DATE: Tuesday, September 16, 1997           TAG: 9709160285

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY MATTHEW DOLAN, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   69 lines

HOUSING AGENCY STAFFERS TO HOLD A GRIPE SESSION DIRECTOR SHOCKED TO LEARN HE'S THE SUBJECT OF TODAY'S SNAP MEETING.

The Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority will hold a special meeting at 5:30 today for employees to vent their gripes about their boss, executive director Douglas Falkner, according to an internal memo.

``Any employee who would like to express a complaint or their concerns on this matter to the board should plan to attend this meeting,'' read the blue-paper notice posted on the back of the authority office's front door.

Falkner, who was unaware of the emergency board meeting until he returned Monday evening from his daughter's wedding in Los Angeles, said he was ``floored'' by the announcement.

``I really don't have any details about that special board meeting. I am just as much in the dark as you are,'' he said.

Though some of his 71 employees have misconstrued his outgoing efforts as a boss, he said, his staff is ``making some real positive improvements'' under his leadership.

Authority Chairman Roland L. Thornton, whose name was on the meeting announcements, said he called the meeting after a discussion with fellow commissioner Helen L. Spruill.

``No employees have approached me,'' Thornton said, adding that Spruill had brought employee concerns to his attention. ``Everyone has been told about problems, but I'm the chairman. I shouldn't get this information second-hand. They should come to me.''

In separate telephone interviews, Thornton and Spruill said the specific matters to be addressed at tonight's meeting were ``personnel issues'' and therefore still not public information.

This is not the first time the board has held a special meeting on Falkner, who was hired as executive director in March.

Commissioners learned in mid-April that questions about the accuracy of his resume may have cost him his job in Illinois and cost him consideration for another in New York.

The nine-member authority, which oversees housing assistance programs for about 2,100 city residents, eventually voted unanimously to affirm Falkner's employment during a special meeting on April 14.

In spite of tonight's meeting, Thornton strongly defended Falkner Monday, describing his tenure as positive.

``One of the problems might be that persons weren't working up to their full potential. He has sought to get them working at their full potential. I think he might have rubbed some people the wrong way,'' he said.

But Thornton also confirmed that a committee, headed by Authority Vice Chairman Robert L. Samuel, has been investigating an employee's complaint against Falkner.

``We have a committee handling that. . . . Much of this stuff is handled in executive session,'' he said. ``I don't have any comment until they make a report.''

Thornton said the committee's findings are expected to be presented to the full board at the regular monthly meeting Wednesday.

Several other commissioners who were reached Monday said they were baffled by Monday's announcement. Commissioner Charles F. Sanford III, reached by telephone Monday morning, said he had not even heard about the hastily called gathering.

``I just got into town . . . I don't know what the meeting is about,'' said commissioner John E. Hayslett. ``There were no details per se . . . I was pretty surprised.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

The Virginian-Pilot/File photo

Douglas Falkner, left, the executive director of Chesapeake

Redevelopment and Housing Authority visits a property with

commission chairman Roland L. Thornton.

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