• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Fired CEO Defends Work at Des Moines, Iowa, Job Training Center

Posted on: Thursday, 13 April 2006, 00:00 CDT

By Charlotte Eby, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa

Apr. 12--DES MOINES -- The fired CEO of a scandal-plagued job training center said the agency was a "well-run machine" and argued she deserved the more than $360,000 a year she earned in salary and bonuses.

Ramona Cunningham described to a legislative panel Tuesday how she worked her way up as a secretary with a GED to become the director of the Central Iowa Employment and Job Training Consortium.

"CIETC is a very good agency and it does wonderful things," Cunningham told members of the Legislature's Government Oversight Committee, which is holding hearings on the salary scandal.

The nonprofit agency was charged with providing job training services paid for with federal money. The Iowa Workforce Development, a state agency, had been in charge of monitoring spending at the program.

But a report issued last month by State Auditor David Vaudt found that Cunningham and two other top executives at CIETC made a total of $1.8 million for more than two and a half years.

CIETC's board of directors voted to fire Cunningham and the other two CIETC employees receiving excessive salaries Friday. The director and deputy director of the Iowa Workforce Development also were forced to resign in the wake of the scandal.

When asked how she could justify the bonuses for her and top CIETC employees, Cunningham said they were included in employment contracts that had been approved by the U.S. Department of Labor.

"I feel that I earned it," Cunningham said.

When asked whether she planned to pay back any of the money, Cunningham's lawyer stepped in and said she shouldn't have to answer the question.

Flanked by her attorney, Cunningham ran down a Capitol hallway away from reporters and television cameras after her testimony and refused to answer additional questions.

Lawmakers who watched Cunningham testify said she was mistaken to believe she was entitled to such a large salary.

"I think she's living in a different world than I am," said Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo. "I think that's pretty much ridiculous. I'm sure that's her story, and she's sticking to it, but nobody else is buying it."

Rep. Cindy Winckler, a Davenport Democrat who serves on the committee, said it appears Cunningham has the documentation to prove she got proper approval for her pay and bonuses.

Winckler said that means better accounting measures must be put in place.

"We want to make sure it never happens again," Winckler said.

Rep. Dwayne Alons, a Hull Republican who chairs the oversight committee, said by Cunningham's estimation, she deserves to be earning more than the presidents at Iowa's Regents universities.

"I think she's clearly deluded herself about her qualifications and the magnitude of this job she's been appointed to," Alons said.

Alons said it would be a good faith gesture if Cunningham would pay back part of the money and might keep Cunningham out of court.

Archie Brooks, the former chairman of CIETC's board of directors also testified for lawmakers Tuesday, acknowledging he signed off on the salaries and bonuses. Brooks resigned from the board last week after the scandal broke.

Brooks, a Democrat and Des Moines City Councilman, said he had known Cunningham for years.

The pair did go on one date together, Brooks said, but did not date again.

"Put it this way," Brooks said, "When I was off the board, not on the Des Moines City Council, and my wife and I separated, we went out for one date."

Brooks said his brother was hired at CIETC but it was not when he was a member of the council or CIETC board. And Brooks said he recommended his stepdaughter for a job at CIETC, which he said in hindsight was not a good idea.

"I recommend a lot of people for different jobs in different areas," Brooks said.

-----

To see more of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wcfcourier.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Source: Waterloo Courier

More News in this Category