2022-11-10
I went to this meeting, just wanted to capture some thoughts...
First and foremost, they've now got a full Board, with new members who seem excited and energetic. It'll be a tough year ahead, but starting with a full board is a good start.
I'm not sure I got a full sense from the Board members as to how they got to a place of losing so many Board members (resignations or not re-offering) plus two staff all at the same timeframe. People were understandably reluctant to talk about the nuances of it, but it sounds like burnout and personal conflict both played a role. They currently have the same Chair who led the organization over the past year, so either that is good for continuity, or challenging in terms of changing course -- I'm not sure.
On the finances, I think the explanation was comforting somewhat. They are in a low-cash position, but what was clarified was that that is consistent with how things have been recent years. They always have a low-cash position at this point in the year, and have to make ends meet until funds start coming in again (eg. in some years staff deferred their pay during this period.) The finances for the past year were pretty good, and there was no suggestion whatsoever of mismanagement. It's just that, unlike in past years, they don't have staff to help with bring in new funds right now, and without cash-in-hand it is a real challenge to hire someone new. That's a big problem and a challenge to get through for sure, but it has more to do with the timing of losing staff than any reflection of the state of the finances per se. It was a real relief that there was no sense of financial mismanagement.
New board elected: Frances Dadin-Alli (she/her) Chair; Catherine Richardson; Dana Marsh, Secretary; James Mellor; Jenna Downey; Jordan Parker; Joseph Allen; Mark Monk, Treasurer; Nailah Tataa; Quinn Anderson
2023-01-10
We had a really good interview summing up the whole behind-the-scenes situation, but then we received some disturbing news on the morning it was supposed to run. We were worried about doing more harm than good. Some of the people involved are having some serious mental health struggles amid all of this, and there's a lot of finger pointing. It sounds like the whole organization has been dysfunctional for a long time.
2023-01-11
Well I'm impressed as you seem to have succeeded in writing as concise and clear a piece as possible, without getting into the actual who said what, which is virtually impossible to sort, of the whole thing.
Frances's habit of writing truly awful things anonymously, derailing a conversation, stoking considerable emotional distress, and then running away while deleting their initial comment is just revolting. And indicative of the type of behaviour that led to the wholesale exit of staff and board.
She has told them that she will have him charged with being a racist and get him fired from his paying job, if he says anything publicly.