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BGonline.org Forums
USBGF Response Regarding Rod Covlin
Posted By: Perry Gartner
Date: Sunday, 2 January 2011, at 2:19 p.m.
It has been alleged that the USBGF Board of Directors acted illegally and immorally regarding Rod Covlin. These are serious allegations. Unfortunately, we have been placed into a difficult position where it is necessary to discuss a complicated and sensitive personnel issue in a public forum.
The picture painted by Rod Covlin portrays the Board as scheming behind his back and covertly meeting in secret to illegally oust him, springing the news on him as a done deal, followed by threats to cooperate or have no chance of coming back. This is not true.
Discussions with Rod and the potential need for separation for the good of the USBGF had been taking place for months, and a deadline of end-of-May 2010 had been agreed by all if there was no positive resolution to the ongoing criminal investigation into the death of his wife by the New York prosecutors (not just the NY Post articles, as some of the BGO postings suggest). As May had arrived, Rod was very much aware that the Board would be meeting to discuss this matter and specifically was aware of the exact date prior to the actual meeting. In fact, Rod himself suggested four decisions to be made at the meeting, stated that he should not be in attendance at the meeting, and stated how he would vote on each of the decisions (and that he himself would have voted for his own removal as Chairman and as Executive Director, although he would have voted to remain as a Board member). If Rod believed that holding such a meeting and voting on any of the specific questions that Rod himself set out for the Board (including removal of himself from the Chairman, President/Executive Director and Board positions) was or might have been a violation of the by-laws, wouldn’t it have been incumbent upon Rod to have flagged these issues for the Board prior to the meeting? At a minimum, Rod is in no position to question the Board for voting on the very issues he asked the Board to vote on.
On May 20 the Board decided that it was best for the fledgling organization that Rod no longer serve on the Board. The Board also at that same time made a commitment to Rod to consider his reinstatement to the Board once the investigation had been completed without charges or after his exoneration. We communicated that we would even consider expanding the number of board members if necessary to accommodate his return.
On May 30, Rod sent a letter to the members of the Board informing them of his belief that they had violated the by-laws. This was a surprise to all, particularly since Rod had asked the Board to consider the four specific issues he posed and told the Board that he would vote to remove himself as Chairman and Executive Director. Any violation that had taken place was completely unintentional and the Board was prepared to resolve it immediately in either of two ways: (1) Rescind the challenged decision, vote to amend the by-laws to permit the Board to remove a director if in the best interests of the organization, and remove Rod from the Board; (2) ask Rod if he would retroactively resign his position from the Board and thus render the whole removal question moot. On June 3, 2010, Rod informed the Board of his decision to resign his position on the Board with an effective date of May 20 - the day of the Board meeting.
Once Rod was removed other officers needed to play a more prominent role in the organization. It was discovered that Rod had obtained the USBGF’s URL and registered the trademark in his personal name, not in the name of USBGF. When we asked Rod to transfer the URL and trademark registration immediately to USBGF, Rod insisted that USBGF provide receipts with very substantial valuations for the URL and trademark registration. Several board members were quite surprised that Rod put the URL and trademark registration in his own name given his fiduciary obligation to USBGF as Chairman and Executive Director, that Rod would not transfer the URL and trademark registration immediately upon request, and that Rod sought to gain personally from the URL and trademark registration which should have been owned by USBGF.
Rod recently asked the USBGF Board to reinstate him to the Board of Directors. A member of the board asked Rod whether the criminal investigation had reached a conclusion or had been terminated. Rod was unable to provide any information that would indicate a change in status of the investigation. Due to the uncertainty related to the criminal investigation, and to the concerns held by many board members related to Rod’s handling of the USBGF’s affairs and property, the Board decided to defer the question of his reinstatement.
Rod deserves a lot of credit for playing an important leading role in the launch of the USBGF. Rod was personally involved with nominating and soliciting many of the directors of the USBGF. Rod’s removal was not considered rashly or lightly. Any potential reinstatement raises a host of complicated issues. The USBGF is off to a good start but faces many challenges in promoting the game we all love. It is unfortunate that USBGF is forced to air these sensitive personnel issues publicly. Now, it is time for everyone to move forward in a constructive and cooperative manner.
Perry Gartner President/Executve Director USBGF
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