Arts Council of Beaufort County firing raises questions over group's bylaws

The head of a local organization charged with promoting the arts in Beaufort County said Thursday her firing this week was not done in accordance with the nonprofit group's bylaws.

Laura Maxey, managing director for the Arts Council of Beaufort County, also known as ARTworks, said she was dismissed as the group's director in a meeting Tuesday with board president Dick Stewart. Maxey is the second person in a leadership position to be fired in less than two years. The organization typically employs a staff of two.

The decision to fire her, Maxey said, was made without the full 10-member board's awareness or approval, something the bylaws call for.

But Stewart, a developer and longtime supporter of the arts in the county, said the decision was not an individual one and that the board was aware of the decision.

He said the council has plans to ramp up its focus on education and expand classes and programming, including working to develop "a supporting role" with the University of South Carolina Beaufort.

"Laura had indicated she had a love of theater and didn't want to be running a school," Stewart said by phone Thursday."Beyond that are some personnel issues that we can't talk about," he said, declining to speak further about Maxey's job performance.

Maxey said Stewart stopped by the organization's offices in Beaufort Town Center early Tuesday morning along with board member Jim Matte.

A few minutes later, in a meeting that included just her and Stewart, Maxey said she was told she was being let go.

Maxey said Stewart -- or any other board members -- had not expressed concerns before about her job performance.

She said Stewart gave her a letter that said a change in leadership had become necessary as "the Arts Council evolves and its mission grows."

Maxey asserts the organization's bylaws weren't followed. Those bylaws say the council board controls "the property, affairs and business of the council" and that the board "shall have the power to appoint subordinate officers and engage such staff employees to conduct business" ..."subject to the board's approval and responding solely to the board."

"But I won't be responding to assertions," Stewart said. Any question about whether the bylaws were upheld sounded "like a legal question which would need legal counsel," he said.

"I received notice from at least three board members expressing their shock and surprise," said Maxey of her firing. She provided emails and social media messages from board members Greg Rawls, Steve Giove and Terry Herron. Two of them -- Rawls and Giove -- declined further comment. Herron was out of the country and couldn't be reached for comment.

Other members of the board -- Marc Hayward and Diane Britton Dunham -- reached Thursday were unwilling to comment. Board members Charlie Calvert, Matte, Claudette Humphrey and Courtney Worrell couldn't be reached.Lisa Annelouise Rentz, who handled public relations and communications for the arts council from 2006 to 2014 was also let go by the council.

Rentz, who writes an arts column for The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette, said her termination came from the full board. The makeup of that board was different than the current one, she said.

Rentz at first expressed surprised at Maxey's dismissal, but then added, "This turnover of staff at organizations in Beaufort is nothing new, unfortunately."

Maxey met her replacement at the same meeting as her firing, she said.

Kimberly Sullivan, a Beaufort artist with a background in arts education, will replace Maxey.

Maxey said the council should follow ethical practices as outlined by the S.C. Association of Nonprofit Organizations. She said the Arts Council became SCANPO members during her year and a half tenure as director.

"Nonprofits, by nature, exist to serve the public good and should practice accountability and transparency," she said citing the organization's website.

The council receives A-tax money in the form of grants from both the city and the county. In addition, the nonprofit receives support from such organizations as The Coastal Community Foundation Beaufort Fund, The SC Arts Commission, The Colleton County Arts Council and The Keyserling Foundation, according to its website.

"All of these things should be done with an awareness of the public in mind," she said. "There's a reason we have bylaws."

Follow reporter Mindy Lucas at twitter.com/MindyatIPBG.

This story was originally published August 20, 2015 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Arts Council of Beaufort County firing raises questions over group's bylaws."