NASHVILLE - A Nashville lawyer who has served 26 years on a board that raises money for the Tennessee State Museum has resigned as chairman of the panel after members voted - in his absence - to give the museum's retiring executive director a $40,000-per-year job.
In a letter announcing his resignation, effective Dec. 31, as chairman of the Tennessee Museum Foundation, Bobby Thomas said: "At the age of 75, I believe it is time for new leadership to guide the Foundation's fundraising and other activities for the new museum and beyond." He will continue as a member of the board.
In an interview with the Nashville Post, Thomas, a former chairman of the Tennessee Democratic party, expanded on the letter to say he and other board leaders "are no longer of the same mind" - specifically including the vote to hire Lois Riggins-Ezzell, who is retiring effective Dec. 31, as executive director of the Tennessee State Museum.
"I have nothing but praise for the work Lois has done at the museum, but I do not think it a prudent use of the Foundation's money, which is raised through donations, to pay Lois $40,000 a year as a fundraiser when the Foundation is already paying a professional fundraising firm," Thomas said.
The foundation is currently trying to raise $40 million from private individuals and corporations to go with $120 million in taxpayer money for construction of a $160 million new museum, scheduled to open in 2018. The foundation in 2015 hired two women to head the fundraising effort, chaired by Gov. Bill Haslam, and allocated $1.75 million to pay for their efforts. No results of the fundraising effort have been disclosed so far.
Operations of the museum itself are overseen by a separate board, the Douglas Henry State Museum Commission. Former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe, who as a member of the commission has been a frequent critic of Riggins-Ezzell, said in an email he believes Thomas was prodded into resigning as chairman because the retiring museum executive director did not want him in charge of oversight into her fundraising job.
"This does not bode well for the future, in my view, in terms of fundraising and transition to the new museum. I feel it is most unfortunate and no way to treat Mr. Thomas who served 26 years on the Foundation Board. It removes the best-known Democrat working on the new museum which may be construed by some as political.
"It raises questions as to how involved Lois will continue to be once she departs at the end of December and will she interfere with the work of the new ED (executive director) whenever he/she is identified and hired. The new ED will have to wonder if Lois has really retired or simply changed titles?
"The new ED will have to wonder if Lois has really retired or simply changed titles? I think it is important we all understand what is happening here because it is too bizarre to be fabricated."
The commission is scheduled to meet Friday. Ashe said he anticipates the panel considering the hiring an interim museum executive director who would serve after Riggins-Ezzell retires and while awaiting a recommendations from a firm that is conducting a search for her successor. Ashe has also declared opposition to Riggins-Ezzell having use of the museum building for her new part-time job as a fundraiser.