The Miami Herald reports again on the turmoil at Fairchild Garden. The well-rehearsed spin by Bruce Greer, Fairchild president for life and Gene Stearns tries and fails to dress up mismanagement and the disheartened morale among employees at the Garden. In the Herald, Stearns claims, "There is no dispute at Fairchild, except for a handful of people who are very vindictive and want to hurt Fairchild. And they have no support." An unprecedented internal memo last week by Bruce Greer's close aide, Nanette Zapata, asked trustees to be at their polished best: "Please wear either business attire or your dark green Fairchild polos."
In Garden officers are afflicted by anxiety how their own mismanagement, including micromanaging bizarre personnel decisions by the president for life, triggered a revolt of long-time and distinguished members, including volunteers whose service to the Garden has been honored in the past. They reacted like corporate directors of a public company protecting against a shareholder revolt. Trustees are mostly scared witless of the attention and afraid of being ostracized for peeping up. Recent board meetings have been organized like military drills.
Like any corporate officers under shareholder revolt, Stearns and Greer took measures to ensure by-laws cannot be accessed by members. Not only did they change the rules to thwart members in advance of the annual meeting, they also scheduled that meeting for today, Monday morning, at 8 AM, in the middle of rush hour traffic to ensure a scripted outcome claiming victory because of light attendance. They cannot control public opinion. What is really unprecedented is how much awkward embarrassment and tarnished reputation Fairchild has brought on itself. Thanks to the wide distribution of this blog, anyone interested can recall what happened. It is not vindictive to present the facts. It is called, history. Click on the tag, "Fairchild", for more.
19 comments:
This last Herald article was the epitomy of lameness. No mention of changing the by-laws, moving the members meeting to a Monday, sending out proxies without the card announcing the meeting, this rumor of a different ballot for those attending with term limits candidates on it...Buried the article inside the local section the day of the scheduled meeting...Here was a chance for the newspaper to truly notify the public of the blatant dirty tricks and they chose to avoid any awkwardness for a regular advertiser. The Garden will lose members for sure but then that is the idea, I think, get rid of the riff raff so Bruce can have his way without any opposition. A sad day for a "PUBLIC GARDEN." Shame on all those who run it and support it....
Stearns comments in the Herald were mean and vindictive. He should not serve as the spokesman for the garden. His comments just fan the flames. I hope this attitude is not reflective of the management.
I understand there are many Members who never received a proxy and are, just today, learning of the vote which is already over....
The whole thing is a farce! Fairchild will not be receiving another penny of my money.
Fairchild has been a huge success under the current board. The effort to change the board is just a pathetic attempt to get disgruntled ex-employee Caroline Lewis her job back. Caroline needs to let it go and move on with her life.
Hi, Mr. Stearns! I mean, "Pamela."
The meeting must be over by now. Could someone please give us an update as to what happened? I am anxious to hear!
Yes, please, if any reader was there, we need an update.
L- Let's just say that Carolyn and her little band of cackling supporters took a big "L" today. It was great!
Having a mother that has volunteered at the Garden for almost 20 yrs. I have followed this issue since the beginning. I'm still not sure how the board got away with what they did. Is it not illegal to change the by-laws in the middle of a member supported proposed amendment change when the members clearly had this right ? If the board can change the rules as they go why even have by-laws? I have researched how many times the board has changed the by-laws since the 1930's and it appears this has been a historical move, previous changes being insignificant. I agree with previous poster, why was not at least on the front page of the Local section of The Miami Herald. I hope they were not influenced by the Gardens heavy advertising budget because this would be a sad day in paradise. I'm embarrassed by the boards behavior.
Another example of big money and shady politics to get your way! This town is full of this type of behavior. Wake-up bloggers, It does not matter whats right anymore.
I'm glad to see that the anti-Fairchild side lost. Maybe they will now pool their money together to give Caroline a job. After all, that's what this tempest in a teapot was all about.
Ah, so now those who are trying to protect the garden are labeled as anti-Fairchild. Welcome to "Through the Looking Glass"
The "tempest" is about the growing sense of unease, disgust, and disillusionment that many have with the flagrant changes being made to the Garden and its mission without any input from those who actually own it: i.e., its members.
The dismissal of the most popular Garden staff person, with vague allusions to racist remarks, was just the last in a series of changes that have downplayed horticulture, scholarship, and staff autonomy. All power, decisions, and direction now come from the micromanaging president and board officers to further their personal agendas.
This is a huge change in the Garden's mission and historical purpose, all done without public discussion.
Why didn't we hear any complaints about the board or it's direction before Caroline Lewis was removed from her supervisory position? It's because the complaints were manufactured to retaliate and orchestrate Caroline's return. The argument that Fairchild is too successful and shouldn't be a tourist attraction is just plain stupid. I am so pleased the anti-Fairchild group lost. Good riddance.
Um..."Why didn't we hear any complaints about the board before Caroline was removed?"
It's obvious that YOU don't WORK there (or else, you're Bruce or Nannette or someone in disguise).
Greer is a dictator, plain and simple. The Garden (run basically single-handedly by Greer, with the consent of his cronies on the Board) is all about ONE THING: MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. But not in a "good" way, like money for education, research, plants, etc.
It's about money for building a playground for elite socialites, so that egomaniac millionaire Bruce Wayne "Batman" Greer can rub elbows with Thurston B. Howell, III; his former law partner (and for a time, ESM scandal co-defendant) Stearns; and his myriad other rich and powerful playmates.
Morale has been in the toilet at Fairchild for freakin' YEARS -- for a host of reasons. And that toilet is in Bruce's executive bathroom. And the walls are papered with Chihuly dollar bills. And the floor is littered with the crushed souls of Fairchild employees who have ever dared to question their dictator.
But, hey -- I'm glad you enjoy the "Garden!"
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden held board elections and reported `explosive growth' in its finances
BY CARLI TEPROFF
cteproff@MiamiHerald.com
Despite a few questions about board elections and the recent firing of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's education director, the annual meeting of the Coral Gables attraction went off without a hitch Monday.
About 100 garden members attended the meeting Monday afternoon at the garden, 10901 Old Cutler Rd. The meeting updated members about Fairchild's finances and announced the election results of the Fairchild board.
``We have had explosive growth,'' said garden treasurer Lou Risi, citing a bank account of $27 million.
The strong financial results helped temper the critics of the garden, who've been upset over the recent termination of Education Director Caroline Lewis, the founder of The Fairchild Challenge. The challenge has gained national and international stature.
Four newcomers ran for board positions. Several people questioned the electoral process, as the board slate sent to members via proxy did not include the newcomer nominations. Fairchild management said the newcomers could have sent their own proxy and noted the newcomer candidates were on the ballot that members voted on Monday morning.
``I feel it was not a sound process,'' said Danielle Strickman, who has been a member for seven years. ``I just feel the management isn't listening to us.''
The board elections -- one-third of the 39 member seats were up for election -- ended with the incumbents receiving far more votes than the slate of newcomers. Most of the incumbents received more than 3,000 votes each, while the newcomers received fewer than 50 votes each.
``The vote says it all,'' said Eugene Stearns, the garden's attorney.
Read more:
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/23/1542437/fairchild-conducts-meeting-elections.html#ixzz0j285fj3U
What "says it all" is that attorneys playing dirty pool with Garden Members money can pull off such injustices. Garden management prohibited members access to the membership list, a right they clearly outlined in the by-laws. Consequently there was no means of communication for the newcomer candidates and incumbents had a hefty bank account to promote themselves for re-election. By-law changes adopted Feb. 25, 2010 by a nervous board fearing disastrous results of a grass-roots effort prohibited members from calling for a special meeting and proposing amendments to the by-laws. The board also initially disqualified the 4 newcomer candidates when they turned in their nominations with the required 25 member supported signatures. Days later and after the proxy ballots were mailed out they changed their minds and allowed the newcomers to be voted on in-person at the Mon. 8:00AM annual meeting. Anybody can win a war when you have the power to change the rules on engagement.
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/03/23/1542437/fairchild-conducts-meeting-elections.html#ixzz0j2ebJkhZ
caroline overplayed her hand. she should have just taken the deal and got kicked upstairs. talk about getting schooled. ouch.
This has nothing to do with Caroline Lewis. This issue is about bringing healthy changes to the board of trustees for Fairchild.
Correction: not all of the "write in candidates" for the Fairchild Board of Trustees were "newcomers". Pancoast, has served as a Trustee as have her mother, Barbara Fairchild Muller, father-in-law Russell T. Pancoast and husband Lester Collins Pancoast.
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