Time to speak up
To the editor:
It is my turn to speak up and thank those of you who have devotedly supported Sheri and myself for our dedication to the Beacon of HOPE and to clarify in my words why I left the Beacon.
Unfortunately, there are too many misconceptions and un-truths going around as to why I left. It was not because of my husbands health and I hope not because I wasn’t qualified due to the Beacon becoming a United Way House. However, if my back ground of 40 years of retail experience and a degree in retail merchandising, owning my own business, including being the top sales organization in Cleveland, Ohio, 4-plus years on the board of a major Big Sister organization, in charge of the gubernatorial campaign in Cyahoga County, Ohio, and multiple years of book keeping experience was not enough to qualify me to run the thrift store at the Beacon, perhaps I should apologize! My philosophy was to listen to what the customers wanted, and what I believed worked for Pine Island, not what Goodwill thought we should do. With that in mind, perhaps I didn’t always agree with some on the board. Beacon customers were what was important to me. The 40 volunteers were equally important to me. And, most important, the mission of the Pine Island Long Term Recovery Organization was important to me. Additionally, ethics are extremely important to me.
I did resign. I wrote my resignation due to “incompatibility” and irreconcilable differences. Why did I do that? Because I was tired of being insulted, threatened to be fired and asked to do things that I, my husband and my attorney felt were inappropriate business practices.
I bear no ill will against the Beacon of HOPE and I wish them only the very best, and time will tell if the direction it is taking is the right one for Pine Island.
Barb Peckinpaugh
Bokeelia