Post by title1parent on Oct 18, 2009 6:47:02 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=329584&src=76
SciTech parts ways with directors
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 10/18/09
A slowdown in corporate donations triggered by the troubled economy has forced Aurora's SciTech Hands-on Museum to part ways with both its executive and assistant directors.
Executive Director Shawn Carlson and Assistant Director David Alexander were released Wednesday night. Both had submitted letters of resignation Sept. 30 but pulled them back before the museum's board met.
Organic chemist and former board President David James immediately was seated as interim director and said he will volunteer in that role "as long as it takes" for the organization to get back on its feet and hire a full-time leader.
James said he is familiar with the role, having stepped in when Ronen Mir, the previous director, took a sabbatical in 2006 and again when Mir resigned in 2007.
"We typically bring in about $500,000 through the front door and in grants but that money's just not there anymore," James said Friday. "The economy has really hurt us and lots of our corporate donors have pulled back. Since I have zero salary, it helps a lot."
Board member John Duggan said the reasons for the termination were mostly financial but said the directors also had vastly different visions for how to save the museum at 18 W. Benton St.
Carlson and Alexander believed the city should deed the facility to the museum to use as collateral for investment loans.
Duggan said the board disagreed.
"Why would we exercise a lease option and put us in a situation that was not sustainable when the city already leases us the building for $1 a year?" Duggan asked. "If we can't sustain the operation with no rent factor, how could we sustain with a mortgage that we couldn't repay?"
The museum also has been receiving about $100,000 a year in grant money from the city, but that is likely to be decreased significantly as the city prepares to balance a $19 million deficit budget.
"Due to the budget situation, it is not possible for the city to fund all the programs and grants equal to 2009 funding levels," said Assistant Chief of Staff Carie Anne Ergo. "Mayor Weisner recognizes SciTech's value to downtown Aurora and in the community. He is committed to continued support of SciTech at a reduced funding level."
Carlson said Alexander voluntarily halved his pay while Carlson deferred his entire check during the summer.
"I believe it's important for a leader to make a leading gesture before you ask your employees to make the same sacrifices," he said.
Even that was not enough.
"We handed them our resignations to shock them into seeing just how serious the financial situation was and to force them to take the action they promised to take," Carlson said. "Each of the 16 members pledged to raise $5,000 and that would have helped (reduce) our debt enough to save SciTech. Needless to say, we got no significant donations."
The resignations were withdrawn to allow the men to collect unemployment benefits.
Despite the debt, which has forced the museum to reduce all 20 of its staff members to part-time or volunteer status, James said he is confident SciTech is ready to thrive.
"We're still in business so we'll be OK as soon as we get over this little hump here," he said. "I have lots of ideas on things we can do, including getting back to the core competency of what SciTech does right, like field trips and sleepovers that we've gotten away from in recent years."
In the meantime, plans for the proposed $5 million, 5,000-square-foot John C. Dunham Planetarium have been put on hold, maybe permanently. It would be the second-largest such facility in the state behind Chicago's Adler Planetarium.
Alexander once said he believed the money could be raised and the project built by 2011 after an initial matching grant of $750,000 from the Dunham Fund.
"The planetarium is looking less and less feasible as it gets harder for us to match that grant," Duggan said. "I doubt the Dunhams have run out of money but we don't expect them to hold that grant open for us forever."
James was slightly more optimistic.
"All we need is a few million dollars so maybe one of our congressman or senators can get us some money," he said. "You never know, but I don't think it's dead."
SciTech parts ways with directors
By Justin Kmitch | Daily Herald 10/18/09
A slowdown in corporate donations triggered by the troubled economy has forced Aurora's SciTech Hands-on Museum to part ways with both its executive and assistant directors.
Executive Director Shawn Carlson and Assistant Director David Alexander were released Wednesday night. Both had submitted letters of resignation Sept. 30 but pulled them back before the museum's board met.
Organic chemist and former board President David James immediately was seated as interim director and said he will volunteer in that role "as long as it takes" for the organization to get back on its feet and hire a full-time leader.
James said he is familiar with the role, having stepped in when Ronen Mir, the previous director, took a sabbatical in 2006 and again when Mir resigned in 2007.
"We typically bring in about $500,000 through the front door and in grants but that money's just not there anymore," James said Friday. "The economy has really hurt us and lots of our corporate donors have pulled back. Since I have zero salary, it helps a lot."
Board member John Duggan said the reasons for the termination were mostly financial but said the directors also had vastly different visions for how to save the museum at 18 W. Benton St.
Carlson and Alexander believed the city should deed the facility to the museum to use as collateral for investment loans.
Duggan said the board disagreed.
"Why would we exercise a lease option and put us in a situation that was not sustainable when the city already leases us the building for $1 a year?" Duggan asked. "If we can't sustain the operation with no rent factor, how could we sustain with a mortgage that we couldn't repay?"
The museum also has been receiving about $100,000 a year in grant money from the city, but that is likely to be decreased significantly as the city prepares to balance a $19 million deficit budget.
"Due to the budget situation, it is not possible for the city to fund all the programs and grants equal to 2009 funding levels," said Assistant Chief of Staff Carie Anne Ergo. "Mayor Weisner recognizes SciTech's value to downtown Aurora and in the community. He is committed to continued support of SciTech at a reduced funding level."
Carlson said Alexander voluntarily halved his pay while Carlson deferred his entire check during the summer.
"I believe it's important for a leader to make a leading gesture before you ask your employees to make the same sacrifices," he said.
Even that was not enough.
"We handed them our resignations to shock them into seeing just how serious the financial situation was and to force them to take the action they promised to take," Carlson said. "Each of the 16 members pledged to raise $5,000 and that would have helped (reduce) our debt enough to save SciTech. Needless to say, we got no significant donations."
The resignations were withdrawn to allow the men to collect unemployment benefits.
Despite the debt, which has forced the museum to reduce all 20 of its staff members to part-time or volunteer status, James said he is confident SciTech is ready to thrive.
"We're still in business so we'll be OK as soon as we get over this little hump here," he said. "I have lots of ideas on things we can do, including getting back to the core competency of what SciTech does right, like field trips and sleepovers that we've gotten away from in recent years."
In the meantime, plans for the proposed $5 million, 5,000-square-foot John C. Dunham Planetarium have been put on hold, maybe permanently. It would be the second-largest such facility in the state behind Chicago's Adler Planetarium.
Alexander once said he believed the money could be raised and the project built by 2011 after an initial matching grant of $750,000 from the Dunham Fund.
"The planetarium is looking less and less feasible as it gets harder for us to match that grant," Duggan said. "I doubt the Dunhams have run out of money but we don't expect them to hold that grant open for us forever."
James was slightly more optimistic.
"All we need is a few million dollars so maybe one of our congressman or senators can get us some money," he said. "You never know, but I don't think it's dead."