The Dayton Daily News is reporting that the National Urban League released an e-mail saying that the closing of Ohio's Dayton Urban League was triggered by "mismanagement and financial errors," and the local affiliate had a gross lack of leadership in a "bristling" response to questions submitted by the Dayton Daily News. In an e-mail response to the newspaper, National Urban League General Counsel Nicole Lazarre blamed the local board and the board's executive committee for actions that "rendered any reversal impossible."
The e-mail stated: "The board of directors did not provide vision and strategic direction and did not meet fiduciary obligation to oversee the financial affairs of the agency." Lazarre's e-mail also alleged that the board's executive committee "carried out major policy decisions without the full involvement of the board of directors.
"These factors materially undermined the stability of the Dayton Urban League until matters reached a critical point in January," the e-mail continued. "Unfortunately, lack of leadership, accountability and resourcefulness at that critical juncture rendered any reversal impossible. Our recommendations to the board were ignored when it summarily announced the affiliate's closure without notifying us in advance."
The Dayton affiliate's current board chair, Ginny Strausburg, said she couldn't respond to the e-mail because of pending litigation. The former president and CEO, Kimberly Carter, filed a lawsuit against the board in late December. She is suing for her salary, claiming that the board lured her there under false pretenses. We won't mention the scandal over housing vouchers or the loss of grants and donations from companies like GM and the government.
A sad day indeed when an affiliate put into place to "empower communities" goes off the rails in such a ridiculous fashion. With all of the work to be done in cities like Dayton, the so-called leaders squander the resources and literally run the formerly award-winning affiliate into the ground. Shaking our heads over here at The Root.
Read more in the Dayton Daily News.
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