BY TISHA BOULTER
In response to the Nov. 27 “Community Services responds to criticism” piece by Jennifer Lannan and Rob Wiltzen, I am one of the directors who resigned from the Island Community Services (ICS) board in July.
The “for the record” paragraph in their piece ironically has incorrect assumptions that I would like to address. It states, “For the record, the ‘issues’ originated with a director who resigned immediately following a bylaw revision proposal regarding conflict of interest, and who has since carried on a campaign to malign the agency and its leadership.”
To clarify, the four directors’ resignations in July had nothing to do with any of the four proposed bylaw changes and it is misleading to draw attention to the unrelated timing of resignations and the bylaw change proposal. There are also false allegations of involvement and intent regarding a “campaign” stated here, regardless of which director they may be referring to.
I personally have some very serious concerns about my time on the ICS board with the governance/operations culture, and am still reflecting on the pathway of my advocacy.
Island Community Services is an incredibly vital organization that offers critical programs, services and housing. The agency is fortunate to have many hardworking, caring and dedicated staff that carry out enriching supportive services to often our most vulnerable population.
During my time on the ICS board, I learned more about the great work that is being done in this society that operates multiple diverse and enriching programs. I also learned about systemic challenges within governance that have concerned me. I witnessed an ingrained culture where the operations of the agency manage the board of governance. I worked very hard to effect change in this area to support professionalism, accountability and responsibility to the public interest in my role as the vice-chair of ICS. Ultimately, the unprofessional and inappropriate influence of operations on the governance work of the board was why I resigned.
Since I resigned, I’ve witnessed the community appropriately expressing concerns about ICS, including but not limited to barriers ICS has created for people to access the organization as a director and/or member since the bylaw changes made on July 24, 2024. I applaud folks for caring to be involved in the agency.
Many have reached out to tell me I’m “brave” to be willing to speak up and call-in good process (with my quotes in the story in the Oct. 16 issue of the Driftwood). I wish for all to feel safe to share their concerns without feeling fear of being threatened or not being believed. There are many truths still yet to be heard.