As reported in multiple media (Chicago Tribune, New York Times etc.) the former Miss America who has been leading the charge against her own and many other women by the Miss America Organization is reinforcing her position that the remaining board of the nonprofit step down AND she will not help these members identify new leaders (an exec, a chair). Her position as noted in the following Chicago Tribune article is that all members are responsible for the bad behavior of the organization - whether or not they knew about or were involved in the misdeeds. Ms. Hagan offers that silence is in itself complicity.
Note to nonprofit boards everywhere - do you know what you need to know about your work culture and are you at least clear about what standards and values you have set and have a method for determining if these are being followed?
Here's the Chicago Tribune story:
A former Miss America whose appearance and sex life was ridiculed in emails sent by officials of the Miss America Organization says the group's request to enlist former pageant winners in the search for new leaders is "laughable" and insulting.
Mallory Hagan told The Associated Press on Thursday that the offer made Wednesday night by the remaining members of the group's board is insulting to anyone who ever competed or volunteerred in the pageant.
"The statement from the remaining Miss America Board of Directors is an insult to every Miss America and volunteer's intelligence," she said. "Implying that the complicit members of the current board will now choose the new leadership for the forward movement of the Miss America Organization is laughable.
The board said Wednesday it wants former Miss Americas and state directors to help in the search for new leadership, asking the groups to nominate four people to serve on a search committee that also will include two board members and a person the board members appoint.
That offer drew widespread opposition from former Miss Americas and state title winners as soon as word of it circulated.
The board was hoping for nominations for the search committee by Jan. 3, but it was not immediately clear what would happen if the former winners do not participate.