Happy New Year to us ALL!
For anyone here who is not already aware- At the end of this month, HAAR will realize significant membership losses, and the surrounding associations will see their ranks increase. Athens/Limestone, Marshall, and Morgan County both have only one staff member to accommodate the influx, so if you are a member at any of these, please be patient with your AE in this first quarter. Let us all pray that our new set of HAAR directors and our new LT will understand the impact of these losses and not take this lightly, as it will affect the budget for the staff members at the Huntsville Association as well as programs that we all rely on.
So what is the big deal, anyway??? A loss of a handful of members could be due to a personality conflict. A loss of 100 members could be one company that has a problem with the new CEO. But to lose more than 100... even 2-300 members? What if they are all from different offices? This can only mean that the "personality conflict" is more than that. It could indicate that there are at least that many members who have been negatively impacted by recent decisions. It could mean that, if not corrected, this could be the beginning of the end of HAAR, and its wholly owned subsidiary, ValleyMLS.com.
These two organizations depend on membership dues and subscription fees of the members. Let me ask, what did you pay in dues to HAAR for 2025? Do some quick math and multiply that by 100.... 200.... 300? We should all hope and pray that our new directors and elected leaders are paying attention and asking these questions. It is their fiduciary duty and responsibility to monitor our staff, CEO included, and to take action when needed. Who is making the decisions? Is it a staff member who was hired in August of 2023? Or is it the dues-paying members who have paid in for years, some who have volunteered hours of their time to help make these organizations vibrant?
The future is in the hand of our new BOD for HAAR and ValleyMLS.com, as well as the leadership team that works with the CEO every day. We are counting on them to Watch. To Listen. To Ask Questions. To Take Action.
We have some fantastic new leaders on both BOD's who have just pledged to represent us. Support them. Please reach out and encourage these brave and dedicated volunteers to stand up for you, and for us. And, if you feel so inclined, please sign the updated petition that outlines these concerns in a more concise and specific way. The new petition focuses not on removing our volunteers, but rather pulling up and examining the root of the issue. Here's the link: https://www.change.org/RestoreHAARIntegrity