Buffalo Rising covered the story with Elena's post this morning - here.Michael Gainer, founder of Buffalo ReUse, was canned from the organization he envisioned and made reality by interim executive director Harvey Garrett. For full satisfaction, you’ll need to follow this story as it unfolds online on various blogs. (Try WNYMedia.net for starters.) But here are the bare bones:
Gainer was replaced as executive director in January by his board of directors, with which he’d had a contentious relationship. The board accused Gainer of poor financial management—a charge to which Gainer pleads guilty—while he suspected the board was more interested in bottom lines than in what he regards as the raisons d’etre for Buffalo ReUse: community development, neighborhood building, job training. Gainer was demoted to operations manager, and West Side housing activist Garrett was named ED. According to Garrett, Gainer continued to put Buffalo ReUse in legal and financial jeopardy, and his relationship with the board grew worse. Gainer says he felt undermined by both Garrett and the board, and that what he’d needed all along was a financial manager to put the organization’s books in order—not to be replaced. Last week, Garrett says, Gainer was put on unpaid leave, for reasons he would not divulge. On Monday, Garrett says the board told him to dismiss Gainer. Both Gainer and the board have released statements about the dismissal. Many members of the organization are furious. Many ReUse employees feel at sea. This is an interesting and fraught moment for ReUse, a young, celebrated not-for-profit; for Gainer, its dynamic but somewhat flawed founder; and for Garrett, a popular community activist with his reputation on the line.
