Open letter to ABGA Board
"ABGA office fires Brenda  Pullin and many ABGA members are very upset"

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Jack Mauldin
October 12, 2009

 

This week we started receiving emails from ABGA members telling us Brenda Pullin was fired from the ABGA office and they are very upset over the firing.  This was the first we had heard of this and we certainly don't know if the firing was justified or not. However, we are hearing third or fourth hand that Brenda was not given a good reason for the firing. What we have been told is the ABGA office manager told her she was being fired for "past history". If that is true, that is certainly too vague to cause her to be fired. Anita is always the one from our family that works with the ABGA office and she said Brenda is great to work with and very helpful. Other people have said Brenda is one of the most knowledgeable people in the ABGA office. We are not hearing anyone that is happy to see that she has been fired.

One of our big concerns goes back to a past ABGA Executive Director, Robert Swize. For years, a large number of ABGA members and directors tried to get him fired for major problems he caused within ABGA and they were all fully documented and put before the board over and over again. They did nothing except continue to give him big raises and bonuses. Finally, after major changes on the board, Robert was not fired but paid two years salary to leave. When that new board was put in place, they said that what Robert had done in the past had to be put aside and try to work with him in the future. The differences between these treatments is like night and day. We stood before the ABGA board and listed the problems, in writing, detailing the facts of each issue and Robert's poor actions that caused each one. Robert was in the room and heard all of this. Now Brenda is being fired for her "past history" and she does not even have a right to know what that means.

I would call on the ABGA board to look into this immediately. At a minimum, Brenda deserves to know the specifics of the cause for her being fired. If there was a problem in the past, why wasn't it handled then instead of now. I don't want the ABGA board telling the world what the reasons were if they end up agreeing with the firing. If Brenda is told the specifics, she can decide if she wants the ABGA members to hear them. If she disagrees with the reason, she can let the members know and then the members can decide if they want to raise an issue. I would say I would be willing to allow a director, that is trustworthy, tell the members if they think the firing is justified however it is becoming harder and harder to know which directors you can really trust to be working for the members instead of special interests.

 I would also call on the members to start asking around about Brenda being fired. Much of the things we found about Robert Swize came from members asking around. You can also find out that there might not be any real reason for Brenda being fired. I have real concerns with this firing coming about after some new directors have been put on the current board. We have been very happy with Brenda's service and we want to know that there was a very valid reason for the firing or else give her back her job and fire the person that fired her.

Below are two of the emails we have received on this subject.
On Thu, 10/8/09, Reggie Pillans <regbcb@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

From: Reggie Pillans <regbcb@yahoo.com>
Subject: Fw: Brenda Pullin-fired
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009, 5:20 PM

 

Below you will find an email that I sent to the ABGA board of directors. If you agree with this email, please respond by fowarding to as many members as you can ASAP.  Have them place
 
their name,
phone number and
member number .
 
email to me at regbcb@yahoo.com  and I will compile the list into a excel spread sheet using the email as a valid signature, to be fowarded to Troy Veal, President ABGA.
 
Reggie Pillans
254 725 4168
member #10655

--- On Thu, 10/8/09, Reggie Pillans <regbcb@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

From: Reggie Pillans <regbcb@yahoo.com>
Subject: Brenda Pullin
To:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2009, 4:15 PM

 
ABGA board members, based on a conversation I had on Wednesday the 7th of October 2009 with Brenda  Pullin, there has been a great injustice done  to her by the office manager, Sandy Smith. It is my understanding that Brenda was let go due to "past history" what ever that means. If it was" past history" then it needs to stay as "past history". If, and I say if she needed to be terminated in the past, then it should have been done then not at a later date.
 
I have managed  from 10 to 20 people in the communication industry for 15 years before my retirement.  If there was a problem with a person, they were handled with what the industry calls "positive discipline" meaning: first they were talked with about the situation, it was documented and put in their personal file as a warning, second time it was a written letter about the situation, filed in their personal file, third time they were give one day off, with pay to think about "do they want to work here" and placed on probation for one year.   If there was any type of discipline problem within that year they were terminated.  They were given every opportunity to "get it right" or leave, this did not happen with Brenda.
 
Brenda needs to be reinstated with pay as soon as possible. 
I plan to start a petition on Brenda's behalf to have her reinstated, with pay.
 
I can be reached by phone 254 725 4168 or email regbcb@yahoo.com.
 
thank you for your time
member in good standing #10655
Reggie Pillans
Hello Reggie and to whom it may concern, I can't get over the fact that this has happened to Brenda of all people. Brenda has bent over backwards for ABGA not to mention how willing she is to take care of any issues that may arise and resolve them if at all possible in a first class way. Brenda always makes every member feel like they are part of this association including down to the youngest member all the kids loves Brenda. Sierra was hart broke hearing about Brenda loosing her job. I don't understand why Brenda isn't office manager of the ABGA any way. Brenda knows the ABGA inside and out and she could run that office better than any one they could find for the job. Why wasn't she offered this position in the first place? If Brenda did something bad enough to be let go then why can't she be given a reason for this action other than past history. that's lame. Sounds like some kind of personal grievance against Brenda to me. I know Brenda and I don't think she did any thing to bring this on. I would venture to say that 99.99% of the members would stand by Brenda on this. All the ones that know her any way and knows how much the ABGA means to her. Brenda is first class and the people who know her will vouch for that. How long has Sandie Smith been with ABGA 5,6 months? Brenda has been with ABGA 6 years? I don't know Sandy personally and don't have any thing against her other than what she has done to Brenda but I think the ABGA members, which is the ABGA and the board members needs to get to the bottom of this FAST. Brenda needs to be reinstated without missing a pay check. Come on members get behind Brenda on this She would for you. God bless Brenda.
 
    Shawn Black
    Member # 12309