Looks like you can’t keep a poor CEO down.
Former HSI director Martha Boden, who left a legacy of low morale, crippled finances and frustration in the humane community when she was finally relieved of her duties in 2008, has resurfaced at SPCA Tampa Bay in Pinellas County, Florida. And the story there is a tragic repeat of what took place in Indianapolis.
Thanks to David Horth, a courageous HSI board member who took the time to listen and evaluate complaints about Boden’s administration from the people closest to the issue — former volunteers and employees — Boden was removed from the $106,000 a year position in June of 2008. This closed the darkest and most painful chapter in animal welfare history in Indianapolis.
Horth cared about the impact of Boden’s policies on the animals and people of the community, and worked diligently to convince other, uniformed members of the board to listen. He declined to reveal the amount of Boden’s severance package, saying only, “You wouldn’t want to know.”
Remember when
To understand what’s now happening at SPCA Tampa Bay, one needs a short refresher course on how things developed during Boden’s regime at HSI.
Boden’s first action upon arriving in Indianapolis was to charm the HSI board and secure not only the CEO position, but also a contract at $100K-plus per year. Then she endeared herself to community leaders, the media and the staff. There was hope that the agency, still reeling from a credit card scandal involving the previous CEO, would reorient itself in more healthy direction.
There was a new website with “Love Awaits”. And oh yes, before coming to Indy, Boden adopted a little poodle, Izzy, who Boden declared would be good for photo ops. That image is still used today.
Then it began. Long-time and dedicated community volunteers like Darcie Kurtz, Michelle Pritchett and too many others to name, who made sure every dog was exercised daily, assured clean kennels, toys and bedding for the animals at the end of the day, were told to leave. Experienced and long-time staff members were escorted from the property, some to sheriff’s cars. Leslie F, the exotic animal care giver (who didn’t have a car at the time and had just adopted a hamster), was told to leave the property and was denied a carrying case for the animal.
Caring volunteers and employees were denied the joy and fulfillment of providing comfort, affection and enrichment for the animals they loved. Good peoples’ lives were turned upside down.
Doors were closed to strays and an unpopular appointment-only surrender policy was instituted. This assured kennel space to accommodate the transfer of out of county (and out of state) easy to adopt puppies and small dogs while hundreds were killed at the municipal facility. Death by displacement.
More adoptable animals were priced higher, as if their life was more valuable than another’s.
This was only the beginning of a dark period of scandal and obfuscation. For more egregious practices, visit move to ACT and click on “Promoting open disclosure of the Humane Society of Indianapolis”.
Here she is, and history repeats itself
Sadly, the SPCA Tampa Bay of Pinellas County, Florida is experiencing a rerun of what happened at HSI. The reports are not good.
How did Boden begin in Florida? She charmed herself to the board of directors, endeared herself to community leaders, the media and the staff. A long-time volunteer, now banished, shared this:
“She is now CEO at SPCA Tampa Bay and the shelter is now facing the same issues; appointment-only policy so now more dogs are being brought to animal services, allowing Martha to bring in the more desirable dogs from other shelters (i.e. puppies and small breed dogs).
“When Martha came on board, we were so excited. We really thought she was going to make a difference….. Boy, were we wrong. Slowly and methodically she started dismantling the programs that benefited the dogs.… At the time we didn’t realize how badly she drove her previous shelter into the ground.
“She fired the 20-year behaviorist for someone with no experience who earned her degree through an online correspondence course, and the dogs are not passing their evaluations and are being (killed) at an alarming rate. Volunteers have left in droves, most leaving on their own while others are being asked to leave as soon as they started asking questions about the welfare of the dogs. 18 managers on payroll.…. The Board is ineffective. They will not speak with us and they continue to let this shelter get driven further into the ground. There is not even a veterinarian on the board any longer. Quite a few of the Board members left when they did not like the direction the shelter was going.”
This volunteer states that Boden claims the dismissed staff was experiencing “compassion fatigue” and the volunteers are “disgruntled”. This is the same claim she used in Indianapolis.
Trying to expose the truth
According to a Facebook posting at SPCA Tampa Bay Behind the Kennel Doors one of Boden’s first actions was to have “consultants” come down from Indianapolis. Reportedly they came to rewire the IT network in the building. Travel/ lodging/vacation on the donor’s dime?
When Boden was “cleaning house” at HSI, it was no surprise to many that she knew staff members’ personal business that was conducted via email and/or phone communication from the building. Apparently, Big Sister was watching.
So why wasn’t the IT rewiring at SPCA Tampa Bay done by local contractors?
In their search for a new CEO, the SPCA Tampa Bay board of directors did not do their homework. If they had, they could have avoided the dis-ease that has been brought to the once vibrant and healthy SPCA Tampa Bay and the animal welfare community. Even sadder is the fact that the board is defending her. Initially, the HSI board did the same.
The SPCA Tampa Bay directors refuse to own this tragedy, it must fall at their doorstep. Some members of many nonprofits are board-hoppers seeking to build their resumes and either don’t realize or care about the damage their blind allegiance and/or inaction endorses.
The question is, is there a caring board member, a “David Horth”, on the SPCA Tampa Bay board willing to step up and take responsible action? Until one appears, the once hopeful Pinellas County animal welfare community will continue to be punished, corporate funders will continue to pull back, and the agency will continue to deteriorate.
And the animals will continue to suffer.
Is anyone listening?
You’ll find a heart-wrenching first-hand description of the conditions at SPCA Tampa Bay in these volunteers’ statements before the County Commissioners here.
SPCA Tampa Bay board president Marilyn Hulsey posted a statement (which sounds suspiciously as if it was worded by Boden) denying volunteer allegations and stating that “The Board fully investigates each concern as it is brought to our attention”.
When asked about this, an ousted SPCA Tampa Bay volunteer responded, “They haven’t communicated with us, no. They have responded to emails sent through the link, but all requests for meeting with them have been denied.”
A link on the SPCA board of directors’ page of the website
says “To reach the SPCA Tampa Bay Board of Directors with compliments, suggestions or concerns, please click here to send an email.” One has to wonder whether that link goes directly to Boden’s email box, as it did when she was at HSI.
Follow the real story at SPCA Tampa Bay Behind the Kennel Doors
mtA will be following this closely. We will keep you informed.