The board of Fairchild is meeting tomorrow in response to a request by members to amend the Garden By-Laws to provide for term limits for trustees and officers. Most have served for more than a decade and are unaware of the turmoil marring the Garden. The turmoil did not start with the firing of the dynamic founder of the Fairchild Environmental Challenge; a program that garnered national attention. In my opinion, a few trustees-- representing large corporate interests including FPL and Big Agriculture who are also donors to the Garden-- wanted closer control of the educational program that was gaining considerable exposure. Equity, fairness and balance in educating children on the environment does not always play well where long term profits are at stake. Think about it: of the 50,000 children served by the Fairchild Challenge, a certain percentage would later choose to be professionally involved in the environment. Let's say you are a donor, giving a pledging a gift over 10, 20, or 30 years: don't you think you would want to be sure that Garden programs did not foster opposition to his or her long term goals? It is possible that some trustees have not paid attention to the Garden or its controversies and are surprised by the opposition that has been galvanized by Garden management. Last Saturday, protest signs calling for term limits greeted attendees of the Garden's annual Gala. The Garden annual meeting when term limits for trustees might be considered is scheduled for early March.
10 comments:
The sooner Bruce Greer & co. are removed from their positions on the Board, the sooner the Garden might be restored to its original mission.
This fiasco has got to have Bruce Greer running for cover. I don't think he has any idea how fed up people are with him. He needs to do the right thing and just step down as president of the board so the garden can get back on track as a botanical garden and not an art show that it has turned out to be.
Why is there such a fuss over term limits at Fairchild? It seems very reasonable to me that this type of organization would have them in place. If they don't somebody is asleep at the wheel.
There comes a time when those in power become so wrapped up in themselves and their own agendas that they feel that they can say anything, do anything and get away with anything. Bruce Greer’s vengeful, unfair treatment of Caroline Lewis shows this advanced stage of a dictatorship that needs to end. Term limits are needed for just this reason. Fairchild is not a private club, it is a public garden! Over the last twelve years Bruce Almighty has dismantled our botanical garden right under the trustees’ noses. With no department directors, no collection curators and a dwindling research department, he now positions himself as the only one who can see the future and lead the garden. It is time to wake up the membership and vote for change…..Greer must go!!
Very well spoken Anonymous above, I was trying to figure out how to word my feelings but you hit it right on the point. Thanks
Bruce Greer must go.
Bruce Greer is systemically dismanteling Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden. He does not want a garden of plants. He wants a social events platform on a Gables/Pincerest level where elitist can mingle and big money can show themselves off. You can forget about the Fairchild we used to know.
What happened to a love of plants? And education?
What member's meeting in March? There is nothing on their calendar. March is not even one week away.
The March 6th board meeting has been postponed/cancelled. No other date has been communicated. The board members are in avoidance mode. They've never, ever been held accountable.
Greer must go as well as his messenger boy, Lou Risi.
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