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Engaging in
Nepotism
by Michael
Bluejay
Engaging in
Nepotism
by Michael
Bluejay
Eduardo Vera is the chair of KOOP's
Community Board, which elects the Board of Trustees. (See
How KOOP
is Organized.) Eduardo's board
elected his wife, Teresa Taylor, to the Board of Trustees. Teresa is
in fact the chair of the Board of Trustees -- the President of KOOP
Radio.
Did Eduardo, Teresa, or the rest of the board see a conflict of interest there? No. And this questionable arrangement has only served to increase the suspicions and mistrust held by much of the volunteer membership. Eduardo is one of the board's two primary apologists, and seems to "speak for the board" at station meetings, although he's not a member of the Board of Trustees. The Board also supports Eduardo completely, even when Eduardo himself is under fire. Another programmer filed a grievance with the board after Eduardo used hostile language toward him. Not surprisingly, the board declined to take any action against Eduardo. (Read about that incident.)
In another instance, the Community Board, on which Paul Odekirk sits, elected Paul's domestic partner Tony Truong to the Programming Committee.
Demonstrating just how out of touch with the concept of conflict of interest that the board and their cohorts are, at the July stationwide meeting, Paul Odekirk defended nepotism, stating that it doesn't matter if one person on a board voted to elect a spouse or partner to another board, because it takes a whole board to elect somebody. And when the original criticism about nepotism was made at the meeting, Eduardo responded only with "That's not nepotism," offering no elaboration. (If that's not nepotism, then what pray tell IS?) It is disappointing that Paul, Eduardo, and the Board of Trustees don't seem to have the slightest concern about conflict of interest.