Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 28, 1992 TAG: 9202280222
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MONICA DAVEY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ROANOKE'S CHAPTER LED PROTEST
In the midst of accusations, allegations and front-page headlines in The Washington Post, the United Way of Roanoke Valley was a trend-setter.It was among the first - if not the first - local United Way organization in the country to delay paying its dues to the United Way of America after revelations about the financial practices of that group's president.
Since then, United Way groups in Washington, D.C., New York City, Las Vegas, Seattle and Portland, Ore., took similar actions. So did a number of local United Ways, including groups in Richmond, Martinsville, Lynchburg, Montgomery County and Wythe County.
On Thursday, national president William Aramony resigned.
When the Roanoke board decided on Feb. 4 not to make its quarterly payments to United Way of America, it did not have trend-setting - or forcing Aramony's resignation - in mind.
"I don't know that we even thought about that," said James Arend, chairman of the United Way of Roanoke Valley.
"I think the decision of our local board was strictly that this is how we felt about the matter," he said. The local group, which is autonomous, said it wanted to see the allegations resolved before it paid up.
But, Arend admits, the move may have gotten something started and put pressure on the national group to make a change.
"I think maybe it gave some emphasis to move this thing along a little quicker because they saw the damage that this could create."
The Roanoke group, which annually pays about $44,000 - or 1 percent of what it raises - to the national organization, said it will not change its plan to delay payment just because Aramony quit.
"We haven't talked about it . . . but I believe we will continue to withhold our dues until there's a firm resolution," Arend said Thursday afternoon after Aramony's resignation announcement.
That, Arend said, would involve getting a replacement for Aramony, implementing improved policies and procedures, and allowing local United Ways more say about what's happening within the national group.
Other local United Ways said Thursday that they, too, will wait before deciding whether to resume payments to the national group after Aramony's departure.
Lynchburg's William Whelan said his group will probably wait "until we have a little bit more preciseness as to what the fixes are, what the preventive medicine is."
The United Way board in Martinsville and Henry County decided on Wednesday to delay its payment until December. That, Executive Director Amy Whitlow said Thursday, will not change.
On Thursday morning, the board from Montgomery County and Radford chose to withhold funds to the national organization.
Thursday afternoon, after Aramony's resignation, Executive Director Annette Clark said her board members would not change their minds until they hear the results of an investigation into the matter April 2.
Wythe County's executive committee made the decision to withhold funds at a special meeting Wednesday. It will wait for further information before paying up, an official there said Thursday.
Meanwhile, the Pulaski County United Way board voted against becoming a member of the United Way of America until the investigation results are released. The Pulaski group had been considering joining the national organization in March, but decided against it.
Staff writer Kim Sunderland and The Associated Press contributed information to this story.