OpenCDA

March 24, 2011

Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho

Filed under: Probable Cause — Bill @ 6:44 pm

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The Wednesday, March 23 issue of the Coeur d’Alene Press had one of its trademark soft-hitting fluff pieces by staff writer Tom Hasslinger.

Except this one had an article with some news which may cause even usually indifferent readers to say, “Hmmm.”

The fawning article was headlined Building on history.  It was intended to tout the 20th anniversary of Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho (HFHNI).  Here are two items that caught my eye.

First, HFHNI has an Executive Director.  Her name is Marci Schreiber.  According to her LinkedIn information, she has been the HFHNI Executive Director since September 2010.

Second, HFHNI built one house in 2010.  In the past, it has built three per year.

The identification of Schreiber as the Executive Director is noteworthy, because on October 6, 2009, the HFHNI Board of Directors held a super-secret special meeting in which they decided to fire then HFHNI Executive Director Jim Brannon. Brannon had not been invited to attend this meeting, and he was not present.

The following evening, Brannon met with then-HFHNI Chairman Rick Shipman and Treasurer Dan Adams.  No other HFHNI officers or directors were present.  Brannon believed the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the HFHNI budget, but instead he was told that the Executive Director position he held had been eliminated.     Brannon received this notice a few weeks after he had announced his candidacy in the coming election for Coeur d’Alene city council seat number 2 held by incumbent Mike Kennedy.  As a matter of fact, Brannon was fired by HFHNI approximately 90 minutes before he was to participate in a televised debate against Kennedy.

Even the Coeur d’Alene Press couldn’t ignore Brannon’s firing.  In his October 8, 2009, article headlined “Habitat boss is abruptly fired,” Press writer Hasslinger included these gems:

“Habitat board chairman Rick Shipman says the decision to eliminate Brannon’s job was purely fiscal.”

“It’s pretty hard to sleep at night knowing that you’re eliminating one of your best coworkers,” Shipman said Thursday.  “It was extremely painful.  We went through a lot of deliberations knowing what a good job Jim’s done — and to have to do that — but we felt like we can go back to a managing board.”

“He [Shipman] said the board reluctantly agreed to eliminate Brannon’s position during a special meeting Tuesday evening after reviewing options in the face of shrinking Habitat revenues.”

Hasslinger wrote a second Press article published on October 14, 2009.  That article reported Shipman saying the grant which had funded Brannon’s executive director position had expired, and HFHNI’s revenues were down.  Consequently, the executive director’s position was being eliminated.  Nothing more to see here.  Move along, move along.

Currently, Brannon has two fewer votes than Kennedy in the November 2009 election, but irregularities in the administration of the election by the former Kootenai County Clerk resulted in an election contest lawsuit now pending at the Idaho Supreme Court.

Then the oddest thing happened in January 2010.  A January 14, 2010, recommendation from city project coordinator Renata McLeod was considered by the Coeur d’Alene Mayor and City Council at its meeting on January 19, 2010, just two weeks after Councilman Kennedy was again sworn in.  At that meeting the Council (including Kennedy) agreed to amend its HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) 2009 Annual Action Plan awarding an amount not to exceed $45,400  to Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho.  Curiously, the CDBG application had been written and submitted to the City by Jim Brannon before his $44,000 position was eliminated.

Now on March 23, 2011, we learn that after firing Jim Brannon and eliminating its Executive Director position “for fiscal reasons” in October 2009, HFHNI managed to build one house in 2010, even after receiving the CDBG from the City. And in September 2010, eleven months after “eliminating” the Executive Director position held by Jim Brannon,  it hired Marci Schreiber as Executive Director.

The HFHNI Board ought to consider that someone might reasonably opine that Brannon’s firing was a quid pro quo in return for a promise of receiving the CDBG money.  A reasonable person might even perceive that the HFHNI Board of Directors never really intended to eliminate the Executive Director position, only cripple Brannon’s candidacy.   If someone were to form that opinion and lodge a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service, it could jeopardize the Habitat for Humanity’s federal tax exempt status should such a complaint be substantiated.  It would be unfortunate if the good work done by Habitat for Humanity, not to mention its good name, were to be tarnished by even the appearance of impropriety.

 

 

 

22 Comments

  1. Is Marci Schreiber related to the family that was paid over $1,000,000 for the Downtown Library property? The property that was for sale for about $340,000 the year before the City and LCDC paid over $1,000,000?

    Comment by Dan — March 24, 2011 @ 7:10 pm

  2. Dan,

    I don’t know. Possibly some of our readers might know. According to this Press article, she grew up in Kellogg.

    Comment by Bill — March 24, 2011 @ 7:36 pm

  3. If you think there is sufficient evidence for a complaint then file one. Don’t just throw it out there and do nothing.

    … If someone were to form that opinion and lodge a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service, it could jeopardize the Habitat for Humanity’s federal tax exempt status should such a complaint be substantiated….

    If the tax status of H4H is jeopardized so be it. These shenanigans have to come to an end sometime and it might as well start here and now.

    Comment by Ancientemplar — March 24, 2011 @ 7:43 pm

  4. Ancientemplar,

    If I were to submit a complaint, I would not announce it here. I don’t need your urging to do the right thing if the evidence warrants it.

    Comment by Bill — March 24, 2011 @ 7:49 pm

  5. Well, ‘heck’s bells’ the problem with your analysis is as plain to see as a sunset over L.A. when there is a weather inversion. Your analysis is based upon the ‘reasonable person’ standard. Sheez. However, that was nicely veiled ‘tip of the hat’ to South Park’s infamous crime fighter, Officer O’Brady.

    Comment by Happy Trails — March 24, 2011 @ 9:10 pm

  6. Happy Trails,

    Yes, and two equally reasonable people could look at what has been reported and what’s in the public record and form two completely different opinions. That’s why, in my opinion, organizations need to be especially careful of the appearances that can be created by their actions. The good name and noble efforts of some non-profit organizations can be damaged by how a set of actions appear to those who want to support them and who need the public’s support. This article from 2008 makes it pretty clear that the IRS does pay attention to what non-profits do when it comes to politicking. Organizations that have done nothing egregiously wrong such as knowingly intervening in a political campaign should have nothing to fear. I suspect that most non-profits self-police and make internal corrections after unintended violations are pointed out to them. That should be the objective anyway. Status revocation and other equally serious sanctions should be reserved for only the most egregious and intentional efforts to violate the law.

    Comment by Bill — March 25, 2011 @ 6:41 am

  7. Bill, I surely didn’t imply that you wouldn’t do the right thing. Sorry if you were perturbed.

    Comment by Ancientemplar — March 25, 2011 @ 7:34 am

  8. Ancientemplar,

    Thank you.

    Comment by Bill — March 25, 2011 @ 7:50 am

  9. Bill, this seems like a clear window into the methods and dealings of our city council. They had never given HUD money to Habitat before and, all of a sudden, they AMEND their already finalized plan to send money to Habitat? This, right after the Habitat board abruptly fired Jim? Yes, it appears to be a payback because all reports and evaluations indicated Jim was doing a very good job for the organization.

    Jim’s only problem was that he had the gall to run for city council against Mike Kennedy!

    The corruption here runs deep and their arrogance is stunning.

    Comment by mary — March 25, 2011 @ 9:46 am

  10. I wonder if Jim was notified when the Executive Director position was reinstated. How many people involved with this organization’s Board of Directors have left to avoid scrutiny on this matter?

    Comment by doubleseetripleeye — March 25, 2011 @ 10:26 am

  11. The situation really stinks of corruption!

    Comment by LTR — March 25, 2011 @ 11:36 am

  12. 2c3i,

    I contacted Jim Brannon and asked him if he had been notified when the HFHNI Executive Director position was recreated. He said he had not been notified. I don’t know the answer to the second question.

    Comment by Bill — March 25, 2011 @ 12:06 pm

  13. People do vote here and they vote intelligently. The problem is that when this happens, the fix is already in.

    Comment by Stebbijo — March 26, 2011 @ 4:16 pm

  14. Does anyone know if Jim Brannon has filed a tort claim against the city of Coeur d’Alene? I’m sure he could use a $69,600 campaign contribution just as much as Mike Kennedy.

    Comment by doubleseetripleeye — March 26, 2011 @ 10:25 pm

  15. I heard yesterday afternoon that Marci Schreiber has resigned the Executive Director Position at Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho. Can anyone verify?

    Comment by doubleseetripleeye — April 7, 2011 @ 12:04 am

  16. 2c3i,

    She is still listed as the Executive Director on the Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho website.

    If it turns out she has resigned, it would be interesting to know why. It will also be interesting to see if HfHNI offers the position to Jim Brannon. If you believe Rick Shipman’s comments reported in the local news/views/skewspaper made shortly after HfHNI fired Brannon, the HfHNI Board of Directors really didn’t want to fire him; the decision was purely fiscal. Of course, the believability of that assertion is undermined by the fact that just a few months after “eliminating” the Executive Director position for “fiscal reasons,” HfHNI quietly un-eliminated it and filled it without contacting Brannon and giving him an opportunity to re-apply.

    Comment by Bill — April 7, 2011 @ 7:22 am

  17. 2c3i,

    After your post on April 7, I sent an email to Marci Schreiber at her Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho email address. The body of my email read

    I was told that you are no longer the Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho. Is that correct? If so, why are you no longer the Executive Director? Have you been replaced? By whom?

    I received the following reply from Marci Schreiber via email today:

    I’d like to direct you to the Chair of our Board of Directors, Eula Hickam,
    for the answers to your questions. Her contact information is below:

    Eula Hickam
    ehickam@roadrunner.com
    208-661-3228

    Thank you,
    Marci

    Marci Schreiber, MA, LEED AP
    Executive Director | Habitat for Humanity North Idaho
    http://www.northidahohabitat.org | What will you build?

    A regular reader of OpenCda has also told me that Marci Schreiber is still the Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho.

    Comment by Bill — April 8, 2011 @ 11:36 am

  18. Bill, have you contacted Eula Hickam?

    Comment by doubleseetripleeye — April 9, 2011 @ 8:34 am

  19. 2c3i,

    Yes, I emailed her as Ms. Schreiber suggested. I asked Ms. Hickam to confirm or refute that Ms. Schreiber was still the Executive Director of HfHNI. I also asked if Ms. Schreiber had indicated she would be leaving that position on a date certain, in other words, had she submitted her resignation. Ms. Hickam’s only reply was, “Why do you care?”

    Comment by Bill — April 9, 2011 @ 9:40 am

  20. Why do you care?”

    So Habitat For Humanity, North Idaho Division, continues to sully the reputation of an otherwise internationally distinguished organization. Sad. Very sad.

    Comment by Dan — April 9, 2011 @ 1:57 pm

  21. Bill, apparently, Habitat of North Idaho has a current opening for a bookkeeper. I am sorry for the confusion, but what a totally unprofessional response from Eula Hickam. I have met her and I know that although she is the current president of this housing organization, she does not own real property in the area. She lives in a mobile home park. She has also stated publicly that she would never vote for a Republican, no wonder Jim Brannon got canned. Dan, I agree. Sad. Very sad.

    Comment by doubleseetripleeye — April 9, 2011 @ 11:04 pm

  22. Dan,
    You should be the first to realize that one does NOT question those that have a BS in “BS”. In their mind, they are superior since they have that degree and “know” what is best for EVERYone else whether we like it or not. After all, we ARE just the tax payers one and all that foot the bill. Right JohnA?

    Comment by concerned citizen — April 10, 2011 @ 6:44 am

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