The new quarterly Alert Diver, published by Stephen Frink and company, unarguably is a handsome magazine that makes its prior incarnation appear a bit of an ugly stepsister. Then again, it now appears to have a lot more money to play with. But, is it straying from DAN’s stated raison d’être?
The DAN Mission/Vision Statements can be read in full here, but I’ll highlight the most relevant content below (bold script mine): [View the issue online here, or perhaps first go here and choose the digital edition in upper right corner — DSE, webmaster]
– “About DAN: Divers Alert Network (DAN) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit medical and research organization dedicated to the safety and health of recreational scuba divers and associated with Duke University Medical Center (DUMC).”
– “Founded in 1980, DAN has served as a lifeline for the scuba industry by operating diving’s only 24-hour emergency hotline, a lifesaving service for injured divers. Additionally, DAN operates a diving medical information line, conducts vital diving medical research, and develops and provides a number of educational programs for everyone from beginning divers to medical professionals.”
– “DAN’s Mission Statement: DAN helps divers in need with medical emergency assistance and promotes diving safety through research, education, products and services.”
– “DAN’s Vision Statement: Striving to make every dive, accident- and injury-free.”
In the above material I was unable to find any description of DAN’s/Diver Alert magazine’s role in advancing u/w photographic skills, travel location reviews, marine conservation, dive gear and the like. Yet, the current Spring 2010 edition, while admittedly including a number of diving safety and medicine pieces, is filled with such off-topic articles, several of them Feature pieces. For example:
Photography (the most egregious examples):
Pushing the Envelope (Three Advanced Photo Techniques Taught by Pros Who Perfected Them), pp 68-75
Imaging, pp 76-87
Travel:
Anacapa Island, California, pp 24-25
Alger Underwater Preserve, pp 26-27
Cayman Blue, pp 52-59
The Essentials of the Maldives, pp 60-67
Conservation:
Dive Slate, pp 12-14
Water Planet, pp 88-89
Gear:
Backplate Buoyancy Systems, pp 34-36
Now, I’m not saying that such pieces don’t make for an interesting, entertaining, flashy, and rather expensive publication, or that some folks don’t much enjoy it.
The issue is, “Are such articles consistent with the Mission and Vision Statements of DAN and a proper use of members’ dues?” “Are they the most appropriate use of limited DAN resources given how the organization represents itself to its members and the public?” “Does their primary purpose seem to be the advancement of medical services and research related ‘…to the safety and health of the recreational scuba diver’?”
Just askin’
DocVikingo
Charlie,
I think your inquiry is right on point. I urge you and any other DAN members with interest in a DEMA meeting with Lee Selisky, Steve Frink or other DAN people to contact them directly for their schedules. This removes me from the “middle man” role and I am about to leave for an extended trip to the Mediterranean on November 7th for the remainder of the month. So I will not be attending DEMA… otherwise I’d volunteer to meet you myself and walk you over to the DAN booth for introductions. These are pleasant professional people and you’ll find them very nice to interact with.
In hopes of facilitating any contacts, here are the email addresses for Selisky, Frink, and DAN President Dan Orr:
lee@seapearlsinc.com
sf@stephenfrink.com
dorr@dan.org
And just so all is fair, I’ll also give you my direct email as well:
bretgilliam@gmail.com
Hope this helps!
Hi Carolyn,
Thank you for the excellent contribution to this thread.
Regards,
DocVikingo
I’ve been a DAN member since I started diving in 1985. As for the magazine, while I enjoy the new articles and new look, my personal preference would be for DAN to weight the magazine more heavily toward diving medicine, accident prevention, and accident reports. I understand that to make the magazine financially viable, DAN may need to include more “exciting” photos & articles along with the mission-related reports. But I question the balance.
According to DAN’s tax return (Form 990), they spend about $1M per year on emergency-related services, and $1M per year on dive medicine research — that should provide a lot of raw material for articles on accident analysis and research findings. I always learn something from accident stories.
The recently redesigned “Form 990” tax return includes a lot of information about governance policies, revenue & expense, and compensation of executives. It doesn’t specifically answer the question about the magazine cost, but there’s a lot of good information, and it may form a starting point for DAN members seeking a dialogue with board members. All nonprofit tax returns are public information — nonprofits are required to share their “Form 990” upon request. Tax returns can also be found at http://www.guidestar.org — you may have to register to view the 990, but it’s free (I have no relationship with guidestar, I just use it to research nonprofits).
I’m very appreciative of what DAN does for divers — I don’t post this to encourage “hatchet jobs” or anything negative. But as a former executive of a nonprofit, and a CPA, I’m a firm believer that transparency and member involvement are healthy for an organization.
Carolyn James
Hi Bret
Can you ask your friend Lee to let us know when he will be available at DEMA to meet with DAN members face to face and discuss the decisions made by the DAN board in regards to Alert Diver and their relationship with Steven Frink? Are other DAN board members willing to do the same, or only Lee? Do you think Steven Frink will be at DEMA and willing to answer questions from DAN members, too?
Julie,
DEMA now does have days when the public can attend. It’s also easy to arrange a pass through your local dive store. Believe me, DEMA’s attendance rate has fallen so precipitously in the last five years that they are more than happy to get people in the door… no matter where they’re coming from. If you can’t get a pass any other way, email me (bretgilliam@gmail.com) and I’ll arrange it for you. Try to make time to go and meet with the DAN people. I don’t think that you will be disappointed.
Lee,
Only a small percentage of the DAN Membership population is allowed into DEMA. It is a trade show for industry professionals only. Can you offer another option?
Lee Selisky
Along with many DAN members I have been following these discussions with great interest. Thank you for your offer to meet at DEMA in public face to face to discuss issues raised in this forum. Would you like to meet in the DAN Room 228 between 9am and 5pm on Friday or Saturday? Or will you prefer to talk individually at the DAN booth? I had not planned to attend DEMA this year but if this is a genueine offer to discuss these issues with DAN members face to face please let us know where and when you will be available.
Charlie Harris
I, along with the bulk of the DAN Holdings Board of Directors, will be at the DEMA show in Las Vegas this November. I invite any DAN member to discuss their issues with me face to face. I am extremely comfortable with the decisions made in regards to Alert Diver and our contractual relationship with Mr. Frink.
I am not going to get into a dialog with alias via a web chat-room. Let’s move this out into the daylight.
To “Jay Gee”,
Oh, and one more thing: if you’re going to go off on your rants and attempt to use words of more than one syllable, at least learn to spell… and stop picking your nose. You and “Brian S.” are wonderful examples of two children that obviously “got left behind” in school. My dog can craft a sentence and spell better than you two. And he’s a lot more discerning in his articulate role as a societal critic.
To “Jay Gee”,
You are singularly startling in your total blissful ignorance of ethical behavior and the protocols of an intellectual discourse for debate. (Sorry about the big words…)
Fundamentally, you miss the point: that I would defend to my dying the breath the right for persons to have different opinions and to express them freely. But most of us with a shred of dignity do so with our real names and stand up to be accountable. You and your ilk hide behind aliases and lob grenades at persons who have no way of responding to you with any idea of your actual identity or any way to hold you accountable for your attacks and borderline libel. My reaction to you and others who practice these sneak attacks is not a product of “narcissism” but of disgust and loathing for your cowardice.
I don’t blame Frink, Selisky or any of the DAN Board for not responding to you. When I have been critical of DAN in the past, I sign my name and stand tall. Not matter how tall you might think you’re standing in your petty rants, when you’re in the sewer up to your nose in muck it’s pretty difficult to see very far… or be seen. And that’s what you’re really about, isn’t it? If you don’t like how DAN conducts itself, don’t join. Otherwise, just shut up as you lack “standing” as a member.
Now find someone who can explain the big words in this message to you and help you look up “backbone” in the dictionary. Or just “google” it as you seem to only exist in a universe of the “nutball” internet where all of the lunatic fringe can hang out and hide from being responsible for their unattributed blather.
Now I feel like I need to got take a shower for stooping to your level, however briefly, to speak up for ethical behavior. I should have taken my mother’s advice from long ago in dealing with you: she told me it was unsportsmanlike to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
You’re beneath contempt.
To Mr. Gilliam,
This blog was started by Doc V to discuss if there is a disconnect between DANs mission/vision and the new AD; not to discuss if bloggers should be required to use their real names. The ‘ethics and and sense of intellectual responsibility’ that we should be discussing involve the actions of the DAN Board members and Mr. Frink, not people who use an alias, which BTW is common practice in most blogs. It is clear that you have no problem with an alias if someone agrees with you, but you attack anyone who dares to offer a different opinion. You admit that you have been critical of many things that DAN has done, but do not seem willing to allows others the same privledge. You like to use big words, here is one for you: Narcissism.
You claim that Lee Selisky is an honorable and upstanding guy. You claim that others should be allowed to have their own opinion. If that is true, then why dont you contact your friend Lee (or Frink or a DAN Board member) and get him to set the record straight once and for all OR shut up and let others express their opinions about the DAN mission and the new AD.
Jay Gee
To Brian S.
Okay, you dragged me back in. You’re Brian Skerry, of course, hiding behind yet another alias. As usual, you are a gutless coward who lacks the fortitude to actually have an opinion that you’ll stand up and take responsibility for. I didn’t personally attack the “anonymous” person slinking behind the “Jay Gee” alias. That would be impossible since no one knows who this person really is. I have been critical of a lot of things DAN has done in the past including the recent manipulation of the DAN Fatality Workshop that was featured in a recent Undercurrent article. But in the case of Alert Diver and the attacks on DAN’s Board and editor Steve Frink, I thought they were off base and belonged in a DAN membership chat room… not on Undercurrent. I especially don’t like those who hide behind an alias while slinging their vitriol. That’s the worst kind of pathetic cowardice. But that’s about what I expect from you and your ilk. Hell, I respect Doc Vikingo but even that is an alias… So I’ll drop out of this again as it seems to attract the lunatic fringe and I prefer to play with adults. You guys should all try walking around in the light where people can see you and identify you. Nah, that would actually require ethics and and sense of intellectual responsibility. And I know that is way beyond your reach.
Absolutely! The first issue in the new format was awesome! It had informative dive medicine and physiology and just enough “other” to add some balance, while still being educational. DAN is veering way off course and is likely to unravel their own credibility if they keep publishing commercial crap like they just did in their latest issue. Who needs another commercial sell-out rag to read. I can find all of that I can stand at the news stand…
What’s with Gillams personal attacks on Jay Gee ?
I noticed you completely dropped out of this thread when Doc voiced his agreement for the points Jay Gee was trying to make.
I also noticed that your posts were consistently the lowest rated in this thread so it appears that others must feel as I do. What’re you hiding ?
I’ve been a DAN member for quite a while. I did enjoy the old format. For one thing, it had a couple of places where non-professional photographers could get their photos published. Now, it seems to be the frink and friends show with limited access to the amateur photographers. Sad change for many aspiring photogs.
To say the old format was poor is quite an insult to the many contributers. Now, I wonder who gets paid for what in this non-profit organization.
Not really sure why a bunch of “insider” posters have a bad opinion of DAN her, but whatever. I’m just a regular DAN member. Alert Diver is 100% better, sorry some of you people have a problem with it.
Conflict of interest? Don’t care.
Too many pics by one guy? Don’t care.
Political intrigue at the top? Don’t care.
As Bret said, the opinions and positions held by DAN now are more in step with the dive community than in the past. You don’t like it, don’t join.
I thought this was going to be a thread discussing the merits of DAN’s place in the diving community, but instead it seems to be somebody’s hatchet job agenda. And again — Don’t care.
Another star-studded photo edition from Alert Diver:
The Summer 2010 Issue
http://www.alertdiver.com/
Regards,
DocVikingo
No response from DAN? This is disappointing, but not surprizing.
It appears that DAN has lawyered up. Any good defense lawyer knows that when you have a guilty client you tell them to shut up and dont put them on the stand. But the proof is in the pudding and the pudding at DAN stinks. Fewer DAN members. Increased cost of DAN membership. New DAN research, what research? Ex board members and non divers in top administrative jobs. Great job guys, your coup detat has finally paid off and now you can reap the benefits despite the colateral damage to the organization.
What is next? A picture of Ziberson standing atop their private dive yatch with a huge banner MISSION ACCOMPLISHED? Or maybe change the name from DAN to BILL, as in Buraeucracy of Idiots, Lawyers and Leftovers?
Come clean before someone gets hurt….opps too late.
Jayson M
If one of the industry’s biggest names is conducting questionable business practices, I can’t think of a better place to discuss it than Undercurrent.
What on earth is going on at DAN?
DAN’s Fatality Workshop and the presentation that was censored
http://www.undercurrent.org/members/UCnow/dive_magazine/2010/FatalityWorkshop201007.html
Regards,
DocVikingo
DocVikingo,
I’ve read this discussion several times and am pretty disturbed by what I’ve read. The original topic might have been the new magazine produced by DAN, but we’ve taken quite a turn which seems to need further discussion.
It’s pretty common knowledge quite a few executives and personnel lost their jobs at DAN recently to position DAN for financial stability is how I think their website read. That being said, am I reading now that their some of their board members are now executives themselves and another board member is a vice-president and has some new contract for the magazine?
Did anyone else on here find the posting about the trip to bermuda interesting? If DAN had to lay people off for finances then their board of directors and executives should not be taking trips to bermuda.
As a member of DAN I believe I’ve earned the right to hear. Can you find out what’s going on in north carolina??
–Adam Johnson
Hi Jay Gee,
Thanks for your rationality and tenacity in endeavoring to keep the discussion focused on the initially raised topic, which in essence was, “How does all of the attractive frippery now in Alert Diver promote dive safety or advance the medical mission of DAN?
I’d add that I find it extremely disappointing that various DAN board and staff members appeared to have lots of gas to put into the thread until you asked what I consider to be a number straight forward and entirely legitimate questions about such things as DAN’s organizational structure, financial arrangements with other person/entities in and outside of DAN and how these comport with DAN’s status as a non-profit company, etc. After that the silence was deafening.
I suspect you’ll be seeing more in Undercurrent regarding these matters.
Regards,
DocVikingo
It seems that everyone agrees that the new AD is better looking and includes additional information (photography, destinations, etc) that many divers will find interesting and helpful. But how does this additional information promote dive safety or advance the medical mission of DAN?
John asked a very good question early in this discussion – Does the new Frink version of AD make a profit for DAN thereby adding to DAN revenues and reducing costs elsewhere? A DAN board member has stated that AD was costing $800,000 per year to publish and distribute, but he did not say how much it is costing to publish and distribute the new Frink version. He implies that the costs are lower – but has he accounted for paying Frink a salary and paying him for all those photos? How can DAN publish more pages of a higher quality magazine for less? Are Frink and his friends working pro bono? Is the printer doing work for free? Have DAN revenues from AD advertisers increased enough to offset the additional expenses? How much (total costs) does DAN pay to publish and distribute the new Frink version of AD?
No, the “missing piece” is NOT a response from a DAN member who does not know the truth behind the board actions or is a personal friend of the DAN board. The “missing piece” is a statement from the DAN Board explaining what could easily be perceived as a conflict of interests behind the restructuring of DAN, pulling away from Duke Medical Center (and Duke dive research), and hiring 2 previous board members as DAN staff.
If the DAN board claims that their fiduciary duty requires confidentiality in these discussions of the DAN mission, do you think that their loyalty is to the DAN members OR diving public OR each other?
If there is nothing to hide, we would LOVE to hear the truth from the DAN board or the new CEO.
What he said!
The missing piece in this whole dialog is a response from a rank and file, man in the street member. That’s me. By the way, that’s my real name; who could make something like that up. I have personal experience of DAN’s response and reaction to a dive accident. They made a potentially devastating experience to a young diver as comforting as possible. From where I sit, as long as they provide the services that members like me pay for, this whole Alert Diver debate is superfluous. With the state of dive magazines today, the new AD is to me most welcome. Sport Diver is ok, but its all about PADI. Scubadiving magazine is merely Sport Diver with a different name. If DAN gets away from its role of providing assistance to divers in distress, then I will have a different response. But for now, I look forward to the issue every quarter. It covers a little bit of everything, from DAN issues to travel destinations to photography. In my opinion, that’s what a dive mag should be.
Well, I don’t know how anyone else feels, but this ridiculous dialogue has gone on too long. It’s pretty obvious that someone is trying to advance a personal agenda with unattributed aliases and this was not the mission of Undercurrent’s blog sites. I tried to solicit a reality response three times from the mysterious “Jay Gee” and no identity was forthcoming. Jeff Mills has now confirmed that “Jay Gee” has somehow obtained his email address from DAN membership lists (probably illegally) and has expressed his own clear dissatisfaction that I now join. I will not be posting further on this subject and “Jay Gee” can feel free to wallow in his/her muck.
This post is based on my opinion only and I do not mean to imply that my opinions or anything I write here are staements of fact:
I think the new Alert Diver magazine is really good and that it is good to offer members a “perk” that is worth reading. I get it for free because I am a member. It wasn’t very good before and it was boring. I used to throw it out before I even read it. I more enjoy looking at the really nice photos than reading article after article of the same boring stuff. I hope every single issue isn’t about UW Photography, since we don’t all do that. I hope they “mix it up”. It is also fun to see other dive places around the world and not just read about dive safety. If this makes the company look bad that seems silly.
I read some things on some other websites that seem more important than how good or bad Alert Diver magazine is now. These are questions only, and are not being stated as facts. I do not know the answers to these questions. I am not implying that the answers to these questions are yes or that any person referred to has done anything wrong, inappropriate, illegal, unethical, or otherwise questionable. Does anybody out there know the answers to these questions?
1) Is William Ziefle the DAN General Council and President of DAN Services, AND also the new VP of Subsidiary Operations? Should a company get legal advice from a man who is an executive level employee on the payroll? Does he live in Texas or North Carolina? Has he ever sat for the North Carolina Bar? Is he a personal friend of Dennis Lieberson, the chairman of the DAN Holdings Board of Directors? Was he one of the board members who worked to oust Peter Bennet, and is now an employee?
2) Is it a conflict if the “executive coach” for DAN leaders is also a personal friend of Dennis Lieberson, the chairman of the DAN Holdings Board of Directors?
3) Is this document relevant to anything at all? http://securities.stanford.edu/1025/COF02-01/20020719_f01c_021069.pdf
4) Is DAN still working with Duke? Are they also working with other big universities now too?
5) Is it true that DAN Holdings is NOT a non-profit company? Is DAN Holdings a subsidiary of DAN Inc. and is NOT the same company?
6) If William Ziefle is the VP of Subsidiary Operations, would that mean he’s running everything except DAN Inc.?
7) Does DAN Inc, the non-profit company, have it’s very own Board of Directors, completely separate from Dan Holdings, DAN Services, AGI, and those in charge of Alert Diver?
8) Is DAN Inc. in control of Divers Alert Network or is DAN Holdings? Does the duo that could be called “Zieberson” have so much control that the public’s view of the mission of DAN could fizzle out with the passing of it’s 30th year?
9) The DAN website no longer call Dan Orr the CEO of DAN? Who is the CEO of DAN? Is William Ziefle the CEO of DAN?
10) If DAN Inc. is working for the mission of DAN with a goal to serve scuba divers, is it important to recognize that DAN Holdings may NOT be the same company as DAN Inc.?
Thanks to anyone who knows the answers to these questions. Like I said, I don’t mean to make anyone think these things are facts, I’m just curious about what the answers are.
To Mr. Jay Gee,
I rarely if ever have been on any of these Bulletin Boards as I do not usually have time for it. You have sent me an email to an address you probably got off of my credentials off of the DAN website? Please do not email me anymore as I am blocking you. I read the last few posts. I am a DAN Examiner and DAN member. I fully suppport DAN’s mission and believe they are moving forward as their time and resources allow them. There product serves me well and I find it very informative with great value. I have been to DAN and have met many of the people there. I find no problem with what I see. The only one I see that possibly has an ulterior motive might be you. I don’t know who you are but I would appreciate you not wasting my time by bringing me into your issues. If you don’t care for DAN or their work. Move on. Let us that support DAN do so. Membership is a choice.
Well, “Jay Gee”, I think if there is nothing to hide then you might come forth with your real name and why you don’t take you complaints to DAN directly if you’re a member. Like you keep saying, “if there’s nothing to hide, we would LOVE to hear the truth.”
If Frink was publishing bad photos then you might have a point. But he’s most likely getting a flat rate for his efforts as editor and actually saving DAN money by using his own work and not paying more to use outside material.
You seem to be the only person with an objection to his fine imagery. By the way, his cover shot was on Newsweek, not Time. But it seems you don’t read other magazines anyway. Funny, his work is good enough for the country’s premier news publication… but you don’t like it in Alert Diver. Huh?
Anyone else see a disconnect here?
Congratulations to Frink on the Time cover shot! Nobody can question his resume of impressive photographs (both under and above the water). However, I question the fact that my recent copy of AD contains SO MANY of his excellent photos and comments.
• 38% of the pages in AD contain either Frink comments or photos
• 26% of all the photos in AD are Frink photos
• 60% of all the full page photos (including the cover) are Frink photos
I just can’t understand how a person can avoid a conflict of interest being the publisher of a magazine and have so many of his own photos and articles published. I would think that most non-profit organizations (especially DAN) would want to avoid such appearances of impropriety.
This is not an attack on Frink or the DAN board – I am sure that they are doing what they believes is best for DAN. But really! 38% of the new AD is Frink! And less than 30% of the new AD contains dive safety or medical info. This may be legal – but I have yet to hear anyone say it is ethical or lacks a conflict of interest.
Something here does not add up, because we don’t know the entire story.
If there is nothing to hide, we would LOVE to hear the truth.
I’ll address my remarks to Mr. Jay Gee, who incidentally didn’t confirm whether that is a real name or not. I’m not missing the point… you are. DAN is a membership non-profit organization. If you are a member, just look on your card and you’ll find the toll-free phone number to call and you can easily request the mailing address or email contacts to take your concerns to the proper senior officials. If you’re not a member, then you don’t have “standing”. And continuing to throw dirt at DAN though internet blog posts is a little juvenile. You seem to have some particular insight into their operations and, for your own reasons, think that something is awry. Fine, then take your questions and challenges through right channels. It’s that simple.
As to being critical of the old Alert Diver, I have no apologies. I was in print media professionally as a Publisher, Editor, writer, and photographer for over 30 years. My own diving magazines included Scuba Times, DeepTech, Fathoms, Diving Adventure, Virgin Islander, Caribbean… as well as contributing to Skindiver, Scuba Diving, Sport Diver, Pacific Diver, FishEye View, Sources, Diving USA, Diver (Canada), Diver (U.K.), Unterwasser (Germany), Yam (Israel), Dive New Zealand, Oceans, Undersea Journal, Undercurrent, Sea Frontiers, Aquanaut (Germany), Nautica (Brazil), Asian Diver, Dive Travel, Sea, Le Plongee (France), Discover Diving, Immersed, Dive Report, and other mainstream publications like National Geographic, Time, Newsweek, Outside, Sky, Vogue, Playboy, New York Times, Sports Illustrated, Popular Science, Wired, Geo, Mariah, Popular Mechanics, Adventure Travel, Downeast, and even AARP. So I have a reasonable body of experience with magazines to offer an opinion.
The old Alert Diver was something of a disaster… in spite of probably sincerely earnest efforts to cobble something together. But the writing style was either too technical and hopelessly plodding, or more reflective of the amateurish volunteer submissions including dismal photo images. Hey, reality is a bitch. My intent is not to insult those that were responsible; it’s just an objective assessment that was almost universally shared by the industry. My point, as a professional journalist and hugely successful diving industry entrepreneur is that the new re-born Alert Diver under Steve Frink’s guidance is a better product. That’s all. Ernest efforts, no matter how well-intended, that don’t actually produce a worthwhile product shouldn’t be shielded from critical review.
It’s a little hard not suspect that “Jay Gee” is not a real name. It sounds like a phonetic version of your initials and that you are grinding an axe with a personal agenda behind an alias. That’s a little cowardly since you so pointedly lob accusations at Frink, Selisky, the DAN Board, et al.
So… I again reiterate my firm conviction that anyone is entitled to their opinion, as you are. But if you’re going to attack individuals and an organization I think they are also entitled to know who you are with a real name. And if you’re a member of DAN, why don’t you take you complaints to them directly?
I’m left with impression that you either had friends that got fired at DAN or that you were yourself. And I can understand that sentiment. But let’s be upfront with your agenda.
I don’t have a dog in this fight. I’ve had my own differences with DAN over the years over Peter Bennett’s unwarranted attacks on diving computers, nitrox, technical diving, multi-day repetitive diving from liveaboards, deliberately inaccurate information about recompression treatments (I’m a credentialed Recompression Chamber Supervisor for over three decades), and his objections to just about every innovation that came forward since the early 1980s. But in this case, I think DAN has made real efforts at house-cleaning and reform. The new Alert Diver is just another brick in the new foundation.
By the way, Frink has the cover shot on this week’s Newsweek magazine? Is there another conspiracy to be found there?
For anyone to imply the Alert Diver was not worth reading prior to the new Frink version is an insult to DAN staff, medical experts, and the many contributing writers who produced this valuable publication for the past 25 years. Most people (even myself) would agree that the Frink version of AD is very attractive and has impressive pictures and graphics. Longtime DAN members will recall that AD has had various formats over the years; from a B/W quarterly newsletter, to a 24 page 12x a year edition (published by Skin Diver). Several years ago AD was increased to 64 pages of higher quality paper and an outside design team did a “make-over” of AD to try to improve the appearance. Every AD change has been a good faith effort to improve the appearance of the publication, provide better content, and reduce expenses. However, the results were generally increased costs and/or lost revenues for DAN.
The debate about the appearance or content of AD will go on and I am sure that one day a different version of AD will appear and some people will like it, others won’t. Mr. Gilliam is missing the point.
I agree that only DAN members have the right to complain to the DAN board about how they spend DAN revenues. However, I believe that ALL DIVERS have a right to express concern if the DAN board breaches their fiduciary duties and agrees to overlook conflicts of interest which jeopardize DAN organization and the safety of divers around the world.
Lots has changed since DAN separated from Duke in 2008. Many long time DAN officers and key employees are gone. Were they forced out? Why did DAN separate from Duke? How could such action promote dive safety and better research? Now a previous board member is the new president of DAN and another previous board member is the publisher and VP. Why did DAN stop publishing the Annual Report that shows annual revenues and expenses? Where does all the money go?
If a DAN member wants to contact the DAN board to get answers to these legitimate questions (as Mr. Gilliam suggests), can someone tell us exactly how to do that?
I agree 100% with Mr. Gilliam that DAN board members have a duty to respond to these types of questions.
If there is nothing to hide, we would LOVE to hear the truth.
Oh my, with all the much higher priority issues facing the diving industry today, is picking on DAN’s decision to bring in a journalism pro to do a “turn-around” on their woefully mediocre Alert Diver magazine worth the angst that I see from people on these posts? Yes, Stephen Frink used to be a Board member. But he resigned from his volunteer role to take on the duties of producing a magazine actually worth reading. That’s the right thing for Frink to do under non-profit protocols. And a smart move by DAN to grab him as he exited his long term role with Scuba Diving magazine and could turn his very able talents to rejuvenating Alert Diver. Let’s face it, folks, the old edition looked like it was put out by a 7th-grade school newspaper class… and they got a D- and sent off to shop class.
When I read the posts I really see that the majority of people like the new edition. And so do I. I don’t think that Frink has reduced DAN’s mission statement at all… especially since the old version was virtually impossible for anyone to read with enthusiasm. I’d venture a guess that it could barely find a reader with the attention span to get through it all unless trapped in the bathroom with irritable bowel syndrome and forced to suffer through anything to pass the time… and other things. (Yah, bad pun… so sue me.)
Undercurrent did a feature on the Vikingo’s blog in the current June issue and was generally supportive of all things DAN has done. Vikingo is entitled to his opinion as anyone should be. That’s sort of the essence of opinion blogs. He also has been a past contributor to Alert Diver. Fine.
But more importantly is the issue of who has “standing” to be critical of DAN about a magazine that is part of their membership? From any fair perspective, it’s the members of DAN who have such standing and can freely address their concerns, criticisms, delight, or whatever to DAN’s CEO and Board. If you’re not a member, then I really fail to see why you shouldn’t be politely told to “butt out”.
DAN went through a very bad time a few years back and courageously acted to oust Peter Bennett from his role as President or CEO or whatever his leadership title was. I admired Board Charimen Mike Emmerman and Mike Lang for standing pretty tall and forcing him out as there was ample evidence of corruption and abuse of power. Then DAN had to wrestle with a series of CEO’s (or whatever) until finally making the right call to put longtime staff member Dan Orr into the role. Hell, he even had the right first name for the job.
The last thing that I think DAN wants now is to repeat old mistakes. I know Lee Selisky. And I know him to be an honorable and upstanding guy who has taken on a volunteer role on the Board in spite of selling out his own company and being divorced from business in the diving industry. If Lee says that things are being done right, I personally believe him.
But if a DAN member wants to inquire about specific things that they seem to think might be improper, then do so… directly with the DAN Board. And they should reply as per their duty to members. I’ve served on non-profit Boards and I know how they work. I also know how annoying it can be to have some gadfly bug you over some conspiracy theory that is self-evidently nonsense. If poster John Gee (is that a real name?) really believes that DAN is paying Frink $500,000 to run a tiny magazine for a non-profit, then I want some of whatever he’s smoking. But Gee is certainly right to expect an answer to his questions… if he is a member. In that case, take it to DAN’s hierarchy through the correct channels and I’m sure that he’ll get a satisfactory answer.
Here’s some reality: DAN’s revenue stream is from membership dues and the sale of diver insurance. Who buys that stuff? Active divers who do dive locally or travel to pursue their diving interests. And guess what? They like to have a good source of information on photography, diving regions and attractions, operators, conservation issues, etc. along with their dose of diving safety articles. And Frink is the perfect guy to do that. From what I’ve seen, Alert Diver is 500% improved in content, design, and overall. That’s great. And he should get paid a fair fee to do it.
I like Doc’s blogs and his articles. I like Selisky and Frink. And I think that this is a bit of tempest in a teapot. Let’s move on to more important things… like John Bantin trying to get through the TSA security screening at the airport.
Everybody lighten up. Cheers!
When I read the new Divers Alert I wasn’t sure it was the same publication. Too slick and too professional and low and behold It was Steve Frink. Now isn’t he with backscatter. I got the feeling that he was taking over the DAN publication for profit? Somewhere I read that the CEO of DAN is making a very hefty salary? Some one is profiting from this non profit?
Yes, all board members have fiduciary duties which require them to stay objective, unselfish, responsible, honest, trustworthy, and efficient. Board members, as stewards of public trust, must always act for the good of the organization, rather than for the benefit of themselves. They should exercise reasonable care in all decision making, without placing the organization under unnecessary risk.
I just wonder how (or why) the DAN board believes that their actions, specifically pulling away from Duke in 2008, removing the COO, CFO, and editor at DAN, and installing former board members as president and editor of DAN, can be good for the organization. It could appear to some as a conflict of interest. These decisions by the DAN board might have been legal, but were they ethical?
Lee claims to be paying for his travel expenses while at DAN Board meetings. Do all board members do this? Who pays for the hotel, dives, and alcohol? If Frink or Ziefle are doing work for DAN pro bono or contributing in other ways to DAN, they should be commended. However, if they used their position as board members to somehow insert themselves into paid positions at DAN, then they should be open and honest with the DAN members (who fund the organization).
If there is nothing to hide, we would LOVE to hear the truth.
“I would LOVE to respond to you allegations but due to confidentiality of many of the questions (I do have a fiduciary responsibility to DAN).”
Lee, you really can’t think this sort of response advances DAN’s position in this discussion.
Regards,
DocVikingo
I would LOVE to respond to you allegations but due to confidentiality of many of the questions (I do have a fiduciary responsibility to DAN). It appears that the changes have affected you personally and you have an axe to grind. All I am willing to say at this time is, all activities have been done with Board approval and no one is diverting any funds other than appropriate wages and fees and some doing work pro bono). All activities would survive any legal inquiry.
It is an insult to me to have anyone think that I would do anything to jeopardize my standing within the diving community after 30 years of service.
Ps; I am personally paying my travel expenses to Bermuda as I have done for every board meeting for the past five years. I have NEVER turned in an expense report or received a reimbursement for my activities for DAN.
So I will end this with an “It ain’t so”.
The questions that I have (and would appreciate Lee Selisky response as a DAN Board member) are:
1. How does a DAN Board member like Steven Frink serve on the Board and then become editor of the Alert Diver magazine?
2. How much is Frink and his company getting from DAN to publish Alert Diver?
3. What is the real cost (or revenue) to DAN from publishing and mailing the new Alert Diver?
4. How does a DAN Board member like Bill Ziefle serve on the Board and then become the president of DAN Services (the for-profit DAN insurance company)?
5. How is DAN currently associated with Duke University Medical Center?
It could appear that some of the DAN board negotiated a separation from Duke in 2008 so that they could remove key DAN officers (the COO and CFO) in order to install a new regime of ex-board members and non-divers to control DAN activities and siphon off cash for personal gain. Did Frink get $500,000 from DAN, and now charges DAN for each Frink photo published in the magazine? Please tell us this ain’t so.
Unfortunately, Lee (and the other DAN Board members) are currently meeting in Bermuda to discuss business, so I will not expect a quick response. Maybe some DAN members who are paying for Lee and the others to “meet” in Bermuda will respond.
The new Dan magazine is wonderful. I used to fall asleep reading the previous issues. (Boring) I look forward to the arrival of the new format issue. I say bravo Steven Frink and Dan for taking a boring mailer and turning it into a world class publication. I get them all from the old Fathoms to the new Wet Pixel. As a Dan member I feel i’m getting more than my monies worth and will be happier to renew my membership not just for the medical coverage and to support Dan’s research and training; I really like the magazine.
Lee Selisky’s response should put an end to this debate. The fact that the change was done to lower costs but still retain the DAN safety message while producing a wonderful publication was the right answer and should satisfy anyone who’s been associated with DAN for any length of time. The addition of someone as talented and passionate about diving as Steven Frink as editor would produce nothing less than an outstanding publication. I look forward to every issue now and read it cover to cover. That was not the case with the old publication.
Oops — make that “…do NOT work for….”
Regards,
DocVikingo
I am a Moderator for the Scuba Diving magazine’s message board with limited powers. Mostly I expunge SPAM and move posts to the most appropriate forum. I have no proprietary interest in SD and do work for SD, get paid anything by SD or receive any perks or considerations from SD. In fact, I am not even a subscriber.
I have no axe to grind with DAN and have written several articles for Alert Diver over the years. All I have done is raise a legitimate question about the new direction of that publication.
Regards,
DocVikingo
It seems to me that the blogger should have stated that he is a moderator for Scuba Diving Magazine’s message board and thus, his post is not particularly altruistic.
Disclaimer first: I am a DAN Holdings board member.
The reasoning behind the change the old Alert Diver Magazine was costing about $800k per year to publish and distribute. The board realized that if we improved the product, solicited advertising revenue, and ensured that the amount of safety related articles remained the same we could reduce our cost of distribution, allow more money to go to DAN’s true mission, and deliver a more enjoyable product for our membership. It is important to note that we do not make a profit on Alert Diver Magazine, all we have done is lower the cost to us.
It is important to note the DAN’s board objectives is to ensure the long term viability of it’s non-profit mission statement of helping divers with medical information and help in what appears to be a declining recreational activity.
In my number of years on the DAN board we have continually strived to reduce overhead, maximize opportunities, and deliver more dollars and resources to the true DAN mission.
Being an underwater photographer, I really applaud the direction Alert Diver is taking. It was also very refreshing to read Stephen Frink’s write up of how he wound up in a hyperbaric chamber after some mis-steps. Always educational when top professionals debrief their mistakes.
So kudos for the changes, and I for one, support a continuing balance between how to dive safer, and how safe diving can contribute to other underwater pursuits such as travel and photography.
I believe they are putting out fewer issues per year, meaning they can focus more on each issue, making it better. They stated this in their initial press release about the new format, here http://divertodiver.scubadiving.com/tm.aspx?m=146988&mpage=1&key=𣸬
and here
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/News/Article.aspx?newsid=985635173
“Moving to a quarterly publication schedule allows us to publish Alert Diver in the new format and add content we couldn’t before. Given the quality of the editorial content, the new graphic design and the planned improvements to the print quality, Alert Diver really will become a coffee-table-worthy collectible item.”
I don’t think this is a bad thing. Perhaps those who don’t already have DAN will see this new perk as a reason to join – and lives will be saved in the process — not to mention that someone who might be interested in a gear, location, or photography article may also read a safety article and learn something that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
I have a passing, long-term acquaintance with DAN’s leadership, and respect them. Is it possible that the new, content-rich magazine format is nothing more than an attempt to support DAN’s mission? Yes, I know that there have been stains on some of DAN’s history and previous leadership, but I hope that’s (sea)water under the bridge.
DAN Asia Pacific’s newsletter is called “Deeper with DAN” — that sounds even more at odds with DAN’s raison d’etre. Seems like troubled times lead many organizations in directions counter to where they would normally head.
Does it make a profit for DAN thereby adding to the revenue and reducing costs elsewhere?
I was asking myself the same question as I leafed through the latest edition which, by the way, had numerous accolades in the Letter to Editor section extolling the beauty of the previous edition.
I finally concluded that so long as the editors continued to include the gospel of safety that DAN usually provides to us, and providing that the travel sites and other advertising pay for themselves, it’s not so bad to have a little sweet with your dinner.