More news on SFWA’s Board of Directors (vote totals were posted in this article): Secretary Catherine Mintz (who was just re-elected) has announced her intention to decline the position when the new Board takes office on 1 July. Western Regional Director Sheila Finch, who is continuing in her three-year term, has announced her resignation effective 30 June, the end of the current fiscal year.
Both resignations appear to have arisen from disagreements over the use of SFWA’s Legal Fund and Vice President-elect Andrew Burt’s proposed “Shades of Gray” anti-piracy technique.
In a public posting, Finch responded to a question asking if the resignations might be withdrawn by saying: “I have no intention of changing that decision. I’m not convinced the original decision about [Andrew] Burt’s ‘invention’ was a conflict of interest; early communications with SFWA’s attorney didn’t seem to indicate that. But from that point on irregularities occurred, and the subsequent barrage of insults, attacks and obfuscation has sickened me. I’ve served SFWA in one capacity or another for 25 years. This one is the last.” She continued: “None of this should stand in the way of a new author deciding to join SFWA. The organization—in spite of a few bad (and often vocal) apples—does good work.”
Commenting on the events that precipitated their resignations, President-elect Michael Capobianco told SFScope: “I believe that SFWA’s Board entered into the deal with the best of intentions. SFWA’s infrastructure problems and lack of institutional memory made it difficult to reconstruct the paper trail, which was at least in part responsible for the confusion and acrimony that followed. I’m confident that the matter will be resolved before the new officers’ terms start on July 1.”
Of the resignations, Capobianco said, “I very much regret the resignations of Sheila Finch and Catherine Mintz, and I hope they will reconsider. They have both been excellent officers, and their experience on the Board is badly needed.” Outgoing Vice President Howard V. Hendrix added “I’ve been honored to serve with Catherine and Sheila. Good people, who have put the welfare of the organization before their own for quite a long time now. It’s been a trying year for our organization in many ways, but Sheila and Catherine have never flagged in their service to SFWA. The organization has benefitted from their experience and wisdom. Their presence on the Board will be missed.”
A coincident, but unrelated, resignation is that of Eastern Regional Director Diane Turnshek. She has been planning to resign for purely personal reasons since before last weekend’s Nebula Awards event (which she coordinated). She expects to submit her letter of resignation (effective 30 June) next week. She said “the Board has known for months and both [outgoing President] Robin [Wayne Bailey] and Michael [Capobianco] are fine with Bud Sparhawk replacing me.”
At press time, Capobianco, Hendrix, Turnshek, and incoming Canadian Regional Director Chris Atack were the only SFWA officers to respond to this story, though Atack had no comment.
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Edited on 1 July to add this link to a new article detailing the replacement officers.