report - REDBROWARD

Second in a multi-part investigation.

Louise Stevens was ready to get to work. Broward County government awarded the founder of Artsmarket, Inc. the contract to conduct an independent review of the Young At Art (YAA) children’s museum in Davie, Florida. Since the 2008 recession had affected many museums throughout the area, Broward County wanted Stevens to develop a plan focusing upon increased visibility for YAA, a model for financial stability and a plan to strengthen YAA fundraising efforts. As REDBROWARD reported, from the beginning, Broward County officials tainted the process with a series of intimidation tactics and even overt threats.

Even though Stevens believed the County would sue her if her plan did not work, she was ready to help Young At Art. REDBROWARD obtained a February 18, 2015 email from Louise Stevens to YAA officials outlining her independent review process. Stevens explains she will draft at least five versions of her report and hold “retreats” with the YAA board to get their thoughts on the various drafts before a final version is submitted to the County.

The February 18, 2015 email contained Stevens’ first draft. “Here TaDa! is draft 1. As it explains on the cover page, I envision that after I get your immediate/top of mind thoughts I will revise it to be draft 2.” Stevens wrote. “Draft 2 is what I hope we will share with your board early next week so they have plenty of time to read, react, and think it through before the retreat. It is what we will work with at the retreat.” Stevens said draft 3 will be the product of their work at the retreat. This draft will be the basis of her review going forward. Any new details and changes will form draft 4 which will eventually become the final version.

This appears to be the standard process Stevens used during her 32 years as an independent arts consultant for government agencies. In her bid to Broward County, the Hockaday Museum of Art gave rave reviews of Stevens’ performance. The performance verification form states, “Louise…was a 99.9 on a scale of 1-100. ‘The company went above and beyond; having a retreat to ensure all staff was knowledgeable about the marketing plan.’ ArtsMarket, Inc. was very professional and has many National contacts.”

From Stevens’ Wednesday February 18, 2015 email, it appeared YAA was going to get the same professional treatment as the Hockaday Museum of Art. “This plan shows YAA will thrive.” Stevens wrote. “Getting this up and running in year 1 will be a giant lift. You can do it. You are an awesome team.” Stevens encouraged the YAA team to make notes, additions and ask questions. She hoped to get the YAA notes “by the end of the weekend so that I can turn around Draft 2 early enough next week to get it to your board for them to have reading time.”

Stevens assured YAA officials, “Please know that my feelings won’t be hurt and I won’t be upset at all if you think parts of this needs to change. It is part of my job to draft things so you can then change them.”

HASTY RETREAT

The retreat for Louise Stevens and Young At Art board members was scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, 2015. In a February 2, 2015 email, Stevens confirmed her attendance. “This is terrific,” she wrote. “I will fly in on Monday, so Monday, Tues, Wed night at hotel.”

On Sunday March 1, 2015, Stevens sent an email to YAA staff detailing her plans for the retreat. Stevens promises to send a “long” executive summary to YAA on Monday March 2 so the YAA board can review before the retreat. Stevens wrote she “will finish draft 2 of the plan tomorrow–luckily I have long flights!” Stevens would be coming to Fort Lauderdale from her home in Bozeman, Montana.

Stevens said the first part of the retreat will be a powerpoint presentation of her plan. The rest of retreat would feature “break out” sessions where staff and board members could discuss issues, including “changes and implications” for Young At Art.

Stevens would make the long 2,173 mile trek from Montana to Fort Lauderdale, but the retreat would never take place.

CONSULTANT MEETS WITH BROWARD LIBRARIES OFFICIAL

On Tuesday March 3, 2015 at 12:26 pm, less than 4 hours before the retreat is set to begin, Young At Art board members and employees are told the retreat had been cancelled.

Stevens cancelled the retreat after meeting with Jeffrey Tottenhoff, Broward County Libraries business administrator. A source told REDBROWARD that Tottenhoff, the County’s point person for the YAA review, was “in over his head.”

PART 3: INDEPENDENT CONSULTANT CHANGES TUNE FOLLOWING THREAT FROM BROWARD COUNTY EMPLOYEE

Hockaday Museum Of Art loved Louise Stevens’ retreat model

First in a multi-part investigation

Documents, emails and eye-witness interviews reveal the independent review of a Broward children’s museum was short circuited by intimidation, undue influence and threats by Broward County government officials. In July 2014, following a new lease agreement with Young At Art (YAA), Broward County issued a request for letters of interest (RLI) for an independent consultant to “provide strategic planning coordination for YAA and to lead and develop a new business, fundraising, and strategic plan….” The plan would focus upon organizational identity/increased visibility, a model for financial stability and a plan to strengthen YAA fundraising efforts.

In October 2014, the Broward County selection committee met to rank the six respondents to the RLI. The members of the committee were Skye Patrick, director of Broward Libraries, Peg Buchan, assistant director of Port Everglades and Mindy Shrago, the executive director of YAA. The committee unanimously ranked ArtsMarket, Inc. number one. Based in Bozeman, Montana, ArtsMarket, Inc. has a long track record of consulting local governments about museums and other cultural entities.

In her RLI application, Louise Stevens, founder of ArtsMarket, Inc., claimed she was “a nationally recognized planner and researcher specializing in the arts, with extensive experience in business planning for museums including youth museums.” Since 1982, Stevens stated, ArtsMarket “has lead over 300 independent business evaluations of nonprofit arts organizations on behalf of government funders/agencies and foundations.” Stevens believed she could perform her independent review of YAA for just $51,900 in taxpayer dollars.

However, Stevens was about to learn things rarely go smoothly in Broward County.

According to the Broward County purchasing department, officials hoped to have a finalized contract with the consulant just 45 days of it awarded the RLI. The County hoped the YAA independent review would be completed by December 2014. But in emails obtained by REDBROWARD, Louise Stevens made it perfectly clear that schedule was no longer in play.

On December 19, 2014, Stevens emailed an update to Hilary Winiger, the YAA grants administrator. Stevens wrote, “Just to keep all of you in the loop…we have still not received a signed contract. Two days ago, the county administrator required a completely revised signature page after we Fedex’ed everything they required last week.” Stevens claimed a county purchasing agent admitted he had done multi-million dollar contracts that were easier than this agreement.

Stevens stated her experience with Broward County was unlike anything in many years dealing with local governments. “Heaven knows in our 32 years we have NEVER been put through a legal examination wringer like this,” she wrote. “Including having to purchase so much extra insurance for the law suits the county expects will be filed against us for our work on this project. (That’s what they told us!)”

On December 22, Winiger asked Stevens about the lawsuit threat. “One more thing, You mentioned in a previous email having to purchase extra insurance for the law suits.” Winiger wrote. “I’m confused. Who do they think will sue your company and for what reason?”

Three hours later, Stevens responded, “On the insurance front…we had to take out an extraordinarily high level of E and O insurance in addition to what we already carry. The County’s risk assessment team views our work on this as very high risk.”

Later in the same email, Stevens explains she believes the very high risk is posed by the County itself. She wrote, “Our only take away after negotiating (and losing) re the ridiculous insurance levels is that the County plans to sue us if the museum doesn’t turn around the way we say it should in the plan.” Stevens said she will “error on the side of conservative projections with them at all times so that YAA will exceed my projections.”

Stevens ends with the following: “I am thinking that they have no idea what running a museum entails and that this is as much a learning project for them as anything.”

Stevens would soon learn that while County officials may be novices at museum issues, they are skilled at issuing not-so-subtle professional threats.

REDBROWARD

Turning Broward Red Since 2010

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Hasty Retreat: Threats Force Independent Consultant To Cancel Children’s Museum Retreat

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