[Occupymendocino] board actions

[Jessie Lee VanSant]

Hello,

Please read this letter into the minutes for the record of the board of the Senior Center.  

I recently made an application to join the Senior Center board of directors and have been informed you received that application.

In light of the actions taken by a faction of the current board this past Wednesday, I must retract the offer of my services to the Senior Center.  I could not work with people who will behave in these reprehensible ways.

A board has responsibilities to the organization they represent and especially to the people, who are served by the organization.  (I am aware that the Senior Center is /a non-membership non-profit.)  A faction of the currently seated board is acting to pursue personal power  but without personal integrity, without responsibility and with a total lack of a sense of stewardship for the Center participants and clientele.

Shame on you!!  What you have done is very destructive to all.

What happened Wed. was unconscionable behavior under the circumstances.  Five (5) people forced a vote to fire Executive Director Charles Bush effective immediately.  And initiated a wrongful termination.  Totally irresponsible!!  Then they denied they had fired Charles because they couldn't hand him his final check and take away his keys and computer!!

First -- the meeting was improperly convened according to the organizational By Laws - 72 hour public posting /with/ an agenda is required  and that was /not/ done.  The By Laws are those 'rules' which govern the scope, action and behaviors of the appointed board of directors.  The By Laws cannot just be discarded at the whim of the board.  Also an improperly seated person was allowed to attend and vote on the single, kept-secret but well-planned agenda item: firing Charles Bush.

Bob Bushansky protested the improper convening of the 'illegal' meeting, pointed out that any action taken at this incorrectly called meeting had no authority so, after speaking his protest and documenting it in the 'record', he left the meeting as further protest.  

According to tape recorded dialogue of the meeting, chair of board and those pushing for this rushed vote to fire said they didn't care that the meeting was not 'legal' and were going ahead anyway.

The vote was 4 yes, 2 no and 2 abstentions.  Kathleen Johnson, board president and chair, abstained saying her 'job' was to be a tie breaker - not in By Laws and never mentioned before…  but a convenient behavior so she can say she didn't vote to fire Charles - ha!

Second -- the 5 women who moved against Charles have done a huge disservice to the people of the Senior Center and put themselves at personal liability since what they did to Charles was not 'legal' by labor standards, not to mention placing the Senior Center in jeopardy.  

What Kathleen Johnson, Lonne Mitchell, Lizette Weiss, Ronalie Silvera and Sandra Donnato did was despicable, outrageous and very, very ill-advised.  

Two weeks ago, Charles was tasked with a list of work to be done, bringing records and employee job descriptions, etc. up to date.   He was given a time frame of 6 months to do this updating, etc.  The vote on Wed. which fired Charles contravened the directive and he certainly had not had the 6 months time set out to accomplish any of the work.  The board vice president Jim Graham noted this at the time but was shut down.  

Obviously the 'reasons' to fire Charles are something else - political? religious? gender issues?  fear-based? discrimination?

The 5 women have broken labor law and given Charles multiple actionable grievances against them personally and the Senior Center as well if necessary.  Their behaviors are completely irresponsible and counter to any care and fiduciary stewardship for the Center and its large (growing) group of daily participants.

Everything Charles is doing has been positive, re-building the Center after a very bad phase with a criminal as an Executive Director.   Most of the staff really appreciate Charles and respect his leadership; he is a person who is willing to do whatever work necessary to make things go forward, he serves the elders lovingly and has brought much more Light into the Center.  Now the faction of the board represented by these 5 women are being the 'criminals', behaving in a manner with zero integrity which threatens everything that 's been accomplished and could bring down the Senior Center.  This is extremely incompetent, a total lack of leadership.

What has been done by 5 women grasping at power and control is a total mess - a totally unnecessary and avoidable mess created by 5 people and a few scattered supporters because ??  paperwork??  I doubt it.  I think someone wants the Executive Director job and only by removing Charles can that person(try to) get the job…..  so some dissatisfaction was trumped up (to hide the real reasons) and Charles was fired on a /shameful/cowardly/ 4 vote by a teeny group of people not representing and not serving the larger community of the Senior Center and our coastal neighbors so somebody's buddy can have Charles's job no matter what is honest, true and wanted by the vast majority of the people involved with the Redwood Coast Senior Center.

Kathleen Johnson, Sandra Donnato, Lizette Weiss, Ronalie Silvera and Lonne Mitchell must resign immediately because of their misfeasance which threatens the recovery of Senior Center - they are the problem not Charles Bush.  Also the other people who supported the firing of Charles should be removed from the staff or volunteer group so the poison of this travesty can be drained out of the Center's system and the good things and Light can take over for continued healing.

Sincerely and seriously
Jessie Lee VanSant