The troubled Connecticut Humane Society has hired a new director, replacing Richard Johnston who was forced to quit following allegations of wrongdoing from former staff members.
Gordon G. Willard, the society told workers, has been selected as the new executive director, starting August 5.
Gordon G. Willard
The 130-year-old charity gave little details today on Willard. It did not state what his salary or total compensation will be, where he lives, the length of his contract, nor his resume. The society’s board of directors, under investigation by the state attorney general’s office as well as state legislators, also did not disclose his educational background.
While the society released a photo of Willard it has yet to respond to my request for the contract, compensation, and resume. I guess Chairman Chris White doesn’t believe that donors or potential owners should simply trust him like they have for the past 15 years to do the right thing. Maybe Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and take my suggestion here and demand this information be made public by the charity.
While Johnston’s salary was listed with charity rating agencies as less than $60,000 a year, it turned out that his total compensation was more than $200,000 a year. He was given a lucrative severance package in March to leave after 20 years and he had to promise not to say anything negative about the society.
“His professional experience encompasses 26 years of leading various animal care and control programs, wellness clinics, spay/neuter programs and community outreach activities,” says a statement given to workers obtained by CtWatchdog.
“ He most recently worked as a Florida-based consultant for more than one national humane organization including the American Humane Association’s Shelter Evaluation Program. As a consultant, Gordon completed assignments in Nevada, Texas, Louisiana, Maine, New Jersey and Washington, DC. He reviewed organizations of various sizes from those handling a few thousand animals a year to much larger ones handling in excess of 15,000 animals annually.
“Gordon started working in animal welfare in 1983 as the executive director of an organization in upstate New York. He has also served as Chairman of the Board of the New York State Humane Association. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Animal Science from Cornell University and a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from Johns Hopkins University through a special educational partnership between the Humane Society of the United States and Johns Hopkins. Gordon’s knowledge and extensive experience in the animal welfare profession make him a valuable asset to our organization.”
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A quick Internet search turned up this article he wrote in 2004 while Executive Director of the Animal Protective Foundation. It gives a little insight into his feelings about euthanasia http://www.animalprotective.org/events/petgaz/Oct04PetGaz.pdf
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Staff is meeting with him today and another meeting will be held for volunteers to meet him. Let’s hope he is what the CT Humane Society needs for positive change and hopefully people can give him the benefit of the doubt prior to crucifying him.
I couldn’t have said it better. The guy needs time to make a difference. I would love to be a fly on the wall to see who is sucking up harder in hopes that they don’t get fired. If nothing else, at least we can move forward knowing that people will not be unjustly written up and fired. Good LUck Gordon, you’ve taken on a huge endeavor and I have all the faith in the world that the place will start to turn around and be the organization it should be.
Absolutely. And for the record, the staff and volunteers have been provided with details and I have heard firsthand from staff that they had a fantastic first impression and he is very approachable. It’s a good start. I’m sure people are digging around trying to uncover something Mr. Willard said or did umpteen years ago so they can say “see! he’s no better!”. I, for one, choose to be an optimist and choose to see what happens and hope for the very best while supporting an organization I still believe in despite everything.
I have had faith in the organization itself, however the people running it and managing it’s people are sketchy. I’ve gone and done research on my own and when I heard he was in the running, i was pulling for him. This IS what CHS needs. Someone who has been around the block and who will see through the screens that people are going to set for him. All we can ask for the staff is that they get treated fairly unlike the FIRED FIVE!!!! I hope he also plans to meet with them in the future, NOT to give them their jobs back but just to clear the air. Of course if he chooses to offer them a postition, that’s great although I think 4 of the 5 have dusted off and moved on with their different endeavors in life. It would certainly be a good faith decision to meet with them and get their side of the story since the cowardly board of directors could not fit it into their busy weeks.