A total of 585 signatures have been collected calling for the immediate resignation of three board members who preside over the Clear Lake Animal Welfare Society. While the petition does not cite them by name, the three board members who are being asked to resign are Laurelee Roark, Leslie Wood and Marilyn Ferrante.
A primary concern that is being raised regards the treatment of CLAWS employees. Operational procedures and decision-making procedures are also being questioned.
CLAWS Program Director Lisa Pecchenino and her assistant, Veronica Morgan, contend that they have suffered harassment by members of the board who have been trying to pressure the two into quitting the organization.
“I definitely do feel I”m being harassed along with my staff, and that”s compounded because they pretend nothing is going on,” said Pecchenino. “It”s difficult because they flip-flop back and forth, pretending as if there is no problem at all.”
CLAWS President Laurelee Roarke said she does not understand where the issues are coming from. She went on to commend the contributions Pecchenino has made to the organization. “None of us want to do her job — we couldn”t do her job,” Roarke said. “She does so much.”
According to former board member Marta Williams, commending Pecchenino and Morgan ultimately led to her dismissal from the CLAWS board of directors. “I discovered there was a problem with CLAWS when I was commending Lisa on her work,” said Williams. “I truly believe that she and her assistant are incredible assets for CLAWS. I discovered that [the problems] when the board made several comments to me about not being happy with Lisa and Veronica and not being happy with staff on several occasions.”
Williams feels that she was voted off the board because of the support she had shown for staff. According to Williams, the action followed an item agendized as discussion of board commitment.
“I have never seen any proof that these people are not excellent employees. The board did not like that I was supporting staff over the board. They voted me off the board unanimously, all three of them,” she said. “And the reason was because I supported the staff and not the board. This staff is the most valuable asset CLAWS has.”
Williams further reported that soon after she had expressed her support for the staff, an emergency meeting was called for discussion of staff issues. She said that she was informed of the meeting only hours before it was called to order and that she had been out of town and was unable to attend. “Five hours before the meeting, I was told about it but I was out of town and couldn”t be there,” she explained. “It appears that at that meeting they revoked every motion that I had previously made about staff assignment.”
According to Roarke, Williams was dismissed from the board because, “We felt that she could not be at one with the board. The board speaks with one voice. And when we asked her directly if she could do that she said no,” Roarke explained.
Concern has been raised regarding the board”s ability to retain board members. Williams served about five months before she was dismissed. Janet Cammarata had spent about the same amount of time on the board as well, before she resigned.
Cammarata reported that the day after a letter to the editor ran in the Clear Lake Observer*American that she wrote expressing her disgust with the current administration of CLAWS that Roarke had called her. “She was appalled that I put something like that in the newspaper,” Cammarata said. “But I couldn”t even talk to her about it because she wouldn”t stop screaming at me.”
Cammarata said she had suffered treatment from the three board members similar to that received by Williams. “After I questioned the actions of the board I was verbally attacked by two members, which ultimately led to my resignation,” she said. “If the three core members don”t like it, they vote you off the board. I would have stayed if there hadn”t been so much stress on that board.”
When asked how the board will respond to the public”s request for immediate resignation of all current board members, Roarke said, “If we don”t have a board, we don”t have a CLAWS. The board would have to vote to remove ourselves and then we would have to vote to replace ourselves,” she said. “None of us are doing anything that isn”t in accordance with our bylaws.”
Both Williams and Cammarata reported that they would return on an interim basis in order to recruit new board members if the need arises.
CLAWS is a nonprofit organization designed to assist senior and low income residents with the cost of spaying and neutering their companion animals. Roarke invites anyone interested in contributing to the program to contact her through the CLAWS Thrift Shop at 994-9505.
Contact Denise Rockenstein at drockenstein@clearlakeobserver.com.
