Financial problems hinted at Wasilla chamber; audit likely

WASILLA — Five of the seven members of the Greater Wasilla Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors resigned Wednesday due to ethical complaints about the executive director.

In a written statement, former chamber President Cheryl Combs said she resigned due to “significant trepidation on (her) part regarding the future of GWCC.”

Since she was elected as president, Combs said, and with the help of other board members, they have “discovered that GWCC funds may have been inappropriately spent by the executive director (Cheryl Metiva) on expenditures that were not previously authorized by the (board).”

Combs added that these expenditures have contributed to the financial shortfall of the chamber, as was previously reported by the Frontiersman.

Furthermore, Combs said, “We have also discovered that the executive director may have allocated GWCC funds to pay for unauthorized personal activities that do not appear to have been reimbursed to the GWCC to date.”

In Combs’ opinion, Metiva, and other chamber members, challenged the board’s authority in its goal to benefit all members and limited its ability to function.

“No volunteer serving on the (board) should be subject to this threatening influence,” Combs said.

She concluded her statement by recommending the new board conduct an outside audit of all the chamber’s financial transactions and make this information available “to the membership and any appropriate authority.”

Asked why she resigned, Susan Crowder said things were happening in the management of the chamber that did not match her values. In particular, she points to a recent incident in which the chamber received a check for just more than $1,000 from the Valley Polar Plunge, an event designed to raise money for local non-profits and organized by Marty Metiva, Cheryl Metiva’s husband.

The board typically does not see any money from the Polar Plunge, and there were no instructions about how to distribute it.

“Since we are having a hard time meeting payroll, people would think (Marty Metiva) gave money from the Polar Plunge to help his wife make payroll,” said Crowder. “We did not want any part of that.”

In an executive session, the board voted to split the money between the non-profit groups supported by the Polar Plunge, Crowder said.

“People donate to have their money dispersed to the charitable entities,” Crowder said. “We felt the money needed to go to those charitable entities.”

When Marty Metiva found out the money left the chamber for the charities, he called the board members to demand his money back.

In the voicemail Marty Metiva left on Crowder’s phone, he said, “I understand the chamber did not want the money and felt that it is tainted. (…) Since you don’t want the money, and you didn’t use the money as directed, I demand the check back. If the money is not returned (…) it will not be very nice for the chamber board of directors.”

“The executive director’s husband should not be threatening board members,” Crowder said.

Jeremy Hongslo also felt the call he received from Marty Metiva was somewhat threatening and inappropriate, but that was not the pivotal factor in his resignation. As the chamber’s treasurer, he had concerns over where money was spent.

“I see certain trends in spending that I’m not comfortable with,” Hongslo said. “I don’t believe all of the expenditures were serving the membership. (…) I don’t want to be specific, but I think an audit would be very eye-opening.”

Former board member Erika Bills also didn’t want to go into specifics.

“I wasn’t comfortable about what was happening financially,” said Erika Bills, assistant vice president of business development at Northrim Bank. “I served my time, I’m a good community citizen. Sometimes you just have to walk away.”

Before the board could take any action at the director’s meeting Wednesday, Marty Metiva informed them that any vote would be invalid according to the chamber’s bylaws, Crowder said. According to the bylaws, the board is required to have seven voting members. When the past president stays on the board, they are not a voting member but act as a transitioning piece, said Crowder. Bills served as president last year — the second of her three-year term. This year, she stayed on in dual capacity as past president and board member.

“(Marty Metiva) told us right up front we did not have enough board members. Anything we did would be thrown out anyway,” Crowder said. “This put us in a lose-lose situation.”

Discouraged, Combs, Crowder, Hongslo, Bills and John Boyt resigned their positions as directors. This left Quentin Algood and Chas St. George as the only board members.

“I’m sure the new board will have a formal and complete statement,” said Algood. “I have no information that would be meaningful at this point. As soon as I have a better understanding of the new shape of the world as I know it, there will be a statement.”

St. George, appointed as a replacement after Robert Burnett left, said in his short time on the board, he has always advocated for an external audit. However, the board needs five members to take any action, he said.

This is an extraordinary circumstance, and usually there are more people making the decision, St. George said, but now it is up to him and Algood to appoint the new directors from the membership at large. He hopes they will appoint former board members to cut down on any training time.

“We need to act quickly and deliberately in order to form a board so that we’re in compliance with our bylaws,” St. George said. “Then we will vote to move forward with a third-party audit.”

Asked why he decided to stay on as a director, St. George said he was not involved with the discoveries of the other five members. He applauded their efforts in trying to make the organization sustainable. The four of the five he has spoken with still have faith in the chamber, and it is now his and Algood’s job to keep the organization going.

“I do strongly believe in the chamber, and I’m still a proud member,” said Hongslo. “I just think we need an audit.”

Efforts to reach Cheryl and Marty Metiva were unsuccessful by late afternoon Thursday.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.