Not all the drama happens in downtown boardrooms.
The executive director of a small farming nonprofit in Goochland says she has been ousted after speaking out publicly about how the board of directors handles the money.
Lisa Dearden was executive director of the Center for Rural Culture until last week. The organization, which operates on a $100,000 annual budget, provides educational programs for farmers and runs a popular farmers market in Goochland.
Dearden said she was called into a meeting with the CRC board on Jan. 7, and walked out a few minutes later — without a job and in shock.
“The board handed me a letter saying they accepted my resignation immediately,” Dearden said by phone just after the meeting. “But I didn’t resign.”
That was two days after Dearden sent out a letter to thousands of the group’s supporters describing how she was denied access to CRC’s books and how she demanded an independent audit to help clear up an alleged $30,000 discrepancy.
“I am writing to you all to inform you of important event which will affect the future of our center and its mission,” Dearden wrote in the letter.
The letter also gave an ultimatum: “This situation is untenable and my letter to the board demands the release of the CRC’s records for an independent CPA full audit. In addition, I no longer have confidence or trust in the board’s current and past presidents or the treasurer and I have asked for their resignations.
“Should my demands not be met, I will be resigning as executive director of the CRC effective January 31, 2011 and handing the matter over to law enforcement.”
The board apparently called her bluff on the threat of resignation.
The board released a brief statement in response:
“In light of the gravity of the allegations made by the executive director against specific members and the board as a whole, the Center for Rural Culture Board of Directors is taking action immediately to resolve all issues relating to its financial records.
“To that end, the Board is investigating the allegations and has sent its records to a CPA firm outside of Goochland County for resolution of the matter. The Board is unaware of any misappropriation of CRC funds. The Board intends to publish the findings of the CPA firm as soon as available.”
Dearden, 50, has been executive director of CRC for three years. During that time, she claims the board has never given her access to the books its treasurer keeps, despite repeated pleas.
Pressure mounted especially after Dearden said she found a $33,000 discrepancy in the treasurer’s report in November compared with the books she keeps on her own. Dearden said she was forced to keep her own ledger of the growing organization’s finances.
Dearden said she put out the letter as a sort of last resort in an effort to put pressure on the board members. But despite messages on the CRC Facebook page in support for Dearden and demanding a response from the board, the board remained silent on the issue until it released its brief statement yesterday.
Repeated messages left for several CRC board members to discuss the issue were returned over the past several days.
As for the mention in the letter of getting the law involved, Dearden said she has consulted a lawyer. But she insists she not accusing anyone of anything illegal.
“I’m not saying there’s money missing or misappropriated,” she said. “I’m just saying there are discrepancies that need to be accounted for. We need to have accurate books, and the executive director needs to have access to them.”
William F. Etherington, an attorney with Beale, Davidson, Etherington and Morris who represents non-profits, said it is unusual for a nonprofit executive director not to have access to an organization’s books.
“That would strike me as being odd, assuming that that’s true,” said Etherington. “You’re paying the executive to run the day-to-day operations of the organization. Part of the job of the executive director is to make sure the finances are in order.”
“It’s not generally a board responsibility to run the day-to-day operations of any association.”
But Etherington also said that an executive director typically serves at the pleasure of the board. And Dearden’s move to make the matter public is not something Etherington said he would advise.
“I can’t opine on whether the books were kept correctly or incorrectly, but if she wrote a letter like that, it’s not surprising the board would react like that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dearden has had her hands tied. After her ouster, she was also forced to turn over her keys. So in effect, CRC is without an executive director. And Dearden said that doesn’t bode well for the organization.
“If I were to leave the organization, it would fall apart at this point. I’m not saying I’m indispensable … They [the board] don’t even know how to log into the computer.”
She says she just wants answers and to get back to work.
“It’s really, really sad, because a lot of people depend on us for their livelihood,” she said. “I’m fighting for those farmers out there, those little guys that depend on us.”
Michael Schwartz is a BizSense reporter. Please send news tips to Michael@richmondbizsense.com.
Lisa Dearden has done more for Goochland than anyone…it’s a shame the Board of has taken this defensive approach, rather than giving the Executive Director the tools she needs in order to help grow the organization. It does make you wonder what it really going on…why be so secretive and so defensive?
Why don’t the board members just resign? It seems that Lisa Dearden is the one that runs the organization anyway. Why didn’t they just show her the books instead of it coming to this? I think that Goochland and the members of this organization need to come together and hold a public meeting to know what the board has in mind. If they can’t even log into the computer or this organization will fold without Lisa, then what the “heck” are they thinking. This is not about whose feelings are hurt or who looks bad because the finances are not disclosed, it’s about all those farmers who work their butts off and about the great farmers market out there in Goochland. I for one would like for the board to quit this nonsense and think about all the people that support the CRC because Lisa Dearden runs it. If the board sees it fit to dispense with Lisa, then I suggest the president(s) run it until they find someone to replace Lisa Dearden. In business, you generally don’t fire the COO unless you have a back up plan.
Please let’s work this out. Lisa has done so much and the board certainly must have the farmer in mind. Volunteers and supporters of the CRC are so discouraged and disappointed by this fight.
I wish Lisa all the best in the future; hopefully that future will include a more transparent, communicative CRC. Keep fighting the good fight, Lisa!
From this article it looks as if this organization (and the community to serves) is suffering the unfortunate, but predictable, consequences of a dysfunctional board-staff relationship. While each nonprofit organization is unique in its own way, you typically like to see the board of directors set policy, with staff implementing the policy and running day-to-day operations pursuant to a carefully drafted (and periodically updated) set of organizational documents and corporate governance policies. Both sides here have comparable legal duties to act in the best interests of the organization and in furtherance of its charitable mission, but sometimes miscommunication occurs, conflict arises, and personalities clash making it difficult for opposing parties to remember they’re on the same team working toward the same goal.
I do not have any first hand data related to these events, But I can say that I have know Lisa as a result of her activities with the CRC. I have never sold any livestock to Lisa, nor does she conduct business with my farm. SO I am not biased towards her. But as a result of her involvement with the CRC I have gotten to know her as a result of my farm participating in the Goochland Farmers markets.
I can definitely say, while I have only heard one side of this story, and knowing Lisa, it sounds like there are some real issues going on here. Lisa is a credible person, and it is extremely likely that the board is GUILTY of putting their own selfish desires BEFORE those of others. WRONG move!
If the board was not guilty of some wrong doing why are they hiding money? Why is Lisa claiming a 30K discrepency? Has Lisa suddenly lost her mind? I suppose this is possible I have not seen her since the end of the Goochland farmers market ended for the year (2010).
Not likely – what is more likely – is that some faceless unknowns (to those in the Goochland community) (board members) have put their selfish desires before those of others in the local community.
Based on the emails that I have seen from Lisa, and the sorry responses to those very serious allegations, gives much more credibility to Lisa than to those who oppose her.
If there ends up being 30K missing, it might be time to hire a Private EYE, a 3rd party licensed by the commonwealth of virginia, to investigate the board members and Lisa and find out WHAT is really going on. I am not suggesting anyone sue anyone, but I take the allegations that Lisa made very seriously. Bernie Madoff was a very respected member of the community too (directed at board members and those who side with them without conclusive data), and look at where he is now.
So claiming that so and so has been a board member for so long and Pilar of the community and so on, yes! Bernie madoff was too! UNTIL he started ripping people off, I certainly hope that the CRC is not misappropriating funds. We support the mission statement of the CRC and hope that the CRC stays true to its form and original intention, through all this.
This is why Agri business is winning,small farm grassroot groups cannot get along and just do what is right. It is a much biggerr picture than Goochland. Smalll farms are soon to be a thing of the past along with healthy food if we do not come together and know that what we are doing as far as education, policy changing, and supporting small farmer is a noble mission and figure out the bigger picture than we will lose against big Agri-business because they have already taken the humaness out of what they do. Stop this craziness and mend your relationships today. Show the world it can be done. It is in your court. Make the right move for everyone!