Gerry Pike, the dissident Direct Marketing Association board member who had launched a proxy fight, has been re-elected to the DMA’s board for a second term.
Additionally, two individuals recommended by Pike, Matt Blumberg of Return Path and Chris Bradley of Cuddledown, will be joining him as first-time board members. In all, the board appointed or re-appointed 15 members, who were elected by voice vote.
The agreement was reached through a last-minute negotiation. Neither side presented the total number of votes it had collected from its proxy solicitation campaigns. Pike did vote all the proxies granted to him in favor of the new board.
In addition to the new individuals, the board will be creating an additional category of board member – adjunct members who will not have votes, and who will be excused from certain functions, but who nonetheless will serve as membership advocates.
Vice chair – and presumed new chairman – Eugene Raitt said the upcoming year would be one of “change and reform”, and that “nothing would be sacrosanct – not even the [organization’s] name and logo.”
Raitt also gave credit to Pike for creating energy and buzz, and opening up a dialog between members and the board.
In remarks made during the board meeting, Pike endorsed the new board structure.
More details to come in tomorrow’s Direct Newsline.
