Concordance board in talks with Blair
Ousted founder says she was offered marginalized post
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

Long B

LONG BRANCH - - Talks are ongoing between the board of the Long Branch Concordance and Terri S. Blair, but the future role of the nonprofit's founder remains unclear.

In an interview last week, Blair said the board has offered her a "very marginalized and strictly restricted position just to say they offered something."

On Nov. 4, Blair was asked by the board to step down as executive director, a position she held since the group's inception in March 2004.

"There is an ongoing discussion that keeps changing," said board member and spokeswoman JoAnn Abraham recently.

"We are deciding on what position to offer Terri, whether volunteer or paid.

"It will not be strictly volunteer and not strictly salaried," she continued. "It will be for her to remain with the [LBC] as a contractor, similar to what she was as executive director, but with different responsibilities."

Blair, who has an extensive background in social services, has said her removal came as a surprise and with little explanation.

When Blair heard of her removal, she said she was given "absolutely no reason for it" and added, "It was absolutely not of my choice."

At the time, several stakeholders in the Concordance objected to the removal of Blair, whom they credited with building consensus among the various partners in the LBC.

In December, the board proposed that Blair act as a consultant for the LBC for a period of six months at a rate of $450 a month, according to Blair.

"I am not signing this particular contract because embedded in it are so many limitations," Blair said. "The terminology in the contract did not permit me to fulfill my responsibility to the Concordance.

"I would be open to a contract that is staying true to the mission [of the LBC]," she added.

Abraham said Blair's removal was appropriate.

"The board acted as the board should act," Abraham said. "The responsibility of the board is to carefully watch," she said, adding, "We have a moral and legal duty as a board.

"Terri has wonderful skills as a person who can bring people together and identify needs," she said, "and those skills were essential in developing the Concordance."

But Blair fell short in fulfilling the role of executive director of an ever-growing group, according to Abraham.

"It became clear that she does not have the management or financial skill-set necessary to manage a larger organization," Abraham said, adding, "That is what the [LBC] is becoming."

The board will be filling the post of executive director as soon as next month, according to Abraham.

"We are in the midst of interviewing now," Abraham said.

"We would love to have someone on the staff by the middle of January. That is the goal."

Abraham said the board had interviewed five people for the position and was in the process of selecting candidates for second interviews.

The names of the interviewees are not being released.

The board released a statement

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saying Blair "as a visionary, played an invaluable role in the creation of the organization."

The statement continued, "It became clear to the board and others associated with the organization that the growth of the organization necessitated that the directorship of the organization demanded a different skill-set from those of the founding director.

"Thanks to many factors, the organization has matured to the point that it needs a professional leader.

"Ms. Blair was asked to relinquish her stewardship and to assume a different role with the LBC. Discussions began then, and continue now, as to the nature and specifics of that role."

The LBC is a nonprofit agency consisting of other agencies and groups that provide outreach to the community.

The Concordance acts as a clearinghouse to assist Monmouth County residents to obtain referrals and resources for health care, housing needs, at-risk youth, rent and utilities, job development, language skills and domestic violence.

When the LBC earned its status as a 501(c)3 nonprofit in July 2005, the Concordance established a board of trustees to oversee its operation.

LBC board members, in addition to Abraham, a local business owner, include Golam Mathbor, board president and associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Services at Monmouth University; the Rev. Julius Adekunle, board secretary and associate pastor at the First Baptist Church in Long Branch; Robert Scott, associate professor at Monmouth University; Jerome Scriptunas, of Monmouth Cares, and Joseph Garipoli, Long Branch Rotary Club.

The LBC most recently was awarded a $175,000 Family Supportive Center Initiative grant from the Department of Children and Families.

The group has also received approximately $168,000 in funding from July 1 to date, according to Abraham.

Abraham said as the LBC started growing, Blair had told the board that she loved social work, but was not strong in the management part of running the nonprofit.

"Many of the board members, myself included, spent hours with Terri to mentor her to grow the skills so she could continue with the organization in the executive role," Abraham said.

"[Terri's] heart is much more in the social services area," she said.

When the LBC started, the executive director post was a volunteer position, Abraham explained, adding that although Blair did not receive a salary, she did receive reimbursement payments for expenses associated with the LBC.

Kim Praitano, a former LBC board member, replaced Blair in early November and will serve as acting director until the board hires a full-time employee to fill the role.

The new executive director will be a paid position, according to Abraham.

"[Removing Blair] was a very difficult decision for the board," Abraham said. "The board really admires Terri and what she has done with the [LBC].

"She can not stay in the executive role because she does not have the skill-set, but she is so terrific in social services that we would like to see her remain involved," Abraham said.