Bergstrom, who was listed as late as last week on YouthPride’s website as a board member, told the GA Voice in an interview the board had not met in two years. She also said she was not aware the agency was trying to rapidly raise $40,000 to avoid closure.
GA Voice has repeatedly asked both McPhaul and YouthPride Board President Jordan Myers for the date of the last board meeting, as well as an accurate list of current, active board members.
On Monday, McPhaul couldn’t say when the board last met, though he recalled a meeting in 2010 and he didn’t think it had been two years.
“The fact of the matter is that it has not been that long. No, because one of the board members wasn’t even voted on probably until December 2010,” he said.
Asked earlier this month for a list of board members, McPhaul directed GA Voice to a list posted at the LGBT youth agency’s website.
On Jan. 13, the YouthPride website listed the board as Board President Jordan Myers, Vice President Frances-Ann Moran, Jamie Ensley, Randy New, Seth Woodard Persily, Marlys Bergstrom, Sarah Berlin, Gabriel Haggray and Theresa Willis.
Contacted by GA Voice, three — Moran, Ensley and Haggray — said they were not on the board, while Bergstrom said the board had not met for two years.
After questions from GA Voice, the list of board members on the YouthPride website was changed last week and McPhaul said via email that it was accurate.
The new list removed Haggray and Ensley, but still included Myers, Moran, Berlin, New, Willis, Persily and Bergstrom.
Persily then told GA Voice he was not a board member.
YouthPride has since posted a third board list on the website, now consisting of only Myers, Moran, Berlin, Willis and New.
McPhaul also said Monday night he is continuing to try to raise the $40,000 he said was needed to keep the agency’s doors open. He originally gave a deadline of the money needing to be raised by Dec. 31 or be closed within 60 days, but McPhaul said YouthPride continues to operate with its regular programs despite not meeting the fundraising goal.
Myers wrote Jan. 13 the board has not met regularly because he is more focused “on the financial aspect of our organization than in holding to a meeting schedule.”
Myers has declined interview requests, directing questions to McPhaul. On Monday, McPhaul, in turn, asked if Myers has reached out to answer questions about the board.
Watch the video interview of McPhaul on Monday: