This blog is going to follow the BGI Campus progress. The Board of Directors of BGI approved my chasing this down. Does BGI want a campus and if yes where, what, and when? Last meeting of the Board in August Gifford, our former ex-president was asked to conduct a Strategic Planning Process. I've joined that process as a "donor member" who also happens to be a Board member and now a student.
I'll make sure that a discussion of a BGI Campus happens there.
There is a lot to report just to catch up. I'll be posting here every date and try not to overwhelm people.
This all started for me when Becky Erickson, BGI's former CFO and currently a member of the Board, got an architech to draw up what BGI would look like on my 13 acres of land overlooking Poulsbo Village. BTW Becky is now running for Mayor of Poulsbo. Whether Becky is mayor or not she will be working on this project with us. So is Linda Owens who did a lot of the grunt work which led to our accreditation.
Back to my land.
So Becky has got me going with the idea of BGI on my land. This summer I was able to grab another seven acres from John O'Neill. I convinced John to sell the land instead of waiting for the Harrison Medical Center to get built across the street. I pointed out that if he took all the money he was going to get for his property now and put it in the stock market instead, he would make a much better return on his investment than having it sit there. I was right. I hope he did.
Then Bob Von Bereghy the owner of Sunrise Properties told me he had 2 more acres of land next to the O'Neill land he'd like to sell. I bought that too. So now the piece is 22 acres.
Finally I'm trying to buy office condos located right next to the existing property, a place the administration could move into. These office condos are empty and in forecosure and I can't seem to find who controls them.
However the property I put together doesn't necessarily have to be the location for the BGI campus.
I'm committed to orchestrating and realizing a Campus for BGI rather than looking for a use for my land. With Harrison Hospital building a major cancer care center across the street there will plenty of opportunities to develop it.
About Me
- DalLaMagna
- In 1980 Dal founded TWEEZERMAN Corporation. He built it into a multi-national, personal care tool brand and practiced responsible capitalism. He has written a memoir “Failing to Get Ahead”. Dal has spent the 8 years of the Bush Administration trying to stop the War in Iraq. He funded four Iraq War movies: The War Tapes, The Ground Truth, Iraq For Sale, and Meeting Resistance and traveled with Congressman Jim McDermott to Amman to videotape McDermott’s interview of high level public officials from throughout the middle east. Working as a “citizen diplomat”, Dal partnered with Iraqi Parliament Member, Mohammed al-Dayni to work a cease-fire between Iraqi insurgents and the Coalition Forces. These efforts were covered on NPR’s “This American Life”. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Social Venture Network (SVN); he is on the Boards of Yes Magazine, and Bainbridge Graduate Institute. Besides his run for President of the USA in 2007, he has run for U.S. Congress twice. Dal holds two graduate degrees from Harvard, an MBA and an MPA, and earned his BA at Providence College. He spent his Junior Year at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland.
Dal:
ReplyDeleteDo you think that there would be implications on BGI's brand to have a campus not on Bainbridge Island?
Doing a GHG inventory on BGI revealed the fact that our location has a large impact on our C02 footprint.
ReplyDeleteDal:
ReplyDeleteI commend you for the transparency in both getting this conversation and its intent as well as the funding behind your recent land expansion.
I know it is early in the conversation but will you be posting a draft of the designs?
Not sure how to reply to peoples comments. Here is a reply to threegroove - Good point. As you will discover we will also look at Bainbridge Sites and I will add your consideration to the process.
ReplyDeleteMy reaction is that BGI is an international school not a Bainbridge Island school
Replyng to Tomas - as soon as I figure out how to post them I will though the design for my property is very rudimentary and my property is only one candidate.
ReplyDeleteDal- I liken you to John D. Rockefeller Jr.- he slowly and persistently buying up land in Wyoming to expand Grand Teton Nat'l Park, eventually gifting it to the United State people. I have an image similar in your situation- slowly and persistently creating a place for BGI to call home. I appreciate your efforts!
ReplyDelete