After November’s by-law improvements, December ushered in a new board of 18 instead of 33 for NEON. This smaller board is exactly what the doctor, that is the Connecticut Association of Community Action, ordered.
“There’s just a few who have been on the board forever and never wanted it to change,” he said. “People disagree and that’s OK, but obviously if you had a 33-member board and you’re cutting it to 18, not everyone can stay on it, so there’s some hurt feelings.”
Those who were ousted challenged the move to eliminate their posts, saying that the agency’s poorest, inner-city clients would lose representation.
Many of the ousted members were vocal critics of the board’s leadership and voiced concerns shared by the ad hoc Save Our Social Services group, which filed a complaint in August with the Department of Social Services, accusing Mann and chairman Carvin Hilliard of mismanaging the South Norwalk nonprofit agency.
Jean Hill said she was outraged by how she and other board members were relieved of their duties.
“I was the one who made the motion to table this and wait until we had a special meeting,” said Hill, who said she was not notified when the special meeting was scheduled. But the Rev. Janet Hodge, the board’s vice chairwoman, said the meeting was properly noticed with a mailing.
“I don’t care, because I’m walking out the door, but I think it’s a travesty to the people of South Norwalk. To blatantly alleviate these people is ridiculous,” Hill said. “I’m appalled, but I wish you all well.”
The move to whittle down the board was supported by the Connecticut Association for Community Action, the agency charged with oversight of NEON.
Edith Karsky, the agency’s executive director, said in October that NEON has “the exact type of unmanageable board” that her group has been encouraging its agencies to avoid.
Unmanageable is an understatement. Reading Alexendra Fenwick’s article you get these sends that obstruction, inaction and complaining, were the main focus of some of the departing board members.
“I am chairman of this meeting,” Hilliard said to Tatum.
“So?” she challenged him.
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“So, you’re out of order,” said Hilliard as the room dissolved into a shouting match between those who defended Tatum and others who made a successful motion to declare her out of order.
Each group tried to talk over each other - and over themselves.
“John, shut up,” Tatum said to fellow departing board member John Mosby, who repeated, “She is not out of order!”
Later, a disagreement erupted over the minutes chronicling NEON’s special November meeting, prompting a 20-minute debate.
The new board members are:
Republican Common Councilman Douglas Hempstead
Republican Common Councilman Rick McQuaid
State Sen. Bob Duff, D-Norwalk
State Rep. Joe Mioli, D-Westport
Board of Education member Greg Burnett
Second Taxing District Commissioner Maria Borges-Lopez
Roodner Court Human Relations Commission member Daisy Franklin
Colonial Village representative Berdella White
South Norwalk representative Valeria Lyons
Roodner Court representative Diedra Davis;
Central Norwalk representative James Hayes
Democratic Common Councilman Carvin Hilliard, chairman
Herb Grant of DMG and Associates LLC
David Washington of Staffing Opportunities Solutions Inc.
Tracey Golden of Deloitte and Touche
Rev. Janet Hodge, vice chairwoman and pastor of United Methodist Church
Sherelle Harris of the School Readiness Council and South Norwalk Library
Fire Commissioner Mike Coffey
ex-officio member Joseph Mann, executive director.
source: The Advocate, NEON heads to new year with board of smaller size, By Alexandra Fenwick, December 17 2007
