Nearly a year after I was forced out of my 27 year career with the Tenant Resource Center (23 years as Executive Director), they have hired a new Executive Director! And, I got an apology.
This is hard, I want to be excited about Robin Sereno being the new Executive Director of the Tenant Resource Center, but its been a rough year (little brother died from brain cancer, abruptly illegally forced out of 23 year career and repeatedly defamed and slandered, had to end campaign to run for mayor, sister-in-law killed herself, sister went temporarily blind and was diagnosed with MS, I’ve been interviewing but still no job so I’m riding the unemployed-over-50 rollercoaster, etc) and I finally got some public acknowledgement of just how hard it has been, if not a full exoneration. (Hard to be exonerated when they can’t find much in the records.) Sigh. I have to say if it hadn’t been for the support of so many people, but especially Heidi Wegleitner, Martha Kemble, and of course, my patient and loving husband, Robert Bloch, I don’t know what I would have done. So, yes, it hard to focus on being excited about Robin getting the job at the Tenant Resource Center, but I am truly excited about it! Good things are coming for the Tenant Resource Center!
In my Facebook post I wrote this:
TRC hires Robin Sereno as new ED!!!! Yay!!!!
Let’s hope this gets TRC and the community one step closer to healing and moving on! I can’t begin to express my deep gratitude for the staff, old and new, that held things together through this unnecessarily terrible time in TRCs history. They also deserve a huge apology and thanks! Too many people lost jobs they once loved and suffered too much trauma! Thanks to the 4 of the 14 staffers that remain, and those who hung in there as long as they could! And, thanks to the new board members elected in June who have jumped into the fire!
TRC is so lucky Robin agreed to take the chance I was unwilling to take, to step up and lead this vital organization forward! TRC is in wonderfully capable hands. I am very excited about things to come – and I hope the community will continue to support the TRC as things get put back together. I look forward to working with her and the awesome TRC staff!
On a personal note, special thanks to former staffer and current board member Laura Dixson-Kruijf for all the support she has personally given me in the past few weeks and months while suffering through her own trauma. It’s been rough, she’s been a rock star!
All the details I had at the time they abruptly removed me from my job were shared are in my three part blog post from last November. Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. It remains unclear if this was a political hit because I wanted to run for mayor, done intentionally or because a group of people thought it was helpful. The alternative is that it was a sexist, ageist and terribly misguided and unqualified board of directors (elected while I was at my brother’s funeral.) Or? While I will never know why for sure, it has become clear they were truthful in that they wanted to “go in a different direction”, which were the very first words out of Michael Donnelly’s mouth. Then, I think they figured out that I had just cause protections in the by-laws and then just tried to justify their actions by any means necessary. They originally fired me for 4 reasons, then 3, then just one in the press – the most damaging, “financial mismanagement”, which is a flat out lie.
I feel absolutely terrible that my staff of 14 people were dragged through this and only 4 of them remain on staff. Staff were so stressed out and struggled mightily without leadership and support and lost jobs they loved, clients got shitty service, the organization lost 50 years of institutional knowledge, they didn’t use my consulting services and wasted so much time re-doing things and trying to figure out things I could have just told them (until I got back on the board, staff didn’t have access to my drive where I stored all my documents, or my google docs, or the wiki), grants were lost and jeopardized, they failed to apply for funding they could have gotten, they passed a budget using one-time grants I brought in to pay operating costs instead of cutting costs, they wasted money and time justifying their behavior, and they made commitments that will be hard to fulfill. Nothing really good has come of this, until now! I am looking forward to the years ahead when Tenant Resource Center finds it footing, things calm down and they continue and grow the vital work for this community with Robin at the helm!
SHORT PRESS RELEASE
Tenant Resource Center Hires Robin Sereno As New Executive Director, Thanks and Apologizes to Brenda Konkel
The Tenant Resource Center (TRC) Board of Directors is thrilled to announce Robin Sereno as new permanent Executive Director. Robin brings an incredible depth of knowledge about housing and homelessness in Dane County, and a commitment to racial and housing justice, with 20+ years of leadership in program development, research, fundraising, and direct service. She serves on numerous local boards and coalitions focusing on homelessness and anti-poverty measures. Sereno says: “I am so honored and excited to be a part of this incredibly passionate, talented and justice-driven team. I believe that as a community we agree that there is important work to be done regarding housing, which is why it is such a privilege to be in this position. I look forward to building upon the amazing work that Brenda and everyone else at the TRC has accomplished over the past 20+ years.”
“Robin impressed us with her nuanced understanding of the nature of homelessness, wisdom gained from years of working directly with the communities we serve. Her background as a counselor and her experience with marginalized communities brings a trauma-informed approach to our mission for housing justice in Wisconsin,” says Andrea Singletary, TRC Board President. “She is committed to growing and developing the agency, our staff, and herself. We’re excited for her to lead us into our next chapter.”
The Board officially commends Brenda Konkel for her incredible dedication to the TRC for the 27 years she worked for the agency, 23 as Executive Director. Konkel has remained a staunch ally of the TRC and returned after being elected to the Board in June. Since then she has continued to work relentlessly on behalf of TRC and recently stepped down as a voting Board member to onboard Sereno as she transitions into the role. “I’m excited to welcome Robin Sereno as Executive Director, and have complete confidence that she will provide strong, compassionate and thoughtful leadership to guide the Tenant Resource Center forward through the challenges that come with this new chapter,” says Konkel.
The Board also acknowledges that Konkel’s separation from TRC last fall did not involve progressive discipline, nor afford her any opportunity to understand, explain, dispute, or rectify the allegations of financial mismanagement the Board made against her. We also recognize that in choosing a mediated settlement, Konkel sacrificed her personal and professional reputation rather than risk further damage to the agency. We, the Board, apologize to Brenda Konkel for the harm she has endured as a result of this separation, and for the Board’s contributions to that harm. We pledge TRC will use progressive discipline and ethical just cause in future discipline for employees, and to prioritize anti-oppression in our strategic plan.
Throughout this year of change, TRC has maintained a vital program of services due to the incredible commitment of our unparalleled staff. We thank all staff, past and present, for their efforts. They are the glue that holds this agency together. The community is invited to celebrate their accomplishments and meet Robin Sereno at our upcoming Fall Fundraiser! Watch our Facebook page for details.
Signed,
The Tenant Resource Center Board of Directors:
Andrea Singletary, President
Justin Schober, treasurer
Zeb Patek
Joan Kemble
Laura Dixson-Kruijf
Anders Zanichkowsky
LONGER STATEMENT
Tenant Resource Center Hires Robin Sereno As New Executive Director, Thanks and Apologizes to Brenda Konkel
The Tenant Resource Center (TRC) Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the hiring of Robin Sereno as new permanent Executive Director. Robin brings an incredible depth of knowledge around housing and homelessness in Dane County, and commitment to racial and housing justice. Robin comes into the organization with 20+ years of professional leadership experience including program development, research, fundraising and direct service. She serves on numerous boards and coalitions throughout Madison and Dane County, focusing on homeless issues, eviction prevention as well as a variety of other anti-poverty measures. “I am so honored and excited to be a part of this incredibly passionate, talented and justice-driven team. I believe that as a community we agree that there is important work to be done regarding housing, which is why it is such a privilege to be in this position. I look forward to building upon the amazing work that Brenda and everyone else at the TRC has accomplished over the past 20+ years,” says Sereno.
“From our first meeting, Robin impressed us with her deep, nuanced understanding of the nature of homelessness and housing insecurity in Dane County, wisdom gained from years of working directly with the communities we serve. Her background as a counselor and her experience with marginalized communities brings a trauma-informed approach to our mission to seek housing justice in Wisconsin,” said Andrea Singletary, president of the TRC’s Board of Directors. “She’s demonstrated a strong commitment to growth and development: of the TRC as an agency, of our staff as professionals, and of herself as a leader. We’re excited for her to head the organization as we write our next chapter.” We are eager to welcome her into our agency, and hope that the TRC’s community will do so as well.
In that vein, we invite all community members to our Fall Fundraiser, date and time TBD, to meet our new Executive Director and speak to her about her vision for the TRC.
Additionally, we the Board wish to officially commend Brenda Konkel for her incredible dedication to the TRC for the 27 years she worked for this agency, with 23 years in the role of Executive Director. Brenda exhibited unrelenting selflessness during her time with our agency, working long hours with low pay, to expand the reach, scope and funding of the TRC many times over. Brenda has become one of the foremost experts on tenant-landlord law in Wisconsin over her time with the TRC. She continually encouraged staff to deepen their understanding of the law and its impact on the lives of everyday Wisconsinites. Brenda has been an impassioned and dedicated voice for some of the most marginalized members of our community, including those who experience homelessness. She has embodied the belief that we can and must provide services for individuals steeped in poverty and those who experience homelessness while preserving their dignity, compassion and hope. She has, without doubt, advanced the belief that housing is an inalienable human right.
Brenda’s separation from the TRC last fall did not involve progressive discipline, nor did it afford her the opportunity to understand, explain, dispute, or rectify the allegations of financial mismanagement made against her. We acknowledge that in choosing a mediated settlement, Brenda opted to sacrifice her personal and professional reputation rather than risk further damage to the agency.
Brenda has put the agency’s longevity and health above her own needs even as she was publicly shamed for her dedication. She remained a staunch ally of the TRC after her removal, and graciously returned to the organization after being elected to the Board in June. In the past month she has continued to work relentlessly on behalf of the TRC, agreeing to step down as a voting board member in order to be able to fully support incoming Executive Director Robin Sereno as she transitions into this role.
We, the Board, apologize to Brenda Konkel for the harm she has endured in the past year as a result of her separation from the Tenant Resource Center, and for the Board’s contributions to that harm. We commit to making progressive discipline and ethical just cause a given in any future discipline actions for any employee, and will prioritize anti-oppression measures in our upcoming strategic planning process.
In the last year, many things have been said about Brenda Konkel, but this is what we as the Board of Directors believe absolutely: Brenda has always advanced the mission of the TRC, she has worked harder than any reasonable person could expect, and she has our deep appreciation for decades to come. Brenda doubled the TRC budget in three years (2015- 2018), and tripled it in under 10 years, providing the agency with a stable base from which to grow.
Brenda Konkel’s leadership over her 27 years of service to the TRC have made us the agency we are, and we trust Robin Sereno to lead us into the future. “I’m excited to welcome Robin Sereno as Executive Director, and have complete confidence that she will provide strong, compassionate and thoughtful leadership to guide the Tenant Resource Center forward through the challenges that come with this new chapter,” says Konkel.
Throughout this year of change, we have continued to deliver services vital to our community and work towards housing justice in Wisconsin. This is due to the incredible commitment of our amazing and unparalleled staff, who have worked every day to ensure that our clients are cared for even as the agency experienced a time of instability. Moreover, staff were instrumental in our interview and hiring process. We thank all staff, past and present, for their efforts. They are the glue that holds this agency together. Today, with the hiring of Robin Sereno, we move forward as an agency that is united, committed, and more galvanized than ever to fight for justice, in a time in which it is deeply needed. We invite you to fight with us for housing justice! Come and join us in solidarity and celebration for our Fall Fundraiser. Watch our website and Facebook page for details.
Signed,
Members of the Tenant Resource Center Board of Directors:
Andrea Singletary, president
Justin Schober, treasurer
Zeb Patek
Joan Kemble
Laura Dixson-Kruijf
Anders Zanichkowsky
