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All activities of the Illinois Association of
Minorities in Government are suspended and the future of executive director
Roy Williams is in doubt as IAMG board members seek answers to questions
about the organization’s finances.
During the IAMG’s annual conference, held in
Springfield last week, the organization’s eight-member board voted to
put Williams on a 45-day paid administrative leave and suspend three of his
staff members for 12 days. In question is the use of an IAMG American Express
credit card, which Williams uses for both personal and businesses purposes.
Williams says he pays personal expenses charged to the credit card. In February the board took away Williams’
fiduciary responsibilities, handing them over to the organization’s
treasurer, Jennifer Childress, who, Williams says, eventually paid the full
credit card bill with IAMG funds, giving the appearance of impropriety on
Williams’ part. Childress hung up on a reporter who called her
Wednesday morning to get her response; a subsequent call went unreturned. Williams, who was already on medical leave but
continued working to prepare for the group’s annual conference, is
confident that he will be vindicated but says that he is worried about his
staff. “I’m not scared to lose this job, because
I’m a fighter. I will stay true to the mission and the
members,” says Williams, also a well-known Springfield activist and
community organizer. Office manager Rebecca Leatherwood believes that
board members made poor financial decisions, including spending money on
retreats — and now they’re looking for someone to blame. “I think this whole situation has affected the
organization’s credibility,” she says. “How can we
advocate for employees when we’re advocating for our own jobs?”
After the conclusion of the IAMG’s annual
conference, held in Springfield last week, Williams and three staff members
returned to their offices, at 110 W. Edwards St., to find a locksmith
changing the locks on the front door. Williams says he asked the locksmith
to leave, but when they reported to work on Monday morning the locks had
been changed. Board member and membership chairman Ray Coleman
stands with Williams, calling the actions of fellow board members
“unfair, unfounded, and detrimental to the future of our
organization. “Roy is very popular among the members,”
Coleman says, “but the reason he’s popular is because
he’s been a very effective advocate for the members.”
In the meantime, Williams says, the IAMG’s
day-to-day operations, including the processing of discrimination
complaints and recently awarded college scholarships, are on hold. Williams, Coleman, Leatherwood, and other office
staff are preparing to take legal action against board members for
allegedly violating state labor law, as well as the bylaws of the
association, a 501(c)(5) organization, the designation given to unions and
other lobbying organizations.
Contact R.L. Nave at rnave@illinoistimes.com
This article appears in May 10-16, 2007.
