Metiva began the chamber’s first meeting since five of the seven directors resigned by reading a statement she previously released to the media. In it she said she resolved previous credit card charges with the past president and did not have an opportunity to address the current board’s concerns about her expenditures. She looks forward to an audit and the opportunity to explain any matters in question.
Metiva requested administrative leave in order to best serve the audit process, she said, and will remain fully available to auditor. She did not want to make any other statement now and concluded by saying it was a privilege serving the chamber for the last five years.
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After Metiva read her statement, Chas St. George, one of the two board members remaining, read his own statement at Tuesday’s meeting. He said he came on after the board had already made discoveries about Metiva’s expenditures and advocated for a third-party audit from the beginning. The chamber deserves a complete and unbiased assessment about its well-being, he said. Because of doubts about his impartiality and in order to avoid any perception he would impede a fair investigation, he tendered his resignation effective immediately.
Quentin Algood, the last remaining board member at this point, said she was at a number of meetings where there were suggested and hinted and failed accusations, but she had never seen any indication the law was broken.
It’s clear a third-party audit needed to be done, she said, but the chamber needed a board of directors before any action could be taken. There is nothing in the by-laws about what to do in a situation like this, she said, but she is willing to do what the members want.
St. George said the chamber needed to move toward filling the board of directors because they are currently not in compliance with their by-laws. A membership quorum was possible at Tuesday’s meeting because there was at least 10 percent of the 328 members in attendance.
A motion was made and passed to call for an emergency election. Volunteers to serve on the board were called for, and six people stood up. There was then a motion introduced to have Algood appoint one new member, have those two appoint a third, the three appoint a fourth and so on until the board was full of seven directors.
Mike Gabel was the first volunteer to be appointed. He is the Wasilla branch manager for United Rentals and has served on the board in the past. Marcus Reum — the second appointee — works for Country Financial and was the vice chair of the Economic Enterprise committee for the chamber in 2008. He said he is friends with both the Metivas and the five directors who resigned, so members can judge his bias as they may.
Next came Wal-Mart employee Chris Abernathy. He said he moved to Wasilla from North Carolina just eight months ago, and he doesn’t know any of the parties involved. David Baker was appointed fourth. He works for Wells Fargo and said he has only been in the Valley for a year. The board then selected Rizz Arbelovsky, the owner of Nails Plus. Julie Busch, co-owner of Buschwacker Decoys and president of the Mat-Su Anglers Club, rounded out the now-complete board of seven directors.
The new directors will sit on the board only until new members are selected during the regularly scheduled election in November. The board has selected Abernathy as the new president.
The statement released Thursday also said the new board members are getting quotes for an independent third party audit. How the chamber will pay for the audit will be determined once the cost and time frame are pinned down, Abernathy said.
Assistant Director Lyn Carden has agreed to act as the interim executive director. She is on vacation until Wednesday, and the chamber office has been staffed by volunteers from the at-large membership.
“We are going to try and continue business as usual,” Abernathy said when asked if the scheduled events like the Silver Salmon Derby are going to happen this year.
The next board meeting is Monday at 5:15 p.m. at the chamber office in the Wasilla train depot. It is open to the membership.
While not present at Tuesday’s meeting, Marty Metiva released a statement of his own. He said the Wasilla chamber has been a recipient of the Polar Plunge fundraiser in the past. The check the chamber received from the Plunge was a donation to help the chamber with their budget shortfall and preceded any allegations about the executive director, he said. He concluded by saying he overreacted to the board’s decision to split the money between the non-profits the 2009 Plunge supported, taking their response personally rather than professionally.
Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or (907) 352-2252.
Comments
30 comment(s)2 comments wrote on Jun 9, 2009 4:19 PM:
#2 regardless of the shape they are in Cheryl should be required to hand over EVERYTHING she bought with Chamber money. Dresses, shoes, what ever and then it should all be donated to charity. After that how about pressing some charges and nailing her (blank) to the wall! I wonder how Ms. Metiva looks in orange? I guess it doesn't matter because I don't care! Let's get them before they skip town and we all know why WILL skip town. History repeats itself. "
Georgia wrote on Jun 5, 2009 11:38 PM:
Yes I am on my important husbands medical insurance...thank you for asking! Although that really had nothing to do with the comment "
Not shocked wrote on Jun 5, 2009 6:02 PM:
Oh Puleeeeze wrote on Jun 4, 2009 6:31 PM:
It sounds like you do need a massage since you are living as a martyr! Again people, you have no idea what has happened and we won't know until the audit has been done and questions answered. Oh and Georgia, I bet YOU have health insurance from your very important businessman! "
Georgia wrote on Jun 4, 2009 8:36 AM:
Small Towns wrote on Jun 4, 2009 8:07 AM:
to right hand gal not anymore wrote on Jun 2, 2009 9:25 AM:
2 for 1 wrote on May 31, 2009 10:21 PM:
Take our Community Back wrote on May 31, 2009 7:08 PM:
Right hand gal NOT ANY MORE wrote on May 31, 2009 5:00 PM:
Nancy wrote on May 31, 2009 4:12 PM:
None of us is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, even good people.
Why not wait until you have all the facts to make judgment? "
Smells bad wrote on May 31, 2009 8:32 AM:
No Money for Wasilla wrote on May 31, 2009 8:22 AM:
REAL DEAL wrote on May 30, 2009 6:29 PM:
Rizz is Metivas nail lady wrote on May 30, 2009 6:29 PM:
REAL DEAL wrote on May 29, 2009 9:54 PM:
Stop Them wrote on May 29, 2009 8:31 PM:
Newspaper Headline is misleading wrote on May 29, 2009 5:49 PM:
"New board puts Metiva on leave" is misleading.
Before the new board was selected Cheryl, on her own, had ***already*** requested administrative leave.
I trust the new board will get the chamber back on track and decide wether or not to retain Cheryl.
The chamber will survive and hopefully flourish.
It is very sad that Cheryl is being held accountable for Marty's action.
Today, women should be held accountable for their own actions and not be held liable for their husbands.
20 year WCC member. "
you call yourself fair wrote on May 29, 2009 2:38 PM:
SORRY let me guess is this Cheryl , Marty or Quinton Algood.....Gotcha "
you call yourself fair wrote on May 29, 2009 2:19 PM:
fair to whom? if you are as all knowing as you purport to be, you would know that the condos are being painted and that all of the name signs have been taken down. and, if you cared at all to be fair, you too will wait for the audit. "
Minding The Store wrote on May 29, 2009 2:18 PM:
I agree wrote on May 29, 2009 12:31 PM:
Moving on wrote on May 29, 2009 11:41 AM:
oh well wrote on May 29, 2009 11:23 AM:
In all fairness wrote on May 29, 2009 10:43 AM:
My guess is the Metiva's will have skipped town by that point, though. I drove by their house and their name plate sign has been taken down and there are boxes sitting outside. My bet is they're looking for the next unsuspecting town to prey on. I only hope that those future organizations do better background checks on these crooks. "
Tom wrote on May 29, 2009 10:15 AM:
what a ripoff wrote on May 29, 2009 8:44 AM:
Of course he did not disclosed to Polar Plunge sponsors and donors that the Chamber would be receiving a portion of the event proceeds prior to their participation Answer this one did Cheryl tell the chamber members she was riping them off. I also want to say the 100.000 the chamber recieved , why did the first check out of that go to Cheryl, for like 10,000 or was it 12,000. What a stinking rip. Lets pay her more. "
what a ripoff wrote on May 29, 2009 8:10 AM:
Another audit needed wrote on May 29, 2009 7:35 AM:
However, I am concerned about his statement that the Wasilla Chamber "has been a recipient of the Polar Plunge fundraiser in the past." Was it disclosed to the Polar Plunge sponsors and donors that the Chamber would be receiving a portion of the event proceeds prior to their participation? Was the Chamber board made aware of those past contributions when they were received?
I'd appreciate an answer if anyone knows. "
Whatever you say Marty.. wrote on May 28, 2009 9:14 PM: