Under fire for alleged fiscal mismanagement, Lawrence
Dark resigned this evening as president and chief executive
of the Urban League of Portland, Willamette Week has learned.
His resignation, which takes effect Oct. 1, was announced
by Duane Bosworth, the League's board chair, just days
after the League lost more than 40 percent its funding.
"He felt it was the best thing for the community," Bosworth
said, when pressed on Darkšs resignation. Dark, who became
president in 1995, was unavailable for comment.
His resignation comes after weeks of intense pressure
on the League.
Allegations of financial mismanagement surfaced early
this month after Multnomah County personnel performed
a financial assessment of the Northeast Portland agency
in late August. County personnel cited scores of examples
of shoddy accounting and fiscal management practices.
County Chairwoman Beverly Stein issued a blistering memo
Sept. 9, calling on the League to get its financial house
in order or risk losing county funding,
a
story that WW broke Sept. 10.
On Sept. 24, Stein announced she was cutting off $1.1
million to the League. That evening, John Ball, president
of worksystems inc., set in motion a contract termination
that, effective Oct. 24, will strip the League of another
$500,000.
One source familiar with the League's situation told WW
that money may be missing from the League.
The source said they did not consider the missing money
to be a criminal matter. "Based on everything we know,
there is no evidence of misuse of funds," Bosworth said.
The League's financial instability has placed many League
employees in fear of losing their jobs. On Sept. 27, League
employees reported to work and openly asked if they were
still employed. Dark was not in town to address their
concerns.
In recent weeks, the League has made efforts to shore
up its financial system. The non-profit Volunteers of
America has agreed to manage the agency's finances, while
an audit of the League's management systems is being performed
by Portland State University. Gary McGee, an outside accountant
who specializes in non-profit accounting, has been hired
to audit the League's financial records, according to
Bosworth.
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Willamette Week | originally
published September 30,
1999
