TO: BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR LOGGERHEAD MARINE LIFE CENTER

FROM: CHANGE AT LMC group; Volunteer leader Julianne Frank

RE:  POSITION AND ISSUES

We are the Change at LMC group.  We consist of concerned volunteers and staff members.  Other than me, the other group members are choosing to remain anonymous. Several would be at risk of losing their jobs if their identities became known. In my passion for LMC, I am willing to put my head on the block. 

As the volunteer leader of the group, I am going to share with you our  concerns and I am going to ask that you  attend the “forum” on Wednesday and  support the positions we set forth below.  You are of course free to disagree and speak your own piece on Wednesday, but to the extent we are unified voice, we are more empowered. 

First, you need to understand that as LMC is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, we hold many cards.  We are in a position to wreak havoc on that status. That might be imposing to several board members, but you also need to understand that the Board includes two high powered local developers. It is my impression, shared by reputable local high visibility journalist, that they would happily see LMC fail in its current manifestation, wherein they could swoop in and turn it into Sea World South, a for-profit entity that would bolster  their pocketbooks and steer traffic to their local interests. I have no direct evidence for this, but it should concern us enough to take with a very large grain of salt any of the anticipated gaslighting you will hear from the board member forum “leader”.  

I believe that if you attend the forum, and I hope that you do, you should dispel yourself of the  notion that asking questions of the leadership will be a productive use of the limited time they have afforded us.  I believe that time is better spent making demands:

• Kyle Van Houtan should be terminated or be compelled  to resign immediately
• There must be complete transparency to  and involvement by staff and volunteers in the process of selecting a new CEO
• There must be a new charter that addresses transparency issues in general. This would include a mandate that staff member complaints about the manner in which patient care is being managed, or as to the treatment of a staff member, or as to general dissent among the ranks, be brought before the Board by a liaison committee of volunteers such  that any  staff member’s  identity can be protected by speaking through the committee. They will be able to raise issues without fear of retribution.
• A volunteer liaison to the Board was promised to us by Jack Lighton and it is now three years later and no such position exists. It must be implemented immediately. The purpose is to guarantee to   the volunteer community a voice heard by the Board, since the volunteer community  is the lifeblood of this institution.

 
You can be assured that the Board has already formulated their talking points as to why the water quality deception was not as it appeared, that the apparent denigration of relationships with InWater Research and FWC are being resolved, and how  Ms. Flores was a disgruntled employee.  I would beseech you not to allow them to waste our time. Their lawyers will have already limited what they can disclose to us to avoid liability. We need to show strength by letting them know we are past listening to spin; that we have affirmative demands designed to bring transparency and an uplifted spirit to LMC.  If we do not get a positive commitment to addressing our demand within prescribed and short windows,  then I am suggesting you should be prepared to join us at the protest we will be conducting at Turtle Fest.  

You are free to respond to the Group at the email address from which this emanated, and you can be assured that we are listening.   See you all on Wednesday. 

Julianne Frank

5 year Education Volunteer

& The Change at LMC Coalition