In regard to the story printed March 23 about CADA’s board of directors’ dismissal of the executive director, we wish to express our support for the board’s decision. We are former employees of CADA and feel we best know the working conditions at the agency.

In our opinion during the former executive director’s tenure, there was a tremendous turnover of employees, largely we feel associated to mistreatment of staff. In our opinion, many times staff members were treated disrespectfully and unprofessionally. We feel this caused the agency to be in constant turmoil. Despite this, the employees continued to serve CADA’s clients in an exceedingly professional manner.

The former executive director did indeed introduce many cutting edge programs; however, these programs would not have been implemented and deemed successful without the hard work and dedication of the staff members who put their hearts and souls into these programs.

It is our belief that the CADA Board of Directors has taken a courageous first step in changing the atmosphere of the agency and making the job the staff does less difficult. We applaud the board’s professionalism and their regard for the well being of the agency. There are many former CADA staff members that support this letter and the board’s decision that wish to remain anonymous.

Stacy Urban,

Oak Harbor;

Susan Duby-Holmes,

Oak Harbor;

Nancy Goodson,

Henderson, Nev.;

Marie Purdy, Oak Harbor; Monique Olvera,

Oak Harbor;

Ann Knaus,

Oak Harbor;

Celeste Belmont,

Leonardtown, Md.;

Margie Forbe,

Oak Harbor