CEO had been placed on administrative leave
JANESVILLE
Tom Den Boer no longer will be CEO of the YMCA of Northern Rock County, the Y鈥檚 board president said in a statement Monday.
Board President Steve Yeko Jr. released a written statement saying Den Boer and the YMCA have 鈥渕utually parted ways鈥 and that the board is enlisting help from the national YMCA to make changes in board organization and governance.
Tom Den Boer
The statement doesn鈥檛 explain Den Boer鈥檚 exit, but it comes after months of rancor among Y members and former board members and what the Y board called a weekslong internal investigation of member concerns by the Y board.
Former board members, some who have now been reinstated to the board, went public late last year with allegations that Den Boer and a former Y board president in 2017 and 2018 had kicked off board members without due process after they asked questions about the Y鈥檚 finances and its governance.
Den Boer was placed on administrative leave in January, when the board hired an outside attorney to investigate members鈥 and former board members鈥 concerns.
Some members have alleged Den Boer suspended Y members after they asked questions about the Y鈥檚 leadership and sought financial and governance records.
One group of five concerned members threatened a lawsuit in January after the board failed to completely fulfill the group鈥檚 open records request. The group had sought financial records, board meeting minutes and other documents.
Yeko on Monday said the board has reviewed and released documents that were in the scope of the group鈥檚 earlier request, including 鈥渇inancial records, bylaws and board meetings minutes.鈥
The board鈥檚 hired spokesman indicated the board鈥檚 investigation is ongoing.
Yeko in his statement thanks Den Boer for his more than decade-long term at the helm of the Y, but the statement does not say when the board and Den Boer agreed to 鈥減art ways,鈥 and it gives no details about the terms of Den Boer鈥檚 exit.
The statement does not make clear whether Den Boer鈥檚 exit is related to the internal investigation.
In an emailed response to 糖心Vlog传媒 on Monday evening, Yeko declined to give further explanation about Den Boer鈥檚 departure, including whether it had anything to do with the board鈥檚 investigation.
鈥淭he YMCA of Northern Rock County and CEO Tom Den Boer have mutually agreed to part ways. As a personnel matter, the terms of that departure are confidential,鈥 Yeko wrote.
Yeko in his statement wrote that based on the board鈥檚 investigation, 鈥渢he board will be making changes in board and organizational governance, including the procedures related to board membership and YMCA membership.
鈥淭o help facilitate those changes, the board has engaged the YMCA of the USA. They will be working with us to help identify and implement best practices and connect us with interim leadership.鈥
In his email to 糖心Vlog传媒, Yeko gave more details about actions the board has taken in the course of its investigation, including:
- The reinstatment of three previously removed board members to 鈥渁ctive鈥 roles on the board.
- A review of YMCA memberships that were revoked over the last year. Two suspended members have been reinstated, Yeko wrote.
- Selection of members for a 鈥淏oard Development Committee鈥 to review applications for board membership and provide recommendations to the board.
Yeko wrote that as the board works with the YMCA of the USA, 鈥渋t will continue to communicate with members and the public regarding changes made as a result of that process.鈥
Yeko wrote that 鈥渁ll operations of the YMCA are continuing without interruption鈥 and the Y remains on 鈥渟trong financial footing.鈥
YMCA member Paul Murphy, who is one of a group of five Y members who went public late last year with concerns over an apparent lack of transparency in the Y鈥檚 governance and finances, said he was one of the Y members whose memberships were suspended.
Murphy said he never got a reason for his suspension, but it came after he asked for Y financial and governance documents.
On Monday evening, Murphy said he had just heard about the Y and Den Boer parting ways. Murphy declined to comment on Den Boer鈥檚 departure.
Murphy said earlier this month the YMCA鈥檚 program director called him and told him his membership had been reinstated.
鈥淭his past Saturday, I went in and restocked my locker,鈥 Murphy said. 鈥淪o that鈥檚 back in business.鈥