Sam LeFlore
My name is Sam LeFlore and I am very honored to have been nominated to serve as a board member for the NSS-CDS. In January 2022 I was voted into the current BOD to fill a vacancy. I would love the opportunity to stay on and provide a fresh perspective.
I have been an NSS-CDS member since 2006 and a dry caver since the early 90’s. In that time I have seen many members come and go. I have seen bickering and influx come and go. I do believe that the current board is one of the best I have seen in quite some time.
In the past year I have taken over responsibility for the Website
and IT responsibilities and have made changes that have made it easier to become a new member and started sending renewal notifications that make is simple to renew with only a few clicks. I have taken over as Awards Chairman to help keep the awards current as wonderfully safe cave divers keep making these achievements. But what I am most proud of, is that I have taken over as membership coordinator. The first thing I did was updating the membership database to be a complete list of past and present members. Done are the days of outdated spreadsheets. With my help and presence with membership responsibilities we are now at about a 20% increase in membership renewals and new members.
I look forward in continuing my current involvement and helping all members, new and old feel good about being a member in this great organization. Without our members, we’re not an organization. To build and maintain a sense of community among cave divers, we should strive to provide more to our members than simply access to dive sites.
With your vote, I look forward with helping to bring the CDS to the front of the cave diving community so that everyone can be proud to call themselves a member. Feel free to ask any questions that you may have so that you feel confident in giving me your vote.
Thank You
Sam LeFlore NSS# 58298
sam.leflore@Yahoo.com
James W. Chandler
First, please allow me to introduce myself for those who do not know me, and briefly tell you a little about myself. My name is James Chandler. I have had the pleasure of serving on the NSS-CDS Board for the past 10 months. In 2021 I was the first runner-up (no not in a beauty contest) for the CDS Board, and due to a resignation, I was appointed by the remaining Directors to fill that term.
In that short time I am extremely proud of OUR accomplishments; launching a New Training site, working toward e-cards for members, working to protect CDS intellectual property, streamlining our property management, rewriting our Constitution and bylaws to comport with those of the NSS, and restructuring the committee structure to be more streamlined for the 21st Century, all while still working thru the wake of the coronavirus. I am excited for the upcoming International Conference (being back) in Lake City on May 27-29, 2022 and look to meet many of our fellow members there.
As for my background, I am a PADI Silver Course Director, Trimix Instructor Trainer, Emergency First Response Instructor Trainer, Disabled Divers International Instructor, and USCG 25 Ton Master Captain at Scuba Outfitters in beautiful Naples, Florida. I am an Advanced Cave Diver (DPV, Cave CCR, Stage, etc.) all thru the CDS, and an aspiring CDS Instructor. When I am not in the water, I am an attorney licensed in Florida, Colorado, and the District of Columbia and the owner of the Law Office of James W. Chandler, P.A., in Naples, Florida. I have been selected to Florida SuperLawyers for the past 10 years and have an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. I have a B.S. in Journalism (Public Relations) from West Virginia University (2000) and my Juris Doctor from the University of Denver (2002). For my full bio please visit my website at www.JamesWChandler.com or (6) James Chandler | Facebook This background has proven to be useful as a board member.
I would like to thank Lamar and Jim for the re-nomination. It is an honor to be considered by our membership to continue in this position, and to continue the work of this past year toward the future. There is still more work to do to bring the CDS into the 21st Century. What I would like to see the CDS do in the coming year(s), in conjunction with other organizations (such as NFSA and other training organizations), is to work to improve accessibility to more sites across Mexico, Europe, Florida and elsewhere in North America. I know there are sites in Europe that could be lobbied to gain access for exploration, etc. This would include, negotiations with State (government) and private land owners.
As for infrastructure, the CDS and it’s members have historically led the way in improvements at various sites thru improvements to benches, steps, changing rooms, etc. I would seek to continue that tradition at sites like Peacock, Little River, Madison, Ginnie, etc. here in Florida, and at various sites in Mexico, and elsewhere in the US. I think in the future improvements can be made as far small things like extra lines to hang bottles and scooters at various sites, non-slip pads on walkways, etc.
As for communication, I think we could develop a better communication/database amongst members for various cave locations, rules, regulations and procedures. There are many caves that are discovered, explored, but many members do not know where they are located, or how to access. Also, as for membership, I think setting up an auto-renewal, or a reminder to members when their membership is expiring would be helpful.
On the training side of things, as we continue with advances in technology, I would like to see the CDS develop a full online curriculum, as most other training organizations have. I think this would keep more Cave Divers with the CDS instead of other organizations. I believe this to be in the works. That does not make this a competition between agencies, but a way to promote both the CDS, and membership. Development of online registration, and autorenewal, for students, instructors, and members, will create a greater reach of the CDS to members and prospective members outside of Florida and the United States. I believe this too is in the works, as well as e-certification and e-membership cards. This, hopefully will result in a greater membership retention which means more participation and funds to do improvements as suggested above. Also, getting uniformity between Cave Diving Organizations as to recommended locations to do (and not do) certain types of cave training, etc. is and should be a priority so we can continue to want to maintain access to certain sites.
My vision for the CDS moving forward is to not only retain the present membership, but to expand and broaden the base and move forward with improvements in education and infrastructure. I hope that you will share that vision and support me to continue the work we have begun.
If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me at James@Scubaout.com.
Thank you,
James W. Chandler
Richard Blackburn
I have server the CDS previously in the 2000s and for the last 2 years. I think the current BoD is working well together and I believe we are turning a corner for the CDS to help it move into the future. I would like the honor of serving 1 more, and final, term on the Board.
Terry DeRouin
I am offering myself as a candidate for the NSS-CDS Board of Directors. I am offering a view of coordinated, planned, progressive future while maintaining a rooted understanding of the past. I have been fortunate enough to have known and worked with, dove with Sheck Exley, Wes Skiles, Henry Nicholson, Joe Prosser and several others whose unique vision and dedication laid the foundation for the Cave Diving Section of the NSS. Forrest Wilson has been a friend whom I have spent many hours discussing caves, the past and the direction of the future.
My background has almost always been focused on caving and cave diving. I first began scuba in 1984 and soon progressed to cavern diver in 1985. By 1989 I was an active CDS Cavern instructor (#238) trained by Lamar Hires and Jamie Hempstead and became a Full Cave instructor (#238) in 1990 trained by Lamar and Joe Prosser. I was one of the earliest Nitrox Technical Instructors (#55) and lucky enough to have been trained and to know Tom Mount. With these and other credits, I bring an experienced view to caving, teaching and the section.
Educationally I have BS in biology and did my doctoral work in microbiology and Emory University. I also was a member of the American Academy of Underwater Scientists. In the early 90s, I did some work with Greg Stanton of FSU at Wakulla with Nitrox in an enhanced decompression study
With all of this said, it provides me with a strong understanding of our roots, our beginnings, and the direction and hopes for the CDS.
Unfortunately, over the past several years, I see the CDS as floundering and unsure of it’s position. We no longer have the vision, a plan, or a clear direction of where we should be going.
Sheck felt that the CDS should always be the leader in teaching safe cave diving methods. Forrest led the way as the early training director for many years. Teaching WAS NOT an incidental sideline. It was one of the core components of the CDS with the cavern diver certification program in 1978. Now, there is even some talk about eliminating teaching entirely. UNACCEPTABLE!!!
Despite the previous years, the last year has offered a marked improvement in the quality of the BOD members. There is decisively less infighting and an improvement in getting basic services restored. Sam has been working extremely hard with the multitude of IT issues we’ve had. You can count on Adam to fulfill promises. The days of promises forgotten are hopefully in the past. We are graced to have several excellent members helping us to move forward.
Landowner relations and conservation are an area still lacking. Originally, it was the intent to be actively involved in maintaining access to many dive sites, to acquire ownership and manage when able, and to protect as many as was possible. Few people realize that in the seventies, Ginnie (Jenny) was closed for diving as was Peacock. Little River was fenced and closed. It was only through the very hard and consistent work of people like India Young that we have access to these sites today.
Now, instead of protecting sites, we are letting them disappear. This latest divesture of properties is simply sad. We should never have had to let them slip from our active control. The are better ways to protect ourselves in a litigious society that simply divesting ourselves of our properties. Why, I ask, are we not more involved in landowner relationships? Why are we not intimately involved with the Alachua Trust during their acquisition of the Telford site? They thankfully have expressed an interest and hope to re-open the spring to diving while they develop the property as a park, but nothing is done until it is done. Let’s get off our butts and get involved.
This is also a good time to talk about our relationship with the NSS. During the formation of the CDS in 1976, it was part of the Constitution that “the purpose of this organization shall be the same as those of the National Speleological Society with the additional purpose of organizing NSS members who are interested in cave diving so that they may better promote the objectives of the NSS.” Compared to the CDS, the NSS is a huge organization with resources, advisors and financial resources that we could be utilizing. The separation of the requirement to be co-members off the NSS-CDS was a major mistake, contrary to our constitution and should be corrected as soon as possible. To be blunt, the fees are reasonable and if we can afford to be cave divers, complaining about a few dollars to belong is trite. The advantages far outweigh the membership fees.
This list is certainly not complete or inclusive, but it highlights a few of the many things that we need to do to get our act together and move forward into the future.
LET’S MAKE CDS GREAT AGAIN
Benjamin Woodill
My name is Benjamin Woodill, and I am honored to have been nominated for a position on the NSS CDS Board of Directors.
I was scuba certified in the early 2000s, and since then have engaged in a vast range of technical, commercial, and cave diving.
I am very fortunate to have a career in the information technology field that allows me to work remotely, so I have the time and flexibility to assist the NSS CDS.
My work background includes director positions and above for both small and large organizations. This has given me extensive experience in both managerial and hands-on activities, while training me to be meticulous, creative and resourceful.
I am extremely passionate about technology and implementing modern processes. My goal in serving the CDS is to continue the sound polices that have made the organization successful and use my background to implement new initiatives to help modernize the organization.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Woodill