Syracuse, N.Y. - The controversy over the termination of the just-hired executive director of the Central New York SPCA is not why a high-profile board member has resigned.
“I felt it was time,” says former Onondaga County Executive Nick Pirro. “There was other things going on in my life that I needed to devote more time to.”
Pirro served as the public face and the interim-director of the embattled organization after the previous director, Paul Morgan, orchestrated a scheme that stole $900,000 from the shelter to fuel his gambling habit.
The board fired executive director Kerrin Conklin at their meeting Wednesday night. Pirro says he had discussed his decision to retire from the board late last month, before the Conklin controversy came up. Pirro says he totally supports the board's decision and remains a strong advocate of the organization.