppers through bank eddies incites violent blow-ups if the fish are looking up. If they’re feeding sub-surface, Greenbrier smallmouths slam crayfish and baitfish patterns. Bill Stranahan, with Southeastern Anglers Guide Service, treats the French Broad and Holston as a single destination. Low or falling flows are preferable for fishing these dam-driven tailwaters, and one or the other typically offers optimal conditions on a given day. Their proximity allows for a game-time decision from more than 60 miles of prime smallmouth water. Between Iron Gate and Lynchburg, Va., more than 80 miles of the James are considered muskie water. The relatively shallow pool and riffle habitat is uniquely suited to hunting freshwater’s biggest, toothiest fish with a fly rod. The James River is one of the few rivers in the east that supports a fishable wild muskie population. Virginia tapered off stockings about a decade ago, and the river’s muskellunge are thriving. But muskie fishing isn’t for everyone. Casting waterlogged, 8- to 14-inch-long streamers on sinking lines with 10- and 11-weight rods is a workout. Doing it all day in hope of a single take requires mental fortitude. Guides/Information: Jacob Ott, (304) 667-8337, Jacob_ott@greenbrier.com; Serenity Now Outfitters, (304) 647-9779, serenitynowoutfitters.com. Saluda & Congaree River Striper, South Carolina The fly fishing world is abuzz about wild rainbow trout in the lower Saluda River at Columbia, S.C. It’s a wonder those trout survive a massive invasion of trout-eating stripers each spring and summer. Most of these fish travel some 60 miles up the Congaree River from the Santee-Cooper Lakes between Columbia and Charleston. They show up around Columbia to spawn in April. By early May they push into the lower Saluda, which is the cold tailwater below Lake Murray dam. They spend the summer in the cold-water refuge of a 10-mile stretch of river. Jacob Ott, director of outdoor pursuits at the venerable Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.V., singled out the Greenbrier as his top choice for smallies on the fly. He said competent anglers catch 15 to 25 bass on a half-day float trip, and trophy fish longer than 20 inches are a definite possibility. The largest fly-caught bronzeback he’s ever guided a client to—a massive 26-incher—was caught on the lower end of the Greenbrier. Guides/Information: Saluda Valley Guides, saludavalleyguidesllc.weebly.com, (803) 312-2435, scswampduck@gmail.com. The Greenbrier also offers incredible access. With numerous put-ins and take-outs for hand-launched boats as well as two concrete boat ramps, biting off a stretch to float is not a problem. For wading anglers, the 77-mile state-owned Greenbrier River Trail between the towns of Cass and Caldwell offers unparalleled access by foot, horse or mountain bike. Fish from 3 pounds up to 20 pounds call for a 6- or 7-weight rod. On a good day, anglers can have up to 30 shots at carp, but hook-ups are fewer. The boys at Cohutta Fishing Company in Cartersville have this fishery dialed in. Head guide Garner Reid spends May into September rowing drift boats through shoals and rock gardens in search of one of the biggest thrills in fly fishing. River-run stripers are strong and violent. Even the normal 4- to 10-pound fish will pull a bend into a 9- or 10-weight fly rod. When a 15- or 20-plus-pounder eats, landing it requires skill as well as a little luck. Guides/Information: Matt Miles Fly Fishing, (434) 238-2720, mattmilesflyfishing.com. Guides/Information: Cumberland Trout Guide, cumberlandtroutguide.com, (859) 494-4489. Guides/Information: Cohutta Fishing Company, cohuttafishingco.com, (770) 606-1100, store@cohuttafishingco.com. More than 15 years ago, Capt. Paul Rose left the Texas coast with his flats skiff in tow. He settled in the North Carolina Piedmont, far from the salt marshes and red drum he loves. But he found a new passion in the clear Catawba River lakes between Asheville and Charlotte, N.C. In the shallows, he watched carp tailing and mudding just like redfish. Peak muskie season is October through mid-March, and if the 50/50 odds of drawing a strike seem a little slim, the James is also an excellent smallmouth river. Seven Destinations To Get In On The Action It’s possible to encounter stripers year-round, but most years they are thick in the river during July and August. When the striped bass aren’t cooperating, sizing down and throwing popping bugs for big spotted bass is a ton of fun. Spotted bass will readily eat a fly from April through October. Greenbrier River Smallmouth, West Virginia Guides/Information: Carolina Bonefishing, carolinabonefishing.com, (704) 616-6662, captpaulrose@gmail.com. The fishing style that arose is a lot like sight casting to bonefish. From the platform on his skiff, Rose poles anglers over clear-water flats, searching for pods of carp rooting and feeding. He spots fish from his elevated position and calls instructions to an angler on the casting deck. With a dry fly or a nymph, the cast must be perfect to convince a carp to eat. While fly fishing for bass and bream is not new, this evolution toward larger, more powerful species has accelerated over the last decade. It is driven by anglers seeking a thrill more visceral than pretty little rainbows on mountain streams. Jake Howard, of Saluda Valley Guides, said he tapes his thumbs during the June through August heart of the striper season because they become raw and bloody from lipping so many fish. He told of huge numbers of stripers condensed into that short stretch of river and said 60-fish days are possible for anglers good enough to lay out line with a 10-weight rod and 350-grain sinking lines. The standard fish weighs between 4 and 8 pounds, and there are 20-, 30- and even 50-pound stripers caught each season. read more
1SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr For an industry that lost 1,000 credit unions between 2011 and 2015, hitting the billion-dollar asset mark is a daunting goal. Just 8% of the nation’s 6,021 remaining credit unions have assets of more than $500 million, according to the NCUA. Only 23 have assets over $5 billion and they control roughly a quarter of the entire industry’s assets.But some credit unions are hitting new high-water marks. New Berlin, Wisc.-based Landmark Credit Union hit $3 billion in assets in May, for example, making it the first in the state to do so. On June 1, Duluth, Ga.-based Georgia United Credit Union announced records assets too, crossing the $1 billion threshold and joining the ranks of just 250 other credit unions in the billion dollar club. Georgia United has 151,000 members. continue reading » read more
3SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr,Lauren Culp Lauren Culp is the Publisher & CEO at CUInsight.com.She leads the growing team at CUInsight, works with organizations serving credit unions to maximize their brand and exposure, connects … Web: https://www.cuinsight.com Details CUInsight Publisher & CEO Lauren Culp is joined by John Pembroke, President & CEO at CUES, for a quick interview with just 3 questions about the COVID-19 crisis…(0:41) What is your company doing to support credit unions and their members during the COVID-19 crisis?(6:34) How do you think that COVID-19 might affect credit unions and the way that we do business in the long-term?(11:42) What tips do you have for staying sane during trying times?You can learn more about CUES’ response to the COVID-19 crisis here. read more
The COVID-19 environmental disruption, the call to enhance and expand member digital services, #blacklivesmatter, and the retirement of board members comprise a profound confluence of opportunities. These opportunities should not become issues with the right actions. Two years ago, a significant percentage of board members (30-40%) declared they would retire in three to five years. In addition, many tenured board members assert that younger generations are not committed to volunteering their time.These simultaneous transformative disruptions beg questions of each board: What resources are needed now? How does our board’s governance structure take care of our membership in this disruptive and transformative situation? What conversations are needed to understand the board’s obligation to add more strategic value? Board members should also self-reflect: Am I the best resource for this board? How will I know? What is my unique value? How do I impede success? Am I willing to step aside? Do I live as a legend in my own mind?Transformative OpportunityThe global situation and its impact on the industry create a transformative opportunity for the future of credit unions. The call to action involves assessing and updating your board recruitment mindset and process to add dynamically engaged and relevant board members who add strategic value to the organization. The historical source for board member recruitment is no longer viable. This new reality offers an opportunity to move away from the unseen, unspoken, and unheard biases that result in homogeneity when selecting board members.DiversityBoards can move beyond talking about diversity and on to effective action in these ways:Make an explicit commitment to search for diverse competencies, perspectives, and thought. Challenge boardroom language of bias.Move from episodic recruiting to ongoing strategic and intentional recruitment.Embrace constant readiness to recruit versus waiting until three months before the need.Professional Board SearchesBoards can boldly professionalize their search processes to captivate the best candidates in these ways:Determine the skill gap.Seek multiple perspectives.Professionalize interview skills. Ask the right questions.Advertise to compel responses from diverse and qualified candidates.Common gaps in board skill assessments include strategic insight regarding the following:ERMBig data Strategic growth Cybersecurity Entrepreneurialism Human capital Balance sheet and investment strategiesAttracting the BestAttracting the most qualified candidates happens through social media with geographical targeting, upbeat language, and automated friendly responses via an applicant tracking system. Assume you will receive dozens of interested candidates, necessitating a system to effectively curate them.Be ready to share information about your organization and board. Initially, introductory-level information is appropriate; expect to share more at the final selection stage. The missing link in a successful board search is eliminating entrenched practices. Be futuristic in your vision of what members need, and commit to diversity, equity, and inclusion in your actions. Step up practices to professionalize the search and be surprised and delighted at the quality of choices. 15SHARESShareShareSharePrintMailGooglePinterestDiggRedditStumbleuponDeliciousBufferTumblr,Deedee Myers Deedee Myers is founder and CEO of DDJ Myers, Ltd. and co-founder of the Advancing Leadership Institute. For the past 20 years, she has been passionate about establishing and developing … Web: www.ddjmyers.com Details read more