Philomath, Oregon Community Services board of directors has decided to bring in a mediation attorney and is taking other action in regards to the addressing of current concerns brought to light by volunteers and program managers.

Volunteers of the nonprofit social service organization have accused board president Jeff Lamb of being verbally abusive. Lamb openly denies the allegations made against him, claiming that the board has been excluding program managers from meetings and ignoring their statements and concerns.

Managers of the Philomath Food Bank, Philomath Gleaners, June's Kid's Kloset, and Lupe Maginnis Community Garden held a public meeting during the first week of October to voice their complaints and raise the motion to force Lamb to resign. A petition was signed by 41 people calling for the resignation of the entire board.

Board Member Speaks On Civil Mediation

One board member, Marti Staprans Barlow, stated that the board has appointed mediation lawyer Cheryl R. Good to interview the parties involved and make recommendations as to what can be done to come to a resolution through a civil mediation process.

Barlow also said that the board is planning an audit to address certain financial irregularities that may be found within the programs. “We need an objective party that can make the recommendations,” she said, “Our only goal now in this matter is to resolve everyone's concerns, create a happy environment and get back to the business of helping our clients.”

Volunteers have either closed their services or resigned citing that the current board membership is impossible for them to work under.

Board Seeks Mediation Services To Resolve Issues with Volunteers

Jeff Lamb refused to give any further comment regarding the allegations of abuse and that the board would most likely issue a statement on the problem as early as next week, while Barlow claimed that the board is taking the complaints made by volunteers seriously and is doing everything they can to address them. Barlow stated “The board knows we're going to have to make changes. Dialogue is open now. We're hoping to regain the trust of volunteers.”