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The offices of the Illinois Association of Minorities
in Government remained locked this week as new allegations of mismanagement
against Roy Williams Jr., executive director of the 1,400-member
organization and a Springfield community activist, surfaced. Williams, who was hired in 2005, and three members of
his staff were put on administrative leave and locked out of the IAMG
headquarters, 110 W. Edwards St. The offices will be closed through the end
of this week, according to a sign posted on the front door. Williams was informed last week that his contract
would not be renewed. Charges against Williams were previously outlined in
several e-mails exchanged by IAMG board members. At the top of the list of concerns is Williams’
personal use of an IAMG American Express credit card [See R.L. Nave,
“Advocacy on hold,” May 17]. The card was issued to former
board chairman Eddie J. Price Jr., who allowed the organization to continue
using the account while it was still in his name. Price says that he began
receiving calls from a collection agency and that his credit was ruined
when $5,200 in charges and interest went unpaid. During a board meeting on Feb. 10 — the day
U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, a former IAMG member, announced his candidacy for
the presidency — Williams was stripped of all financial duties.
Williams maintains that he always paid his personal expenses up until
February, when he relinquished his fiduciary responsibilities to Jennifer
Childress, IAMG’s treasurer, and he does not know why the remainder
of the bill was not paid until April. Board members raised other questions regarding
IAMG’s operations. In addition to misusing the credit card, they
allege that Williams hired a family member without board approval, failed
to properly document expenditures, failed to provide reports to IAMG
officials, and otherwise refused to cooperate with board members and other
IAMG officers.
Members of the board took exception to the hiring of
Williams’ niece as a temporary employee last winter. The IAMG paid
Michelle Williams $214.50 in December. Administrative assistant Rebecca Leatherwood says
that at the time, the office was understaffed, and Michelle Williams, who
was on winter break from college, helped mail important information
regarding the group’s annual conference, as well as
correspondence about sponsorships to vendors and state-agency directors.
However, IAMG’s bylaws require all cash
disbursements to be approved by two authorized signers. Roy Williams says
the board held several abbreviated meetings and that he did not have to
time to bring up the possibility of bringing Michelle in to help out around
the office.
“The IAMG must continue to operate, so I did
make decisions to keep things going,” he responded in early February
to board members who questioned to the move. Because cash flow was unable to cover payroll and
other expenses, including the American Express bill, Carol Watson, IAMG
board chairwoman, proposed in April to furlough staff and use volunteers to
run IAMG’s daily operations. To protect the employees, Williams
volunteered to take pay cut of $19,000, nearly a third of his $65,000
salary. The board approved the cut. On May 1, Watson submitted a letter of resignation to
her fellow board members, effective May 12, the final day of the annual
conference.
“It pangs me to know that the board continues
to support an Executive Director who has admitted to embezzling funds, and,
who refuses to pay restitution,” Watson’s letter states.
“I also find it to be counterproductive that a
lone board member continues to speak ill against anyone who exposes and
speaks against mismanagement of the organization’s limited
resources.”
That lone board member, Ray Coleman of Fairview
Heights, fears that such an indictment without evidence could open the
organization to a lawsuit. “We need to be careful with the words we
use,” says Coleman, who believes that board members violated the
organization’s bylaws and financial procedures in locking out
Williams and the staff. Coleman adds: “Can we say that the buck stops
with Roy when the board is supposed to provide oversight?”
Reached by phone Tuesday evening, Watson — who
took over as chairwoman of the organization earlier this year — told
a reporter, “I already spoke to [State
Journal-Register reporter] Bernie
Schoenberg. “When I’m ready to make another
statement, I’ll speak with Bernie.”
Contact R.L. Nave@illinoistimes.com
This article appears in May 17-23, 2007.
