BREWARD moe BERTHA W. HENRY, County Administrator ‘ are ots. Andrews Avenue, Room 409 « Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 (954-357-7362 « FAX 954-3! May 27, 2015 Mindy Shrago, Executive Director/CEO Young at Art Museum 751 SW 121 Avenue Davie, FL 33325 Dear Ms. Shrago: In light of several communications regarding the consultant's report, most recently a letter sent to Ms. Linda Carter of the Community Foundation, | wanted to take the opportunity to correspond with you directly. Since you were not in attendance at the meetings | had with Executive Committee members, it is my hope that this letter will clarify my comments and intentions. First, | indicated to members of your executive committee that if it were shown that the report contained documented and proven inaccuracies, | would ask the consultant to correct the errors. To date, | have not seen documentation to show proof of errors. Given a September 1 deadline to respond to the recommendations, it would be helpful to receive the proof of errors as they are identified. We need time to validate and the consultant will need time to modify the report, where appropriate, as | suspect our mutual goal will be to have an accurate report accompany the response. Second, | offered to continue working with YAA to find a path to ownership of the building. In my opinion and that of your executive committee members, it will require an aggressive capital campaign strategy. Further, while absolutely committed to work with Young at Art to ensure significant fundraising successes are noted and celebrated— including suggesting that we do joint press releases when large pay-downs of principle occur- those suggestions were specific to YAA’s progress in retiring debt. | did not agree to work “on joint press releases and other actions to try to repair the damage done to YAA's reputation” unless such damage can be validated. Broward County has been a strong, committed partner to YAA, and an annual funder of many aspects of the museum, annually. The business consultant was a condition of the 2013 renegotiated agreement with the County, and you were asked to be involved in the consultant's selection to ensure YAA embraced the process and recommendations. The County remains concerned about the content of the report and seeks to ensure its significant investment, both in YAA's physical location and operations, is managed and overseen appropriately. The County Commission directed that YAA respond to the recommendations in the consultant's report by September 1, 2015. It is my hope and expectation that the response will include actions to improve the sustainability and health of the organization long-term. Making significant strides toward improving the financial and operational opportunities identified in the report would certainly be the most responsive way to assure YAA's funders and community partners. Finally, | have been made aware of communication with repeated references to the County forci negative report from the consultant under threat. | have asked for, and received, eee from the Consultant and documentation that assures me that she did not believe, or assert, that the County Broward County Board of Commissioners, Mark. Bogen - Beam Fusr - Dale VC. Holness « Martin Dac Kiar « Crip LaMarca + Stacy Ritter «Tam Ryan - Barbara Shane - Los Wester www broward.org Page | of |was demanding a negative report or that any County staff required her to write anythi ther what she presented as factual and accurate. - mes Tra The Consultant Prepared a Strategic Plan which, by-and-large, is focused on recommendations for growth and sustainability; as was her charge. She states that you and Library representatives received an initial draft that contained many of the financial and operational findings within the final feport, that YAA directed that she extract negative findings arguing they would create harm, and even threatened litigation. To combat what she deemed as institutional denial, she prepared a “fictionalized” situational analysis that was sent to Library staff and YAA in advance of her visit the beginning of March; intended to juxtapose reality vs. what YAA wanted to believe. The comments attributed to the County relate to the fact that after seeing both versions, and being advised of their purpose, County staff indicated that the report should be factual and reflect only what she believes to be the truth. The Consultant's comments to YAA staff and Board members were intended to alert all parties that the report would have to be factual, accurate and not depict a situational analysis that avoided reality; not to mention that submitting a report containing radically different findings and recommendations in a matter of weeks would call the Consultant's reputation into question. Continuing a dialogue and strengthening the trust between our organizations would be furthered by ceasing to describe the County's involvement in the report, and response thereto, inaccurately. It would only force a continuation of this type of dialogue —- and to what aim? Sing6tely, tha Henry, County A ce: Young at Art Executive Board