Confessions of a Whistle Blower (Part 3 of 3)

A special Executive Committee meeting was called; a committee comprised of four long time members who had hired the ED (three of whom I trusted, one I couldn't), and three newer members (one level headed individual who observed everything and said little, one who thought the ED walked on water, and one who can only be described as a loose cannon on a power trip).  The board member who directed us to write the first memo, didn't even bother to show.  But the one who had approached me the week before was present and accounted for.  He was a Board officer, as were the other two members I knew I could trust.  Two days after collecting our reports, the three of them met with the ED and gave him the opportunity to come clean.  He had been hiding many important things from the board, things they needed to know.  The outcome of that meeting resulted in the need for the Executive Committee meeting on New Year's Eve.
There were three staff not involved in our report to the officers.  They had not been heard, and the ED's supporters insisted they have their chance.  Those three worked in remote offices, and two of them were cut from the same fabric as the ED (do as little as possible, for as much money as you can get).  I was constantly at odds with them, as neither of them believed in the core value of accountability; and everything I do revolves around accountability.  One by one, the three were called into the "executive session" and questioned by the members, and the ED.  Three hours later, myself and the remaining staff were summoned.  Expecting this to be our chance to address the members in person, we all went in ready to state our case. 
First we were informed the ED had resigned.  Then, we were advised by the ED's supporters just how close we all had come to being fired.  The three of them wanted to keep the ED and fire all of us.  Thankfully, reasonable minds prevailed.  With that attack on us deflected, the three reprimanded each of us for our handling of the situation, and for not following the 'grievance procedure.'   We pointed out no written procedure existed, and we had originally acted on the advise of a board member, who unfortunately, was not present.  The stone faced three were not amused and reminded us that firing the staff was still a viable option as they tried to take over the meeting.
A half an hour later, I walked out of that meeting feeling very dazed and confused, like I had the wind knocked out of me.  Like we had done something wrong.  What is so wrong with being passionate about your work and the organization you work for?  What is so wrong with believing in the mission of the organization and wanting to be part of the fulfillment of it's purpose?  What is so wrong about wanting to do what is right?  Moments later, the three officers took me aside, thanked me for sticking it out for so long and apologized for their lack of leadership over the years.  Recruiting and selecting the next ED, they assured me, would not be taken so lightly as in the past.  They had learned a valuable lesson, and I believed them.
There is a human side to everything that happened two years ago, and my involvment took it's toll on me.  I lost over twenty pounds in three weeks, not to mention numerous hours of sleep as I struggled with my conscience.  A conscience burdened with the guilt that I was stabbing a very sick man in the back.  Months before, the ED had been diagnosed with cancer.  He had no family in the area, he wasn't from this region...he considered us his family.  We encouraged him to leave and be with his family, but no one else would hire him, so he stayed.  And became an unbearable burden to us.  But in business, one can not let personal feelings cloud professional judgement.  Too many business ventures have failed for that very reason.
As for the three who supported the ED, they are now gone.  The loose cannon was asked to step down from the Board, and the other two retired.  And the two staff members who emulated the ED's work ethic?  Gone, as well.  One couldn't handle the new ED's accountibility practices and quit, and the other 'worked' herself out of a job.
It took time, but the Board did find and hire the right person.  And what a difference...talk about night and day.  While it has taken the better part of the past two years for the new ED and I to clean up the mess left by the prior ED, the organization is recovering and is back on track.  So much so, that we are currently in the process of constructing a $2.5 million office building in one of our communities to bring over 40 jobs into the region.  These are not burger flipping, "do you want fries with that" jobs.  They are high tech, $40,000+ per year jobs being brought into a region where the average income is $21,700 per year.  We are helping a local company bring its jobs back to Idaho.  Several years ago, the company outgrew it's first facility in Idaho and was forced to move operations to a facility in Washington.  Now they have outgrown the Washington facility, and we are building a new facility in Idaho designed specifically to meet their growing needs.  We are going out on a limb to bring these jobs back, we are fulfilling our mission...doing the very thing the organization was created to do.

Sometimes, you have to go out on a limb in order to get the fruit.