Ladies, Check Your Watches!

It’s time for the LHCC Board to get ready for the October 2007 election, and that means creating a Nominating Committee.

At the April 23rd board meeting, LHCC President Wayne Poyer informed the rest of the board that Tom Wallace, his wife Dot Wallace, and Harriet Smith have declined to serve. Perhaps they are embarrassed by their campaigning in the October 2006 election of directors. Or perhaps they are embarrassed at the members-be-damned attitude of Noel O’Brien, one of the directors they worked so hard to elect. Maybe this members-be-damned attitude contributed to Noel O’Brien and 4 other directors being named defendants in a recent lawsuit by Lake Holiday homeowner Bill Masters. Into the vacuum of no one willing to serve on the Nominating Committee, Chris Allison recommended Claire Akeley, Barbara Blake, and Sue Fuerst. Chris Allison must think that Sue Fuerst’s hate-filled personal attacks mocking the handicapped have a place in Lake Holiday politics. Each board member individually, the institution itself, and those that joined Sue Fuerst to help elect certain board members are tarnished by their failures to immediately condemn Sue Fuerst and her brand of hate-speak.

But the name that really stands out from Chris Allison’s recommendations is that of LHCC employee LeeAnn Stevens.

As an LHCC employee, LeeAnn Stevens is certainly in a good position to observe and evaluate the behavior of board members, including Chris Allison.

In the following audio clips, LeeAnn describes a lack of information flow among LHCC board members, particularly one of its female members, Margie Hoffman.

But you know what, [LHCC Director] Margie [Hoffman] asks me questions. [LHCC Director] Chris Anderson asks me questions. Now, I tell them. They are…they’re not told anything.

Why are board members asking an LHCC office employee to explain board business to them? According to LeeAnn Stevens, board members are kept in the dark – “not told anything.” But do the board members themselves ask questions? Do they complain in public meetings about their need for more information? We’ve yet to see any such complaints in hours of video of LHCC board meetings. Complaints to an LHCC office employee don’t count.

LeeAnn Stevens zeros in on one source of the information problem among LHCC directors: Chris Allison’s low regard for women. LeeAnn Stevens explains how some board members learn about board issues, and how the information they receive is limited, delayed, and controlled.

They find out about it after the fact. And that’s the whole thing with Margie [Hoffman]. She’s, like, well, how did this come about? I’m like, you tell me, I wasn’t at the board meeting. She says “that wasn’t discussed….” And I’m like, well, Margie, talk to the rest of the people on the board. But you know what? Chris [Allison] has a real problem with women. We don’t have brains. Our opinions don’t matter. He’s not going to give her the time of day.

If that’s not clear enough, LeeAnn Stevens succinctly sums up her view of LHCC director Chris Allison:

I don’t know how he interacts with people. I mean, I know he’s not a real people person. I told [LHCC counsel Jim] Kearney if you’re going to put him on the stand, you’d better get him drunk first.

Her suggestion to LHCC counsel Jim Kearney to get Chris Allison drunk before testifying is just one LHCC insider’s view of what Chris Allison is: a liability.

At the May 21st board meeting, Wayne Poyer remarked that LeeAnn Stevens had informed the board that she did not want to be on the 2007 nominating committee.

Given LeeAnn Steven’s characterization of Chris Allison’s view of women, why did Chris Allison only recommend women for the nominating committee?

Ladies, check your watches! Elections are not that far off!

How informative did you find this post (1=lowest, 10=highest) ?

Loading...