Just when I thought the sanctuary was starting to make progress, the board of directors decided to stick their collective noses into the director’s business, causing employee disruptions and assignment confusion.
The board apparently met yesterday and voted to demote the director to manager, yet giving her a pay raise at the same time. Yep, you read that right, a demotion with a pay raise! Sadly, the director found out this demotion after lunch today —the board did not even have the decency to let her know of their demotion plans in advance. On top of it all, the board reduced her responsibilities, with the intention of running the facility themselves. Keep in mind, one board member lives in Florida and cannot help the sanctuary (except over the phone and via email) and the other two board members apparently have no business, management, or human resources experience! So a vet tech and a court reporter plan to run the sanctuary?? Are you kidding me?
I learned the board informed the director (manager—what ever) that the senior animal caretakers are now completely in control of the unregulated, non-inspected property. I guess this means they will fix the TCEQ waste issues? I guess this means they will finish the perimeter fence? Yeah, right!
The board member who is trying to grab power wants her husband, the former sanctuary truck driver, to continue working in the office as a non-paid Chief Financial Officer (yeah right!), despite having absolutely no background in finance, what’s-so-ever (don’t get me started on this again!).
Instead of being a benefit to the organization, this non-paid CFO is turning out to be just like the previous directors when it comes to integrity and honesty—disastrous and costly! This week, I learned the sanctuary received the results of the Department of Transportation inspection, and lo and behold, the former sanctuary truck driver, failed to keep accurate animal transportation records resulting in several thousand dollars worth of fines! On top of that, this person, technically a volunteer, is taking home a WAO truck at night without the permission of the director (manager…whatever). This is outrageous. Every time the DIRECTOR tries to have this person removed from the sanctuary, she is met with resistance from the board—despite the allegations made above! Where is the positive change?? The board continues to operate inappropriately – where’s the board’s honesty, integrity, and responsibility?
It is my opinion the board truly has no idea what is happening at the sanctuary. During the day the DIRECTOR has to content with disgruntled employees (upset their former buddy is now their boss who is enforcing policies and procedures), clueless board members, and angry family members (hoping she will fail at saving the animals—nice, real nice). At night, she goes through year’s worth of files, trying to track down all the missing money, writing newsletters and correspondence to outside agencies, and updating the web site.
It seems to me the meddling board is more concerned with listening to office gossip instead focusing on fund raising for the animals, improving animal care, and working hard to prepare the animals for the cold winter predicted this year.
The board is clearly not working with the DIRECTOR – it seems the board is more intent in making the DIRECTOR the scapegoat in the event things go horribly wrong.
I’ve worked hard to see the animals freed from the former pseudo-directors and it breaks my heart to learn the board learned absolutely nothing over the last few weeks. This clueless board needs to GO and they need to GO today!
[Present Day: Below is the Department of Transportation settlement agreement and the 2007 Trip Report.
US DOT WAO Settlement 2009
Trip Reports - 2007
What I found interesting was several WAO employees drove the WAO "Humane Train" transporter, moving animals from Mississippi to various cities/states at the start of 2007, then slowly Jamie Cryer took over tranporting animals responsibilities. Since the USDA/APHIS Animal Welfare Act regulations are very specific on transporting animals, one has to wonder wheether or not, Jamie Cryer adhered to the AWA regulation? Did he pull over every four hours and checked on the animals? Did he make sure that every animal had plenty of food or water for the duration of the trip?
DOT said no!
Also, why was Jamie Cryer listed as "contract labor" on the trip reports when he received a per diem (like other WAO employees) from the WAO? This contradicts the statement made in the DOT settlement agreement where Jamie was categorized as a WAO employee, not a contract worker.
Answer: If Jamie Cryer was truly a "contract worker" he would have been be fined by the DOT right along with the WAO. In my opinion, Cryer was an employee and the WAO undoubtedly did not want to list him as an employee in order to avoid paying employment taxes on his salary for the last several years. Plus, Jamie Cryer's employment at the WAO would have been a conflict of interest, as "wifey-poo" profited from her husbands "transportation activities." WAO board director, Michelle Cryer, would have had to list her husband's salary on the WAO's 990 for 2005-2009, right along with Ron Asvestas' salary info.
What a shameful scam!
The board apparently met yesterday and voted to demote the director to manager, yet giving her a pay raise at the same time. Yep, you read that right, a demotion with a pay raise! Sadly, the director found out this demotion after lunch today —the board did not even have the decency to let her know of their demotion plans in advance. On top of it all, the board reduced her responsibilities, with the intention of running the facility themselves. Keep in mind, one board member lives in Florida and cannot help the sanctuary (except over the phone and via email) and the other two board members apparently have no business, management, or human resources experience! So a vet tech and a court reporter plan to run the sanctuary?? Are you kidding me?
I learned the board informed the director (manager—what ever) that the senior animal caretakers are now completely in control of the unregulated, non-inspected property. I guess this means they will fix the TCEQ waste issues? I guess this means they will finish the perimeter fence? Yeah, right!
The board member who is trying to grab power wants her husband, the former sanctuary truck driver, to continue working in the office as a non-paid Chief Financial Officer (yeah right!), despite having absolutely no background in finance, what’s-so-ever (don’t get me started on this again!).
Instead of being a benefit to the organization, this non-paid CFO is turning out to be just like the previous directors when it comes to integrity and honesty—disastrous and costly! This week, I learned the sanctuary received the results of the Department of Transportation inspection, and lo and behold, the former sanctuary truck driver, failed to keep accurate animal transportation records resulting in several thousand dollars worth of fines! On top of that, this person, technically a volunteer, is taking home a WAO truck at night without the permission of the director (manager…whatever). This is outrageous. Every time the DIRECTOR tries to have this person removed from the sanctuary, she is met with resistance from the board—despite the allegations made above! Where is the positive change?? The board continues to operate inappropriately – where’s the board’s honesty, integrity, and responsibility?
It is my opinion the board truly has no idea what is happening at the sanctuary. During the day the DIRECTOR has to content with disgruntled employees (upset their former buddy is now their boss who is enforcing policies and procedures), clueless board members, and angry family members (hoping she will fail at saving the animals—nice, real nice). At night, she goes through year’s worth of files, trying to track down all the missing money, writing newsletters and correspondence to outside agencies, and updating the web site.
It seems to me the meddling board is more concerned with listening to office gossip instead focusing on fund raising for the animals, improving animal care, and working hard to prepare the animals for the cold winter predicted this year.
The board is clearly not working with the DIRECTOR – it seems the board is more intent in making the DIRECTOR the scapegoat in the event things go horribly wrong.
I’ve worked hard to see the animals freed from the former pseudo-directors and it breaks my heart to learn the board learned absolutely nothing over the last few weeks. This clueless board needs to GO and they need to GO today!
[Present Day: Below is the Department of Transportation settlement agreement and the 2007 Trip Report.
US DOT WAO Settlement 2009
Trip Reports - 2007
What I found interesting was several WAO employees drove the WAO "Humane Train" transporter, moving animals from Mississippi to various cities/states at the start of 2007, then slowly Jamie Cryer took over tranporting animals responsibilities. Since the USDA/APHIS Animal Welfare Act regulations are very specific on transporting animals, one has to wonder wheether or not, Jamie Cryer adhered to the AWA regulation? Did he pull over every four hours and checked on the animals? Did he make sure that every animal had plenty of food or water for the duration of the trip?
DOT said no!
Also, why was Jamie Cryer listed as "contract labor" on the trip reports when he received a per diem (like other WAO employees) from the WAO? This contradicts the statement made in the DOT settlement agreement where Jamie was categorized as a WAO employee, not a contract worker.
Answer: If Jamie Cryer was truly a "contract worker" he would have been be fined by the DOT right along with the WAO. In my opinion, Cryer was an employee and the WAO undoubtedly did not want to list him as an employee in order to avoid paying employment taxes on his salary for the last several years. Plus, Jamie Cryer's employment at the WAO would have been a conflict of interest, as "wifey-poo" profited from her husbands "transportation activities." WAO board director, Michelle Cryer, would have had to list her husband's salary on the WAO's 990 for 2005-2009, right along with Ron Asvestas' salary info.
What a shameful scam!
No comments:
Post a Comment