4-19-19 arc fdl board of directors defends executive director

The Arc of Fond du Lac Board of directors is defending the organization’s executive director amid accusations by a former employee and former board member of wrongful  terminations, retaliation, and misappropriation of  funds donated to the organization.  Former director of the Arc Community Enrichment Program, Brian Shaver, alleges he was fired last month after he raised questions about funds that he says Arc director David Boelter moved into different  “folders” to make it look like there was new revenue coming in.   Boelter says that’s simply not true.  Boelter and former Arc board member Pam Jandura appeared Wednesday on AM 1170 WFDL’s Between the Lines program.  Jandura says she was told she was being removed from the board because of her friendship with Shaver and because she had given Shaver confidential board information, which she denies.  “There are more than a few people that are believing this story that Brian Shaver has put out on social media, and people are afraid to come forward to support him to tell their own stories because they’re afraid of losing their job,”  Jandura said.  Boelter  says  The Arc has received the highest possible audit rating of its finances for each of the past ten years.  “Ever since I’ve run The Arc I’ve insisted, although we don’t have to, that we have a complete audit by an outside professional accounting firm.  Every year in my leadership The Arc Fond du Lac has attained the very highest audit rating for what we we’ve done with our finances,”  Boelter said.  Jandura says she still has concerns about how the money is recorded and dispersed.  “The discrepencies on the financial statements are not those that an auditor would find.  What was being done was money was being put into folders other than the committee for which they were directed.  Why was that done?  I don’t know, but directors can’t manage what they can’t measure.”    Boelter says donations or fundraising money is recorded as revenue the day it is received and later dispersed to departments.  “I discussed this with the audit team to clarify that this was the correct way to record these.  David Boelter has subscribed to this protocol since I’ve been associated The Arc’s finances going back five years.  In fact I was the one who initiated it.”    Jandura says she describes the working environment at The Arc as “toxic.”   “Many, many people have come forward to tell me their stories of working in a toxic environment where it’s full of gossip, it’s full of staff meetings where the f-word is thrown about, that for any other employee would mean instant termination,”  Jandura said.  Boelter says a recent employee survey paints a much different picture of the work atmosphere.  “We do an employee survey every other year because we want to be up to date on what employees think of our organization.  Ninety-two percent of our employees would recommend The Arc as a good place to work for their friends or neighbors.  Eighty-two percent are behind and support The Arc leadership.”   The Arc board of directors this week issued a statement in support of Boelter.  The statement says “The Board of Directors wants to set the record straight concerning our esteemed executive director.  David has served the Arc of Fond du Lac the past ten years as a true professional in every sense of the word.  He is the heart and core of our mission and organization.  He does not deserve these malicious lies and aspersions directed at him by a few people led by a disgruntled employee.”   Boelter announced at the organization’s annual meeting earlier this year that he will be retiring this summer.

Related Posts

Loading...