Here Are The Facts

This time last year, no one could have imagined that the NWTF would find itself where it is today.  Under the leadership of long-time CEO Rob Keck and other long-time members of his management team, the NWTF had grown into one of – if not THE - premier conservation organizations in the country.  The NWTF was a model of how a conservation organization should be run.

Since that time, a group hostile to Rob Keck and his management team has gained control of the NWTF Board of Directors and has taken actions that have resulted in a decimation of the management team that had been at the helm of the NWTF during its years of prosperity.  The employment of Carl Brown, Chief Operating Officer and 27-year employee of the NWTF, and Dick Rosenlieb, Vice President of Sales and Marketing and 19-year employee of the NWTF, was terminated without notice on March 25, 2008.  On March 26, 2008 Rob Keck, Chief Executive Officer of the NWTF, resigned his position effective June 1, 2008.  He had warned the NWTF Board of Directors repeatedly that he would resign rather than go on as CEO without a substantial portion of his management team.

Now, NWTF’s management is in tatters.  The managers who, over the past three decades, forged what has been called the most successful wildlife conservation organization in history are gone.  The executives who played a key role in the conservation miracle of the 20^th and 21^st centuries, the magnificent restoration of the wild turkey, have been displaced. Be aware that, during Rob Keck’s 30-year tenure and Carl Brown’s 27 years of employment with the NWTF, the membership of the Federation increased from under 20,000 to well over 500,000 members. The Fund Balance (Net Worth) of the Federation increased from practically nothing to seventeen and a half million dollars at fiscal year end 2007. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been raised and spent on wild turkey research, projects and conservation during their administration. Population numbers of wild turkeys increased from 1.3 million birds to today’s number of between seven and eight million wild turkeys, an amazing feat. The State Super Fund was created, supplying millions of dollars for state and local wild turkey projects. The success of the NWTF under their management has been absolutely incredible.

Yet, now the organization finds itself facing a future without that proven leadership.

Many of you have questioned what circumstances could have brought about such a change.  Those questions have gone unanswered.

The following is an account of the events leading to the termination of Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb and the resignation of Rob Keck.  The NWTF is not owned by the NWTF Board of Directors.  The NWTF is owned by its members.    Therefore, we believe that it is important that NWTF members know what has been and is going on regarding the management of the NWTF.

Events began at the fall meeting of the NWTF Board on October 26, 2007.  Immediately prior to that meeting, Rob Keck was pressured by members of the Board of Directors to fire Chief Operating Officer, Carl Brown, and NWTF Chief Financial Officer, James Sparks.  The members making that demand were not operating with the authorization of the full Board.  It was alleged that these two executives were guilty of fraud and misappropriation of membership donations.  Rob Keck was aware of the circumstances around which the allegations were made refused and did not believe his employees were guilty of any wrongdoing.  He refused to fire the two men, and submitted his own resignation in protest.

Toward the end of the meeting Rob Keck was persuaded to withdraw his resignation and did so.  Then, a motion was made by a member of the Board that Rob Keck’s resignation as CEO be accepted and that the Chairman of the Board, Jere Peak, be made the acting Chief Executive Officer of the NWTF.  After lengthy discussion, this motion was defeated by the narrow margin of 9 to 7 and the NWTF Management Team remained in place, at least at that point in time.

This lengthy and stormy meeting was recorded, at least in part, on tape.  Following the meeting, NWTF Treasurer, Earl Groves, insisted that the minutes be transcribed by a court stenographer and that was done.  Unfortunately, for unknown reasons, the tape recorder was turned off during substantial portions of the meeting.  However, for all of the meeting that was taped, an accurate and official account of the proceedings exists.  These minutes bear out what is stated here.

Following the October 26, 2007 meeting, Board Member Marvin Hartley wrote letters to the NWTF Chairman, the NWTF Acting President and NWTF Treasurer listing his concerns of possible misdeeds on the part of NWTF Management that were raised during this meeting.  He listed a number of concerns and demanded that his concerns be investigated.  His concerns centered around the manner in which the NWTF dealt with “donated” memberships, of which there are a large number each year.   The NWTF had a practice of randomly assigning names to donated memberships if the donated membership ultimately didn’t get attached to an applicant.  The allegation was that the NWTF national organization was falsifying records in order to increase the amount of funds directed to the national office.  In fact, the donated memberships were “membership” dollars, and therefore already allocated to the national organization, regardless of whether or not a name was ever attached to them.  The practice on which the allegations of fraud were based had no impact whatsoever on the allocation of funds.

As required by the NWTF Constitution and By-Laws, NWTF Treasurer, Earl Groves, brought in outside experts to examine Mr. Hartley’s concerns and to determine whether there was any possible wrongdoing on the part of the NWTF management.  Those brought in to investigate were Kenneth Poston from the McDonald, Patrick Law Firm in Greenwood, South Carolina to investigate the legal aspects and Charles Schultze, Senior Partner of Elliot-Davis & Company, Certified Public Accountants, also of Greenwood, South Carolina.  Mr. Schultze is also a Certified Fraud Examiner.

A thorough investigation by these experts disclosed no irregularities of any sort on the part of NWTF management.  Rob Keck’s management group received a completely clean bill of health.  Mr. Schultze stated that the NWTF, during Rob Keck’s tenure as CEO, was one of the best run companies he has ever examined.

Despite the findings in the two investigations that no wrongdoing had occurred, the Board Members hostile to the Rob Keck management team continued to be critical of management.  Then, at the February Board Meeting at the NWTF Convention in Atlanta, Georgia the group hostile to NWTF management gained total control of the NWTF Board.

A meeting of the NWTF Board was scheduled for March 25, 2008 in Edgefield.  The group hostile to the Rob Keck management team had brought on a new corporate attorney in January.  This attorney wrote letters to the CEO and to the members of the NWTF Board advising that the employment of Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb be terminated.

The reason given for their termination was a safari trip taken by Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb approximately two years previously.  The implication was that Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb accepted free or discounted goods from an organization that does or was seeking to do business with the NWTF.

The attorney’s letter stated that he had investigated the matter of the safari trip.  However, Mark Bunting, the person who purchased the hunt, has stated in a letter that he was never contacted.  The hunt was donated to the NWTF by an African outfitter, Wintershoek Safaris, and was auctioned off at a Ladies Hunt Auction at a NWTF Convention.  The owner of Wintershoek Safaris has also communicated in writing that he was never contacted in connection with the investigation.  Mark Bunting bid in the hunt and paid for it.  NWTF received the proceeds of the hunt.  Mark was unable to make the trip, so he gave the hunt to his good friend, Dick Rosenlieb.  The hunt included two hunters, so Dick invited Carl Brown to go with him.  Why wouldn’t Mark Bunting be perfectly within his rights to give away his hunt or Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb within their rights to accept it?  Certainly, the NWTF did nothing but profit from this event.

Additionally, the outfitter, who initially donated the trip to the NWTF to be auctioned, does not do business with the NWTF and is not seeking to do business with the NWTF.  Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb did not accept any discounted or free goods from an company or individual that does or is seeking to do business with the NWTF in relation to this safari trip or in connection with any other matter.  The daily rate was waived, however this is a common practice, as has been confirmed by the owner of Wintershoek in writing.

The attorney’s letters also charge that Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb pressured employees regarding an employee survey by the Krisner Group. The Krisner Group is a firm in Tallahassee, Florida who describes itself on its letterhead as “An Employment Law Boutique.” This firm is not licensed to practice law in the state of South Carolina. The Krisner Group was awarded a contract on November 5, 2007 for a very large amount of money over a three year period. This contract was signed by the NWTF Chairman of the Board and the NWTF Acting President. Some of the NWTF Board Members serving at that time felt that this was not a prudent use of hard-earned money raised by the NWTF volunteers across the country. The amount of the contract was later reduced but remained a very large amount of money.

Brown and Rosenlieb filed suits against the National Wild Turkey Federation on April 24, 2008 alleging several causes of action.  Richard A. Harpootlian, a prominent South Carolina attorney, who has handled many high profile cases, is representing Brown and Rosenlieb.

Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb were left with no choice but to file suit if they were to vindicate themselves for the wrong done to them.  If they win substantial judgments against the National Wild Turkey Federation, the NWTF may be placed in severe financial jeopardy as a result.

During this tumultuous period, several NWTF directors sided with Rob Keck and his management team.  Michael Tull, Earl Groves, Dave Mahlke and Joe Bland defended and tried to prevent any effort to unseat Rob’s group.  Unfortunately, hostile directors in the majority prevailed over them, and Rob and most of his management team are gone.

As to the stance of the other NWTF directors, they will have to speak for themselves.  Be aware that some directors have resigned and others have been elected since October 26, 2007. An indication of the sentiment among these other directors can be drawn from the minutes of the NWTF Board meeting that took place at the Convention in Atlanta in February.

These minutes show that, at this meeting, the NWTF Nominating Committee recommended Vince Rosdahl for the one-year term vacancy on the Board.  (Vince Rosdahl is the director who, at the NWTF Board meeting on October 26, 2007, made the motion that the resignation of Rob Keck, as CEO, be accepted and that he be replaced by Jere Peak, the Chairman of the Board, to serve as Acting CEO of the NWTF.  Rosdahl resigned his position as director following that meeting.)  To oppose Rosdahl, for the one year term, Michael Tull nominated Glenn “Bubba” Harrelson, a former NWTF President and Chairman.  Pursuant to a secret ballot vote, Vince Rosdahl was elected by a majority (12 to 4) to complete the one-year unexpired term.  Obviously, a big majority of the Board voted for a candidate who previously had tried to remove Rob Keck as CEO.

Sixteen directors were present and voted on this occasion.  It should be noted that, of the 2008 Board, four directors had not taken office and did not; therefore, participate in this vote.  Fourteen members of the 2008 Board, however, did take part in this vote. Two of them, Michael Tull and Earl Groves, have since resigned in protest.  Other changes took place at this Atlanta meeting, Joe Bland was not reelected to the Board.  Earl Groves was replaced as Treasurer by Vince Rosdahl.

This is a true account of what has happened at the NWTF to create the mess we are in today.  The big question is what can be done about it?  Can anything be done to save the National Wild Turkey Federation from total disaster?

Yes, TEAM UP with Take Back the NWTF.  The corporation is organized, and at all times shall be operated, exclusively for the promotion of social welfare and specifically to ensure that the National Wild Turkey Federation (the "Federation") conducts and observes the Federation's purposes and mission as outlined in the Federation's charter and other governing instruments and operates in a manner that effectively conducts the Federation's conservation mission.  The corporation is not organized for the purpose of carrying on a trade or business for profit.  No part of the net earnings of the corporation shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributed to, its directors, officers, trustees, employees, agents or other private shareholders or persons, except that the corporation shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for goods and services rendered and to make distributions in furtherance of its purposes.

DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE VERSION HERE