Executive Director Suspended: What Next in ProCAP Scandal?
Thursday, November 24, 2011
In an emergency meeting held Wednesday evening, the board of directors for the Providence Community Action Program (ProCAP) voted to suspend the organization’s Executive Director Frank Corbishley with cause and without pay effective immediately.
The suspension comes after several weeks of scrutiny at the city’s leading anti-poverty organization that included an assessment conducted that showed a “series of inconsistencies” with health benefits, educational subsidies, cell phone usage and vehicle usage, on top of the interest-free loans given to some employees, according to independent assessor Ken Richardson.
In an effort to immediately rebuild the organization’s reputation, management structure and ability to provide critical services to thousands of Providence residents, the board named Frank Shea as acting director.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“It’s time for ProCAP to turn the page and focus on the critical mission of serving the residents of Providence who rely on the assistance of this vital organization, particularly during the cold winter months,” board chair and City Council President Michael Solomon said. “The board has every confidence in Mr. Shea’s ability to quickly restore order at ProCAP and get the organization back on track. There is clearly much work to be done.”
ProCAP Lost $1.7 Million in Funding
The suspension comes a day after Corbishley was accused of shredding documents at ProCAP’s headquarters on Hartford Ave in Providence. The vote was unanimous among board members who attended the meeting, but one prominent board member –Joan Badway- did not attend.
On Tuesday, Solomon informed board members nearly $2 million in funding for the organization had been lost and said if they didn’t vote to make changes, another $5 million could be at risk.
“I met with officials from the state of Rhode Island relative to their ongoing concerns with ProCAP and its funding,” Solomon said. “It is with great disappointment that I must report the state has eliminated ProCAP's weatherization contract, totaling approximately $1.7 million, due to ongoing concerns regarding agency mismanagement. Last week they signed a contract with Rhode Island Housing to deliver these services.”
Solomon said the state also informed ProCAP's board that it has until December 15 to demonstrate "significant management and financial improvements" or the organization will immediately lose nearly $5 million in additional funding.
Shea is New Director
Shea currently serves as executive director of the Olneyville Housing Corporation (OHC), a community based development organization where he has served as executive director since January 2000. Shea will balance time between the two organizations, although the majority of his time will be focused on ProCAP.
Upon taking control of ProCAP, Shea will initiate an operations and personnel assessment of the organization and begin to formulate a turnaround plan. He will return to OHC on a full time basis following the completion of this process, which is expected to take six to twelve months.
“With so many of Providence’s residents looking for help during these difficult economic times, it is imperative we work quickly to get ProCAP back on the right track,” Shea said. “I look forward to working with ProCAP’s board, staff, funders, community members and partners to implement new management and transparency standards and rebuild the public’s trust in this critical organization.”
Board Members Support Decision
Several ProCAP board members expressed support for the changes Wednesday evening.
"With the needs of the community at the top of our minds we made a decision this evening that will turn ProCAP around," said Delia Rodriguez-Masjoan, a community activist, resident of Mount Pleasant and member of the ProCAP board of directors. "I look forward to working with Mr. Shea and my fellow board members to ensure that Providence residents have ready access to the services and assistance they need from this agency."
Jeanne Cola, executive director of Rhode Island Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), said Shea was the right choice to turn the organization around.
“LISC has worked with Olneyville Housing Corporation's executive director, Frank Shea as a strategic partner in our effort to build a strong neighborhood and healthy community in Olneyville,” Cola said. “Frank’s leadership abilities and commitment to the residents of Providence make him a natural choice to lead ProCAP through these challenging times. We support ProCAP’s board for this choice and stand ready to assist in any way we can.”
Mayor: Necessary Action
Prior to his employment with OHC, Shea served as director of program development for the National Association of Housing Partnerships (now known as the Housing Partnership Network), a national network of large, public-private housing development organizations. A graduate of Harvard College, Shea resides in Providence with his wife and their two children.
Providence Mayor Angel Taveras said he is confident the board made the right decision.
“In an effort to protect the agency's mission and the people it serves, ProCAP's board of directors took decisive and necessary action this evening,” Taveras said. “ProCAP is an integral part of the human services safety net in Providence and should be managed in a way that keeps the needs of the community at the very core of every decision that is made. I am confident that under Frank Shea's leadership that will occur. Mr. Shea is a well-respected and nationally recognized leader in the nonprofit community services sector and is certainly up to the challenge before him. I look forward to working with him, and the board of directors at ProCAP, to provide the support and encouragement necessary to set ProCAP on the path to recovery.”
If you valued this article, please LIKE GoLocalProv.com on Facebook by clicking HERE.
