Big Lup Resigns from CAEZ
 

   Before you get started on this article, be sure to read or reread our coverage from the most recent Central Appalachia Empowerment Zone (CAEZ) meeting held on Oct. 1st. The article dated Oct. 4th, can be found on the COMMUNICATOR ONLINE page.
   Did you do that? Are you back over here? How about you slow readers? We've give you a few more minutes.....
  OK
  We attended the Eco/Dev meeting of the CAEZ on Oct. 1st. While there for the 4pm Eco/Dev meeting, we noticed there was no posted agenda for the 6pm full Board meeting. A meeting agenda is required and has to be posted three business days prior the start of the meeting. It wasn't
  As the Eco/Dev meeting was ending, we asked about the lack of agenda and and if the Board was going to meet anyway. A terse CAEZ Director Connie Lupardus, Big Lup for many, retorted, I guess you will just have to write us up.
  Such unprofessional responses are common for the Lupster when it comes to answering questions from the peanut gallery, its been that way for over a decade.  Most commonly, her ire is directed at the Ace Cub Reporter. Why? Often the reporter is the only member of the public in attendance.
  Without that agenda, the meeting would be unlawful. As a matter of fact, if taken to court, anything done during that gathering, most likely, would be tossed out. With that in mind, the Ace Cub Reporter skeddadled the Courthouse and headed over to a lawful meeting.
  During the Oct. 9th County Commission (CCC) meeting, word seeped out, the long struggling with public effectiveness, Big Lup, went ahead and held the CAEZ Board meeting where she announced, she was resigning from CAEZ employment.
  After the CCC meeting, we asked about the resignation and from those conversations and our historical persepctive, we present this article. Here goes.
  During the Oct 1st full Board meeting of the CAEZ, Big Lup resigned her position. Lup said she would like to hang around a while longer and help with picking her successor. As a matter of wordage, she has already picked out a couple of candidates for the job.   As for the unnamed replacements, long time Office Manager Michell Bodkins, is not interested in the move up.
  When Lup told the Board of her decision to quit, there was no gasps for air, no eyebrows raised. It was at if, most, many, of her Board already knew what was coming ahead of time. There was no weeping or nashing of nails.

   Lupardus is not the first CAEZ Director. Before her were Terrel Ellis, Jerry Sizemore and Harold Butler (that we can remember). In the very beginning, there was a first Director who lasted about a week before quitting. Ellis and Butler resigned from duty during disputes with the Board.
  Not sure how long Lupardus was the Director. Our guess, 15 years or more.
  She started as an Asst Director under Jerry Sizemore. Her hiring was controversial because she was already on the payroll before the full Board knew about the hire. When her hiring was announced, members of her Board (Fred and Elizabeth Sampson for instance) raised many questions. Some time later, after the death of Jerry Sizemore, Lup was promoted to the Directorship.
  Almost from the start there were problems

   The Director had a propensity to over sell an idea, to make stuff sound like it was going to happen long before the new thing was reality. She also managed to leave out wittle bitty details. Those shortcomings would come back and bite her in the hiney, often. Here's a couple for instances.
   Six years ago, Lup came forth with a plan to grow an Apple orchard on strip mine lands. Oh she had it all worked out complete with an apple  cannery plant already in the works.
  When questions came from the public for details like, how do you water such an operation on a strip bench, no answers came. Actually, she took such questioning as a smack to her efforts to grow the orchard.
  Maybe the biggest issue with  her plan involved some mis wording by Lup. During public presentations, Lup led this county to believe, the orchard would be built in Clay County. It didn't take long for locals to check maps and realize, she was not telling us the truth. The orchard was actually located in Nicholas County.
  After years of telling us everything was growing well, last year, she announced during the group's annual meeting, the orchard was a dead (literally) project. She blamed the loss on others not following thru with promises and nothing about her leadership.  Truth is, there were some trees planted, but all had perished long ago.
  More recently, she was glowing with a deal to set up a community college program to be based at the CAEZ building in Valley Fork. Meeting after meeting came. At each opportunity, she said things were moving along nicely. The August 2019 CAEZ meeting, meeting minutes reflect, that community college program would be up and running in Sept of this year.
  Fast forward to their Oct. meeting.. Big Lup announced, there was no contract signed and she "hoped" the project wasn't dead.
  Translation: All her hype months of hype was BS.
  Many other purported projects were announced over the years and after months of hype, poof, everything was dead in the water.

  Over the years, a rift grew between the Director and this newspaper. More often than not, we would catch her in some questionable statement and she would blow up. It wasn't just us either. Questions would come from the CCC and that too would pee her off. All along , she had the full support of her Board and life went on.
  Some leaders are hard to rile. That wasn't the case with Queen Lupardus. The Ace Cub Reporter could get her blood pressure boiling by just showing up for public meetings. One question and everything would go to H.
  Finances spell doom, the bottom line for failure, for many organizations. Instead of a full time director and asst., things changed over the last five years.  Office Manager Bodkins was first to leave full time employment. Ms Bodkins is still there but on a  casual basis. Lup herself,  was reduced to a part time basis a couple years back. Based on discussions during meetings and no full time employees, we can't help but believe, CAEZ finances are in shambles.
  A strong indication of the pee poor condition came last Summer, when Lup announced, they didn't have enough money to pay for mandatory audits of the books. Without current audits, CAEZ is unable to apply for MOST grant opportunities. Since they have lived on the administrative funds from grants, a main source for operations, it's all gone.
  There's another sign that things aren't right with finances. During the last two annual meetings, the group's financial report was not available for the public's review. Two years ago, the public (general membership) was told, you can get it later. A month ago during the 2019 annual meeting, Lup told the asker, you won't get it tonight!
  No full time workers, no mandatory audits, no income and expense statements provided the public as required by the CAEZ by laws, something ain't right.
  There are many reasons to bail out, to resign. Because of her age?  maybe health issues are at hand?  Maybe, with many of the original tried and true Boardsters quitting, passing, she can see other handwriting on the wall.
  CAEZ has lasted (24 years) far longer than anyone ever expected. Connie Lupardus had a long tenure with the non profit. With money in short supply and many long time Boardsters already gone from the structure, Ms Lupardus has decided to abandon ship too
  It's going to be tough finding a replacement willing to take on the irksome tasks and challenges of rebuilding the struggling organization. AS a note, any candidate for that perch should take a good look at the finances and demand an audit before taking the job.
  We're going to miss the back and forth when Big Lup finally steps aside.
  It was a good learning experience for County Clay. If a new Director can be found, it will be the start of a new part of our history. We're ready for it too.
AW end