At any Level in an organization there are at least these two functions that are ancillary and essential to the day to day work of that level: Governance and Communication.

The other day, in one of our People’s Press meetings, an accountant in from Oklahoma and associated with the bookstore asked George to summarize his life. It took George, I’d say, 15 minutes or more, with an informal Question/Answer session afterwards.  It was fascinating listening to his rendition of it, and reminded me of how we all summarize our lives to strangers. We proceed chronoligically and categorically: place of birth, family life, education, profession, marriage and children (if any), current circumstances. We rarely measure our lives by the emotional and spiritual awakenings we encounter, our walk with faith, our changing perspectives in recongizing and fulfilling our dreams, but rather by the end products of our journeys.

To govern is to make decisions, the kinds of decisions that are allocated to the level. Decisions have two dimensions in a simplified world, reach and rich. Reach describes how far throughout the organization or how far into the world beyond the organization a decision will have impact. Rich describes how momentous the impact. Level is closely related to the reach of the decisions allocated to a particular unit or agent, where a unit consists of a group of similar roles that make coherent decisions.

Communication is tightly tied to governance and its decision making; information, knowledge and wisdom are brought into the level in order to inform its decision making process. Information, knowledge and wisdom are sent out in order that the usefulness of the decision is applied where appropriate and useful.

At the conclusion of this meeting, George related his heritage and the transition from Irish immigrants to capitalists in Boston then Northwestern Ohio, his upbringing with a silver spoon in his mouth but didn’t know it because everyone looked the same, his parents’ discovering Aspen as a skiing destination in 1949, where they skied as a family until 1953. (Aspen only opened its first ski lift in 1947;  and in 1949 the Aspen Institute, under the leadership of Container Corporation of America capitalist Walter Paepcke and his art patron wife Elizabeth, commenced with a convocation honoring the great humanist Geothe on his 200th birthday.) He went through the usual order of things: schooling; being drafted; marriage and children; and then in 1957 renting a 4-bedroom house in Aspen on Cemetery Lane at $400 for the entire summer, and doing a lot more fishing than theoretical physics, which only took a pencil and paper; his development of the Aspen Center for Physics as a way to marry physics and Aspen;  returning to academia in Michigan; marching against the Vietnam War; his sabbatical as a high school teacher; his divorce, which he blamed on Hunter; back to Aspen as a single dad to his sons; and then the beginning of the Commuity School in the Physics Center, then onto its own property in Woody Creek, where he and a postmistress were the only ones runnung the town;  the Woody Creek Tavern, a brainchild of his, Patti, and his “hired hand and his wife.”The question and answer session revolved around Flying Dog Ale and Stranahan Whisky, and then on his current projects, when he proudly expounded on the successes and mission of the Aspen Science Center. Then his photography, phlogs, upcoming website. This is the abridged autobiography of George Stranahan.

Non profit Boards are a level in their organizations that all too often fails to make decisions at all, let alone those with much rich or reach. The reasons are myriad, but fundamentally related to the fact that Board members have little at stake; there are no owners of a non profit who have much to lose if the organization loses; stakeholders to be sure, certainly the employees and the beneficiaries, and at a lesser level the Board. Thus the level with the most potential for reach and rich has the smallest alligator trying to bite its butt.

The fact that society in the large is not much of a stakeholder defines a commonality of non profits; unable to find a sustainable niche in the economy and not essential enough to be a government service. Put most awkwardly, non profits are the hobby/mission of self-selected minorities. I almost said “of the elite.” The best that society can offer, as reflected in a political response to common needs worth taxing for, is to say; “Well, if someone privately wishes to meet this need we will give them a tax deduction.” Not even a kiss on the cheek⎯a kiss on the forehead perhaps.

George will tell you that he can get along with everyone, except for the wealthy. He finds the “elite” difficult to relate to.

In my life as a farmer I primarily learned how plants grow, animals reproduce and machines work by fixing what wasn’t working. It is strange but true that a detailed understanding of the defects of a system leads to an understanding of the system as a whole; both what doesn’t work and what does. What is so interesting about working within the Needmor Fund and with the grassroots groups that it funds is that they are dealing with the nuts and bolts of our broken society, just as a farmer deals with the nuts and bolts of the broken tractor.

The saying goes, Think globally, Act locally.” Careful attention to the details of even the most local of issues will bring to light the larger and more universal forces at play. These must be understood and accounted for to achieve even the most local victory. A power analysis of any local issue almost certainly will reflect larger relationships of power regionally, nationally, and globally. In our own language we say that the micro study of local issues reveals the macro effects of larger societal issues and that these macro effects are entirely informed by understanding the micro. Global trends that we will be looking at to see how they affect the issues and strategies of our grantees include:

Free market capitalism is rapidly spreading around the globe along with highly variable attempts at wedding this to democratic governance. Capitalism is a class system and there are deepening divisions between those who have capital and access to capital and labor, those who have jobs that do or do not pay a living wage.

Velocity is the word to describe that today everything changes more rapidly than ever before. Civic and human capital laid away for yesterday’s purpose is often useless for today’s needs and we struggle to catch up.

Sheer numbers of anything and everything complicate and add to the severity of most problems.

Under-organization is a consequence of the velocity and the numbers. While high degrees of order can conflict with adaptation, under-organization can result in chaos. Related to this, I believe, is an anti-science movement that looks to mysticism, tribalism, and fundamentalist religions for answers.

In relation to his interest with science, George said in this meeting, “As a kid, I didn’t know how to make friends, so I made friends inside my head.” Regarding academia: “I was not a star, but I was playing in the big leagues.” Yet the monotony and predictability of his everyday life as a professor bored him.

Physical resources are globally becoming scarcer on a per capita basis. The upward struggle for human dignity, liberty and justice for all, is easily trumped by the struggle for survival.

And later “If it’s a victimless crime, I will do it” – this said to underline the outlaw spirit.

Because we can imagine we have dreams of a world of peace and justice. Because of deep-seated instincts of self-preservation we also have fears; it is unwise to be fearless. I hope that in the coming years that the Needmor family, the Fund and its grantees, can balance dreams against fears and be able to say at the end of the day, “We made some good progress.”

Caminante no hay camino, se trace el camino al andar. It’s a long road, let’s not make it a lonely road.

Abbey Fox is the former assistant to the Executive Director of the Aspen Science Center (www.aspensciencecenter.org), an affiliate of the Aspen Center for Physics and a nonprofit that George co-founded a couple of years ago. The Science Center states its mission as two fold:  “To enrich the knowledge and understanding of the general public in all areas of science– to catalyze the interest and participation of teachers, students, and the larger community in scientific inquiry by presenting science that is cutting-edge, entertaining, first hand, accessible, relevant, and understandable. We aspire to stimulate curiosity and inspire science learning in all citizens by creating engaging and powerful learning experiences. By creating and expanding a global network of leading researchers, academics, and leaders in the scientific community, Aspen Science Center will also serve as a valuable living resource for the media, thought-leaders, teachers, and students.”

As George learned about Abbey from their work at the Aspen Science Center together, Abbey learned that she needed to work abroad with those in need in order to overcome some of the emotional barriers in her life. In December 2007, Abbey left for Ethiopia with George as her sponsor, and she’s just returned to Aspen.

From: Abbey Fox [mailto:xxx@mac.com]
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 5:04 AM
To: George Stranahan

Subject: More news from Ethiopia

Hello my friend,

How are things back home?

I’m now in Addis and about to leave the hotel to re-connect with an
orphanage called Hanna’s House– a home mainly for adolescents.  I aim
to interview the girls in the Roman House, these are the girls who were
wrongly incarcerated and kept captive (no records, no reason) in this hell hole
prison here in Addis.  I have made a Somali Diplomat friend who is
working to arrange my visit to the prison.  I think it might have to wait until
the next visit.  But at least I’m meeting with the girls again.  I’ve befriended
various ambassadors, USAid Diplomats and even met Shek Mohamed Al La
Moutie– he essentially runs Ethiopia– made his money in Saudi Arabia
With oil.  I don’t think he knows about the conditions of the Black Lion
Hospital where I was working upon arrival– but he needs to.  I feel that in my
Month stay I’ve covered a lot of territory and dug right in.  I feel quite satisfied about getting that dirt under my fingernails as you often speak of.  Pandora’s box breathes.  It’s been an amazing trip, experience, curious research period.  I’m v. eager to see my footage, photographs, read my notes, and develop my plans once I get back home.  One thing that strikes me is the contagious warmth of the people and their palpable belief in community.

Yesterday I visited the Burn Clinic– had a meeting with a doctor about who runs what, who goes where, treatments, why.  75% of the victims are women and children and stem from cooking accidents–they never learned about metal conducting heat, about not cooking w kerosene–the Doctor has a program that he now takes into schools.  One of his nurse’s jobs is to get all the beds in the ward together, discuss their accidents and go back to the communities with little info books in order to educate their surroundings–he’s really an inspiring man w brimming energy.  I visited the pediatric ward and again, became overwhelmed with realities of what other people must cope with. What astounds me is the vigor of the people, their willingness and openness to love and be loved, to smile (way more smiles than I saw in NYC ironically), their unrelentless spirit of survival.  I might have said this in an earlier email, but I don’t feel sorry for the people here as they don’t feel sorry for themselves.  It is entirely refreshing and invigorating compared to how we often cultivate the mentality of never having enough, always wanting more, never really being where we are– I am entirely grateful for being an American woman with all of the priveleges and rights I have– but it is invaluable to me to understand how other people live, especially when they aren’t swimming in what often seems to be excess.  I made friends with a pediatric ophthalmologist (did I tell you this?) and I took a crew of children to see him before I left Awassa.  None of these kids had ever been to a hospital, let alone a doctor.  He couldn’t believe how terrified Abraham was of the eye machine– he commented and said that this boy must have been so abused and beaten as a child, it was painful.  He has one missing eye, and when we gave him glasses for the other, he was in heaven.  He was so proud, beaming with his new spectacles.  None of these children have ever had gifts, they don’t know what that is.  By the time I left, they had new tshirts (that we painted on our last day together), new pants with underwear, plastic shoes, one with glasses and two brothers with corrective eye surgery.  Several others are set to visit the Israeli Doc- he is in Ethiopia with his vet wife and four kids for a one year mission through Orbis.  You enabled these children to see.  How wonderful is that?!

Saying goodbye to my street children was heartbreaking.  I walked them “home” after our lessons and a trip for chocolate and juice.  Everyone gathers around when you are white–period.  I had to be stern and even learned the appropriate Amharic to let people know I was a teacher and to live and let live.  One of the mother’s– a psychologically damaged and abused woman who makes her four year olds beg in order to get by—came out from her tin shack.  I tried to say goodbye and she wrapped her arms around me and held me so tightly, a young man translated that she said I was their mother too, that they loved me and I was welcome in their “home” anytime. The hospitality of homeless street children, their open bleeding hearts—I lost it.  She kissed my arm, I kissed hers and I knelt down to give the boys a hug and one took his hand and wiped my tears, smiled and looked me right in the eye–big beautiful brown eyes.  They all sang the alphabet.  It poured the night I left–cleansing, hopeful, profound tears–and all I could think about was wanting to sleep beside these children, wanting them to have a proper roof and school to attend.

I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.  I love you for who you are. Thank you.  Will write more soon, am getting ready to come home.  Be well.

Abbey

Angel investor: a phrase born in Silicon Valley that describes George’s activities, although its meaning has been skewed. In venture capital verbiage, an angel investor is someone who provides seed capital to a start-up – but it implies profit, and financial, not societal or spiritual, returns. In the cyber world, the angel refers to the investor, not the one who is being invested in. George is an authentic angel investor. He invests in angels, and allows them to flourish so they can perform their duties unhindered by external, monetary pressures.

Upon hearing about George’s invested angels, the accountant at the meeting said to George: “Now that’s your legacy.”

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