Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Bye, Bye, Byrdie

Not surprisingly, the board of directors of The Domestic Violence Center has imploded under Bernie Bradleys leadership. According to this story by Larry Carson in The Sun the entire board “is resigning to make way for a new, county government-selected group of volunteers after several weeks of turmoil, its president said late Monday.”

“Bernie Bradley, the board president, said all but six board members resigned Friday, and she and the remaining five others plan to step down as soon as Tuesday if county officials can find enough volunteers to replace them.”

The questionable hiring in January of of Annie Burton as the new executive director of the non profit was apparently the last straw for county. The county provides a substantial portion of the groups funding and had grown increasingly frustrated with the boards leadership. Earlier Ken Ulman had frozen county funding for 2012 and ordered an audit of the organizations books.

Prior to being hired by the DVC Annie Burton had been barred from receiving federal grant money. She also has left a trail of lawsuits and judgments from her previous company, The Signature Group.

 “Annie Burton-Byrd said the trouble is the result of allegations stemming from a divorce she is seeking from her husband of nearly 20 years, Kevin Edward Byrd.”

Divorce can get nasty but that doesn’t seem make sense in this case. She was banned from receiving federal grants as a result of her former job as the director of an after school program in Baltimore. According to this story by Lindsey McPherson in The Columbia Flier, “Burton-Byrd used five AmeriCorps volunteers sent to help the after-school program to work at her rental management and tree-trimming business. The “misapplication of federal funds” cost taxpayers $30,634, according to Sandy Scott, senior communications advisor to the Corporation for National and Community Service, which oversees AmeriCorps and conducted the investigation.”

Her husband wasn’t the director of this program, she was. She was also the CEO of the companies in question.

Anyway, Larry Carson did not report as to whether Ms. Burton had resigned along with her board. If not, it would appear to be only a matter of time.

Update: Larry Carson has an update on the situation here.
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