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CVCA executive board members step down in weekend shakeup

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The drama continued at the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts last week, as, in the wake of another unfruitful nearly 4-hour meeting, the board was rocked by the almost simultaneous resignations of two members of the executive board and Diana Tunis from the general board.

The structure of the CVCA board consists of a 15-member general board chosen from membership and a 4-member executive board, formerly comprised of Leslie Kim; Vice President, Abby Jennex; Secretary, Pearl Nancarrow and Treasurer, Mike Bryan.

Last Thursday, (Aug. 16) at around 12:45 p.m., Jennex sent out a letter of resignation by email to the rest of the board, citing ongoing conflicts within the board about dealing with the issues surrounding the attempted removal of Molly Cornwell, if not the very future and direction of the Arts Center.

“While I was encouraged by our meeting this past Tuesday night (Aug. 14), it is clear to me that my idea of moving forward is significantly different from many of yours,” Jennex wrote. “After much thought, I believe these differences in ideas and visions for the future of the CVCA are likely to remain regardless of how much time we spend talking about it or working towards a resolution.”

Jennex went on to explain that she relocated to the area to spend more time with her children, but the ongoing controversy has made that difficult. Therefore, she is stepping away from the board completely.

“I truly appreciate all that each of you gives to the CVCA and I look forward to showing my continued support through other means,” she concluded. “I am hopeful that you will be able to move forward with a stronger mutual purpose of maintaining and improving one of our community’s greatest assets.”

The resignation was only beginning, as by Saturday (Aug. 18), Kim too had resigned as well as Tunis who is an integral part of the center’s Youth Musical Theater Program, a cornerstone program of the CVCA led by her son Paul Tunis the program director for the CVCA.

In her letter of resignation, Kim expressed a “great sense of freedom” in her decision.

“Because of the most recent actions and attitude of the majority of the Board, I feel that to serve on the Board would require me to not only fail in my duty to the Center and its membership but also to compromise my personal integrity,” she wrote. “While I still love the Center and believe in its beauty, I refuse to act against my conscience in either organizational or personal matters.”

Kim also expressed thankfulness for her time served and the growth she has seen in the center, both financially and in expanded programming.

“I’m thankful for the many hours that I’ve been able to spend in our beautiful building doing the things that I love the most. And I intend to stay involved in programming for children at the pleasure of the Program Director,” she concluded, adding, “Mostly though, I am thankful that I leave this Board the way that I entered it — a woman with clear sight and a clean conscience and a woman of hope and belief.

The charges leveled against Cornwell by the executive board and staff members of the CVCA have been obscured to this point by the controversy surrounding the unilateral actions of the executive board.

On June 12, Cornwell was informed that her lease for the White Porch was being terminated, requesting her resignation from the general board. The matter was never brought to the full board, due in part to Cornwell’s continued presence, which has led to a schism within the general board and an outcry from supporters who have come out in droves to support her.

In the past three weeks, there have been multiple meetings to address the issues, but those meetings have largely come to nothing as the executive board has come under fire from the general board and CVCA membership for its handling of the situation.

Last Tuesday’s meeting was the second in as many weeks and another is planned for Tuesday, Aug. 21 (after press time), but some members have expressed dissatisfaction with a “hand-picked board” and may refuse to attend.

The next regularly scheduled board meeting is set for Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 5:30 p.m. at the Arts Center.

For previous reports go to th following links:

CVCA meeting heats up, but no resolution yet for Molly Cornwell
Arts Center board asks Molly Cornwell to step down