The reconstituted Board of Directors of San Diego LGBT Pride met Wednesday, Jan. 27. The first order of business was to accept the resignations of board members Philip Princetta, Co-chair and Mike Karim, Treasurer. According to Pride, the new board members are fully committed to transparency and will honor the duties and responsibilities of the organization and continue the mission of San Diego Pride. However, the first meeting was closed into executive session soon after it began.

At a special meeting held last Saturday, attended by City Councilmember Todd Gloria and former San Diego deputy mayor Toni Atkins, State Senator Christine Kehoe demanded that San Diego LGBT Pride board members Chair Philip Princetta, Treasurer Mike Karim, Secretary Carl Worrell either resign or she would place the organization into receivership – a court action that places property under the control of a receiver during litigation – according to an anonymous source at the meeting.

Kehoe, Atkins and Gloria packed the San Diego Pride Board with a crossover of supporters, donors, and endorsers of their political campaigns – appointing the San Diego Democratic Club to take over Pride.

Community members are questioning if they have legal authority to take such actions under the Brown Act.

The new members are: Debra McEntee, Suanne Pauley, Joe Mayer, Judi Schaim, Chris Shaw, Andrea Villa, Jeri Dilno, Bob Leyh and Larry Ramey. Also present was new board candidate Karen Bucey. Schaim and Ramey were elected as Co-chairs, McEntee will serve as Secretary and Mayer as Treasurer.

At the meeting held Jan. 23, Kehoe pressed Princetta to stay until late February to get the new board settled. Worrell however tendered his resignation a day after the meeting took place.

In a letter, obtained by the Gay & Lesbian Times, Worrell said, “I don’t know that I have ever before found myself in a situation where every alternative solution is wrong. But, in my opinion, that is the situation now. After the unconscionable bullying we took from Christine Kehoe, Todd Gloria and Toni Atkins; it is obvious that my involvement in shaping the future of Pride must end.”

“It is sad to me that a group of pompous, spineless, politicos; pseudo-journalists; dinosaurs and fossils; and, pissant miscreants will set the tone for Pride,” he added.

In addition to demanding that the three current board members resign, Kehoe also stated that all Pride board meetings would be attended by a representative from both Kehoe’s and Gloria’s offices. She ordered a hiring freeze and said all Pride business must go through her office before any actions were taken, according to the anonymous source.

At the meeting held Wednesday, Pride staff members were present at the opening of the meeting and gave a short presentation, before it was called into executive session.

In addition to electing officers the board formed two committees: legal and board affairs/development, and named Shaw as the liaison to the staff. The board will continue to meet on a weekly basis and plans to go to work immediately on the 2010 Pride celebration.

A town hall meeting with the community is being planned and will be announced soon. There will also be opportunities for the community to meet the board members.

The board is actively seeking new board candidates. You are encouraged to apply and information is available on the Web site, www.SanDiegoPride.org. To receive an application packet, contact humanresources@sdpride.org. A link to the board co-chairs is also on the site.