Pacifica is in broken shape, in at least two separate pieces: The Executive Directorship is allocated to 2 people by at least 2 groups. One is Summer Reese, [ a long time PNB chair and member, and she was contractually hired after many months working as interim ED ] and the other is Bernard Duncan, former KPFK general manager [ who claimed to be going to NZ to be with his girlfriend and he left his KPFK position months before his contract was up.]
Reposted here are excerpts from the updates of the turmoils that has also almost broken open the PNB national board group[s] into fighting factions are here:
"….with unclear lines of authority and dueling national offices (one set up on the 2nd floor inside of KPFA).
Siegel and Yee partner Alan Yee appeared solely representing disputed board chair Margy Wilkinson. Yee's employee Jose Luis Fuentes is the author of the motion to fire Reese. The Pacifica Foundation and the 11 remaining defendants had no legal representation. …
A procedural requirement to individually serve 12 defendants in 5 different cities (including one with no established place of residence) was virtually impossible in the abbreviated time frame between the filing on April 3rd and the hearing on the morning of April 9th.
The judge indicated an inclination to grant the requested injunction and set out an expedited schedule to get the matter back into the courtroom as soon as possible…to May….
A Board member Lydia Brazon, one of the defendants, engaged in private correspondence with former CFO Raul Salvador, who was let go on January 2, 2014. Only 4 days after the board decision, Brazon assured Salvador on January 6th he would be re-hired, doing so prior to the election of new board members. [t]Here is Brazon's email of January 6th, 2014….
Oakland law firm Siegel and Yee attempted on March 28th to route Pacifica's payroll processing through their office, asking Pacifica's payroll administration company to contact "their office" for instructions. The law firm's attempt to take over Pacifica's internal operations was rejected by the vendor, which forwarded the correspondence to national office staff at 1925 Berkeley Way….
Dan Siegel represented the Pacifica Foundation in the mid-2000's during multiple employee sexual harassment complaints against KPFK manager Eva Georgia. Siegel represented both Pacifica itself and Georgia personally in the two suits, one by news reporter Mollie Paige, and after settling both,, ascended to the interim executive director position.
He then negotiated Georgia's generous severance package with his former client. His firm Siegel and Yee, then billed Pacifica for several hundred thousand in legal fees. It is expected the entire mess cost listener-sponsors in excess of 0,000….
Siegel then did a repeat turn as corporate counsel/interim executive director in 2007-2008, and in March of 2008, fired national election supervisor Casey Peters and named himself as his replacement, thus filling all 3 positions simultaneously.
In 2009, Siegel ran for the local KPFA board and testified against Pacifica under oath that former CFO Hicks was victimized by racist attitudes resulting in a 0,000 settlement. Siegel resigned from the Pacifica board on January 9, 2014 to run for the mayor of Oakland. He is currently polling at 6%, according to a late February poll…..
Houston station KPFT's license expired in August of 2013. WBAI's license expires in June of 2014…”
[end of excerpts]
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All us locals in Los Angeles have to question KPFK directly : about how their just recently exited general manager, Duncan, just left his duties there to then be placed in an apparent attempt at a much higher status position - as ‘Pacifica Exe Director’, or maybe as interim one - and placed there by a group that claimed authority,
And the small majority rules ? – only 12 of 22 PNB member group - suddenly determined that Summer Reese was no longer employed – even if she was hired in a January 2014 legal contract ?
Did Duncan know all that he was going to achieve when he chose to leave KPFK in the lurch and exit the scene – for promised higher status and more money position at Pacifica ?
And who did he tell at KPFK or in Los Angeles, where everyone else assumed he was being loyal to his station and position there?
Or who else knew ? [this info emerging is a surprised even to some of those who non-officially continue to be involved and concerned about KPFK’s existence, Integrity and continuance.
Who knew or helped him leave early ? or with a lame excuse before he left – his not saying that he was going to try to move up and up and up the ladder, or is he working to do so ?
What secret collusions and doings were going on in hiding while the ever longer pledge drive was driving KPFK listeners away with the lengthy and boring fund raising that went on 24 hours for 27 days....supposedly then under the new interim GM from KPFA ?
Was the interim GM from KPFA Berkeley in on the plans ? so Duncan could move 'ahead' to greater fame and power and money ?
Were the local staff informed ? And did they take any actions? Could they help or hinder Duncan in his moves ?
Were the LSB members of KPFK informed ?
or did they agree to any of what then transpired to their station's GM manager?
Strange stories will surely be exposed someday, hopefully soon enough to ask for all the pledged monies back however it may be gotten. An explanation and revelation of what has been apparently in the works for a while, or could spontaneous restructuring of all Pacifica ‘just happen’ by spontaneous combustion with no incendiaries ?
https://www.facebook.com/notes/tracy-rosenberg/a-longer-o...
Original: Pacifica Exe Director position is in confusion still putting KPFK at risk