Petition for the Resignation of Board Officers
Petition for the Resignation of Board Officers
The Issue
Petition for the Resignation or Removal of Board Members
To: The Members of Good Samaritan Ministries
Date: August 2026
Petition for Removal or Resignation of Certain Board Members
We, the undersigned members of Good Samaritan Ministries, respectfully submit this petition requesting the resignation or removal of the following board members from their positions:
Brian Keohane - President of the International Board of Directors
Jennifer Cameron - Vice President of the International Board of Directors
This request is based on serious and continuing concerns regarding conduct, governance, confidentiality, financial stewardship, strategic decision-making, and adherence to the organization's bylaws and responsibilities to its staff, clients, members, donors, and community, and failure to move within a prayerful and Holy-Spirit lead governance of the ministry.
Our purpose is not personal or punitive. We believe that board members have a responsibility to act in the best interests of the organization, protect its mission and resources, treat staff and stakeholders with respect, and follow the organization's governing documents and established decision-making processes. Effective nonprofit governance requires boards to protect organizational integrity, address concerns appropriately, and maintain a workplace in which employees can raise concerns without fear of retaliation.
Grounds for This Petition
1. Aggressive, intimidating, and inappropriate communication
Multiple complaints have been raised regarding communication by one of the identified board members that has been perceived as aggressive, intimidating, and/or harassing toward staff and other individuals associated with the organization.
Specifically, this refers to Brian Keohane, Chairman of the International Board of Directors, regarding the following displays of hostile or abusive communication tactics:
- Instances of using aggressive body language, such as slamming his fist on the table during meetings with staff who report feeling threatened and intimidated by the gesture.
- Raising his voice during interactions with GSM staff and fellow board members - particularly when concerns or objections are raised to his ideas - with the clear intention to intimidate those with opposing views points.
- Speaking in a demeaning fashion to staff members during board meetings, including consistently interrupting others, failing to create a respectful environment for constructive conversation.
- We also have a report from a Samaritan who witnessed this type of aggressive and hostile communication to a member of wait staff at a local food establishment. Brian was seen forcefully raising his voice and slamming his fist on the counter to a coffee server, showing no regard for his standing in the community as a Samaritan, let alone a leader in our ministry. His behavior in this instance is destructive to both our reputation and witness to our community and denotes a pattern of hostility.
The reported pattern has contributed to what staff have experienced as a hostile and unhealthy workplace environment. We believe that board members must model respectful, professional, and constructive conduct and must not use their positions of authority in a manner that intimidates, demeans, or discourages staff from expressing legitimate concerns.
2. Failure to adequately protect confidential information and organizational financial interests
There are serious concerns that confidential organizational information was disclosed to donors or other individuals who were not authorized to receive it.
Such disclosures may have exposed the organization to financial, reputational, or relationship-related harm. Board members are entrusted with sensitive information concerning the organization, its finances, donors, personnel, and operations, and should exercise appropriate confidentiality in carrying out their responsibilities.
- specifically there have been multiple reports from samaritan donors, satellite leaders, group leaders, and center directors, that Jennifer Cameron, Vice Chairman of the International Board, and [Redacted] (Chairman of the International Board's wife) have contacted them about sensitive and personal information of certain staff members, creating an unsafe work environment for the staff, and driving donors to threaten to discontinue funds. Personnel have a right to privacy, and a right to a safe and harassment-free workplace (OAR 839-005-0030(1)(b) ) These actions have exposed Good Samaritan Ministries to investigation and possible legal action in violation of the board member's fiduciary responsibility to protect the ministry from such exposure and to look to the well-being of the ministry.
3. Decisions regarding the local counseling center that disregard the organization's mission and those receiving services
There have been serious concerns regarding efforts and expressed intentions to close the organization's local counseling-center operation without adequate consideration of the people currently receiving services.
- specifically, the Board has expressed intention to separate the Headquarters from the Beaverton Office, and hoard all donors funds for the International HQ, leaving the Beaverton Center to fend for itself with rent and staff costs.
- Another idea being forcefully pushed by Jennifer Cameron is to dissolve the local Beaverton office in favor of offering counseling "from free offices from several local churches", which would effectively end the local ministry. Our local Beaverton center is the site of more than 3,000 mental health counseling appointments annually and serves nearly 250 people each year.
The counseling center exists to serve individuals and families who depend upon its services. Decisions concerning the continuation or closure of such an operation should be based on careful consideration of client needs, continuity of care, financial implications, community impact, available alternatives, and the organization's mission.
We believe that decisions of this magnitude should not be driven solely by the preferences of individual board members or made without a thorough assessment of their impact on those the organization exists to serve.
4. Failure to advance strategic planning and organizational growth
The organization has experienced delays in strategic planning and moving forward with growth initiatives because of a failure to approve or advance proposed plans.
Board members have a responsibility to provide meaningful oversight while also enabling the organization to pursue its mission and respond to opportunities. Prolonged failure to make necessary decisions can impede organizational growth, weaken effectiveness, and prevent staff and leadership from carrying out approved strategic priorities.
We believe the pattern of delay has adversely affected the organization's ability to move forward and has created unnecessary uncertainty for staff and stakeholders.
Requested Action
For the reasons described above, we respectfully request that the following Board Members resign from their positions:
Brian Keohane - President of the Board
Jennifer Cameron - Vice President of the Board
If said Board Members do not resign, we then call upon the remaining board members to remove them via a vote as outlined in the organization bylaws (GSM Bylaws Revision 1.18 - 5.3.2) Finally, if neither resignation or removal happens, we will move forward on initiating a Membership meeting to vote to dissolve the entire Board of International Directors and re-elect a more mission-driven, Holy Spirit led group of Directors to restore the Board's integrity, in accordance with the applicable law as stated in Oregon Revised Statutes 65.324.
Should the two named members choose to resign, we expect the newly established Board to vote to replace the resigned members and ask them to:
Provide an impartial review or investigation of the complaints concerning staff treatment, confidentiality, financial impact, counseling-center decisions, strategic-planning delays, and alleged unauthorized bylaw changes.
Protect staff, clients, members, and complainants from retaliation for participating in good-faith reporting, investigation, or governance proceedings.
Preserve relevant records, including emails, meeting minutes, financial records, communications with donors, versions of the bylaws, strategic-planning documents, and other records relevant to these concerns.
Review all purported bylaw amendments to determine whether they were adopted in accordance with the organization's governing documents and applicable law.
Ensure that future decisions concerning the counseling center and other major programs are evaluated in light of the organization's mission, the needs of those receiving services, financial sustainability, and the organization's long-term interests.
Take appropriate steps to restore effective governance, including establishing clear expectations regarding board conduct, confidentiality, staff interactions, strategic decision-making, and adherence to the bylaws.
Statement of Good-Faith Purpose
We submit this petition in good faith and because we believe the organization's mission, staff, clients, members, donors, and long-term stability must take precedence over individual personalities or personal interests.
We believe that restoring respectful leadership, sound governance, accountability, confidentiality, and adherence to the organization's governing documents is necessary to protect the organization and allow it to move forward in fulfilling its mission.
Petitioners
104
The Issue
Petition for the Resignation or Removal of Board Members
To: The Members of Good Samaritan Ministries
Date: August 2026
Petition for Removal or Resignation of Certain Board Members
We, the undersigned members of Good Samaritan Ministries, respectfully submit this petition requesting the resignation or removal of the following board members from their positions:
Brian Keohane - President of the International Board of Directors
Jennifer Cameron - Vice President of the International Board of Directors
This request is based on serious and continuing concerns regarding conduct, governance, confidentiality, financial stewardship, strategic decision-making, and adherence to the organization's bylaws and responsibilities to its staff, clients, members, donors, and community, and failure to move within a prayerful and Holy-Spirit lead governance of the ministry.
Our purpose is not personal or punitive. We believe that board members have a responsibility to act in the best interests of the organization, protect its mission and resources, treat staff and stakeholders with respect, and follow the organization's governing documents and established decision-making processes. Effective nonprofit governance requires boards to protect organizational integrity, address concerns appropriately, and maintain a workplace in which employees can raise concerns without fear of retaliation.
Grounds for This Petition
1. Aggressive, intimidating, and inappropriate communication
Multiple complaints have been raised regarding communication by one of the identified board members that has been perceived as aggressive, intimidating, and/or harassing toward staff and other individuals associated with the organization.
Specifically, this refers to Brian Keohane, Chairman of the International Board of Directors, regarding the following displays of hostile or abusive communication tactics:
- Instances of using aggressive body language, such as slamming his fist on the table during meetings with staff who report feeling threatened and intimidated by the gesture.
- Raising his voice during interactions with GSM staff and fellow board members - particularly when concerns or objections are raised to his ideas - with the clear intention to intimidate those with opposing views points.
- Speaking in a demeaning fashion to staff members during board meetings, including consistently interrupting others, failing to create a respectful environment for constructive conversation.
- We also have a report from a Samaritan who witnessed this type of aggressive and hostile communication to a member of wait staff at a local food establishment. Brian was seen forcefully raising his voice and slamming his fist on the counter to a coffee server, showing no regard for his standing in the community as a Samaritan, let alone a leader in our ministry. His behavior in this instance is destructive to both our reputation and witness to our community and denotes a pattern of hostility.
The reported pattern has contributed to what staff have experienced as a hostile and unhealthy workplace environment. We believe that board members must model respectful, professional, and constructive conduct and must not use their positions of authority in a manner that intimidates, demeans, or discourages staff from expressing legitimate concerns.
2. Failure to adequately protect confidential information and organizational financial interests
There are serious concerns that confidential organizational information was disclosed to donors or other individuals who were not authorized to receive it.
Such disclosures may have exposed the organization to financial, reputational, or relationship-related harm. Board members are entrusted with sensitive information concerning the organization, its finances, donors, personnel, and operations, and should exercise appropriate confidentiality in carrying out their responsibilities.
- specifically there have been multiple reports from samaritan donors, satellite leaders, group leaders, and center directors, that Jennifer Cameron, Vice Chairman of the International Board, and [Redacted] (Chairman of the International Board's wife) have contacted them about sensitive and personal information of certain staff members, creating an unsafe work environment for the staff, and driving donors to threaten to discontinue funds. Personnel have a right to privacy, and a right to a safe and harassment-free workplace (OAR 839-005-0030(1)(b) ) These actions have exposed Good Samaritan Ministries to investigation and possible legal action in violation of the board member's fiduciary responsibility to protect the ministry from such exposure and to look to the well-being of the ministry.
3. Decisions regarding the local counseling center that disregard the organization's mission and those receiving services
There have been serious concerns regarding efforts and expressed intentions to close the organization's local counseling-center operation without adequate consideration of the people currently receiving services.
- specifically, the Board has expressed intention to separate the Headquarters from the Beaverton Office, and hoard all donors funds for the International HQ, leaving the Beaverton Center to fend for itself with rent and staff costs.
- Another idea being forcefully pushed by Jennifer Cameron is to dissolve the local Beaverton office in favor of offering counseling "from free offices from several local churches", which would effectively end the local ministry. Our local Beaverton center is the site of more than 3,000 mental health counseling appointments annually and serves nearly 250 people each year.
The counseling center exists to serve individuals and families who depend upon its services. Decisions concerning the continuation or closure of such an operation should be based on careful consideration of client needs, continuity of care, financial implications, community impact, available alternatives, and the organization's mission.
We believe that decisions of this magnitude should not be driven solely by the preferences of individual board members or made without a thorough assessment of their impact on those the organization exists to serve.
4. Failure to advance strategic planning and organizational growth
The organization has experienced delays in strategic planning and moving forward with growth initiatives because of a failure to approve or advance proposed plans.
Board members have a responsibility to provide meaningful oversight while also enabling the organization to pursue its mission and respond to opportunities. Prolonged failure to make necessary decisions can impede organizational growth, weaken effectiveness, and prevent staff and leadership from carrying out approved strategic priorities.
We believe the pattern of delay has adversely affected the organization's ability to move forward and has created unnecessary uncertainty for staff and stakeholders.
Requested Action
For the reasons described above, we respectfully request that the following Board Members resign from their positions:
Brian Keohane - President of the Board
Jennifer Cameron - Vice President of the Board
If said Board Members do not resign, we then call upon the remaining board members to remove them via a vote as outlined in the organization bylaws (GSM Bylaws Revision 1.18 - 5.3.2) Finally, if neither resignation or removal happens, we will move forward on initiating a Membership meeting to vote to dissolve the entire Board of International Directors and re-elect a more mission-driven, Holy Spirit led group of Directors to restore the Board's integrity, in accordance with the applicable law as stated in Oregon Revised Statutes 65.324.
Should the two named members choose to resign, we expect the newly established Board to vote to replace the resigned members and ask them to:
Provide an impartial review or investigation of the complaints concerning staff treatment, confidentiality, financial impact, counseling-center decisions, strategic-planning delays, and alleged unauthorized bylaw changes.
Protect staff, clients, members, and complainants from retaliation for participating in good-faith reporting, investigation, or governance proceedings.
Preserve relevant records, including emails, meeting minutes, financial records, communications with donors, versions of the bylaws, strategic-planning documents, and other records relevant to these concerns.
Review all purported bylaw amendments to determine whether they were adopted in accordance with the organization's governing documents and applicable law.
Ensure that future decisions concerning the counseling center and other major programs are evaluated in light of the organization's mission, the needs of those receiving services, financial sustainability, and the organization's long-term interests.
Take appropriate steps to restore effective governance, including establishing clear expectations regarding board conduct, confidentiality, staff interactions, strategic decision-making, and adherence to the bylaws.
Statement of Good-Faith Purpose
We submit this petition in good faith and because we believe the organization's mission, staff, clients, members, donors, and long-term stability must take precedence over individual personalities or personal interests.
We believe that restoring respectful leadership, sound governance, accountability, confidentiality, and adherence to the organization's governing documents is necessary to protect the organization and allow it to move forward in fulfilling its mission.
Petitioners
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Petition created on August 13, 2026