The National Aviary's chief executive officer, Linda Dickerson, has resigned, citing incompatible differences in management style and questioning the organization's diversity, transparency and commitment to handicapped accessibility.
The aviary board, at a regularly scheduled monthly meeting yesterday evening that was closed to the public and media, moved quickly to replace her with Patrick T. Mangus. Mr. Mangus had been the chief operating officer at the aviary. He was hired in the spring of 2007 and is Ms. Dickerson's former business associate.
"While we regret Linda's departure, we are appreciative of the contributions she has made to the National Aviary and its vision during her tenure with us and we wish her all the best," Michael Flinn, chairman of the 30-member aviary board of directors, said in a statement.
Ms. Dickerson, who had been an aviary board member since 2003, became the organization's chief executive officer in March 2007. She was paid $98,000 a year.
A self-described animal lover and conservationist with an extensive resume of board memberships, Ms. Dickerson said when she was hired that it was her "perfect job." But that assessment quickly changed.
"It was the perfect job as far as the kinds of projects the aviary was doing, the remarkable staff of individuals I got to work with and the value produced for the community, conservation and research," Ms. Dickerson said in an interview yesterday. "But Mike (Flinn) and I understood from my first day there that we had very different views of the world, of how the organization should be run.
"Over time I realized we couldn't work together successfully and when that conflict became great enough, I had to leave," she said. "I wish them well. I hope they do great things. I have no animosity. This just didn't work out."
Illustrative of her differences with board leadership was handicapped access to an underwater viewing area at the aviary's new African penguin exhibit, Penguin Point. The exhibit is under construction in the first phase of a $23 million makeover of the North Side facility. She said it was a factor in her resignation.
"That (penguin exhibit) was a concern to me. The aviary should make every effort so visitors of all kinds can participate and view all exhibits," said Ms. Dickerson, 47, who has used a wheelchair her entire life because of a rare and congenital neuromuscular disease. "The issue was not just the original plans but the reaction when I pointed out the need to change them. It should not be a struggle for an organization that accepts public funding to make these types of changes."
Mr. Flinn said the designer reviewed and addressed Ms. Dickerson's concerns.
"She raised questions about that far into the design phase and slight modifications were made," said Mr. Flinn, who has been board chairman for almost two years. "The designer assured us that it is the most accessible exhibit of that kind in the U.S., fully accessible as it can be and fully in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act."
But Ms. Dickerson said the aviary's management and "value system" failed to meet her standards. Her letter of resignation, e-mailed to the aviary's board Monday evening, said she preferred to work for an institution that "embraces diversity, treats accessibility as a core value, remains committed to transparency and subscribes to best practices in governance."
She attached recommendations for better management and fundraising. Among those are to close the current capital campaign after the public phase and to delay planned renovation and construction at the 56-year-old facility. She urged enforcement of term limits for board members.
She didn't say directly if there is a problem with fundraising, but suggested the board "Fortify, rather than diminish, the Development Department," and "Concentrate heavily on building a cadre of affluent and influential individuals who will champion the National Aviary."
Mr. Flinn said the aviary has raised or had pledged $17.5 million for the $23 million renovation project from a list that includes the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Eden Hall Foundation, Heinz Endowments, Colcom Foundation, and Hillman Foundation.
Project work was originally scheduled to finish in June 2010.
At its meeting yesterday the board hired Ida D'Errico, a marketing and fundraising professional with 20 years of experience in the Pittsburgh area to direct the aviary's capital campaign and development efforts. Ms. D'Errico is the former executive vice president of the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta. It also promoted Cheryl Tracy, formerly the aviary's director of finance and human resources, to chief financial officer.
First Published: January 28, 2009, 5:00 a.m.
