Lennie Barton out as Alumni Relations Executive Director

Alums NC State NC State Administration37

We heard about this on Friday but wanted to wait until something official came out.

Link to Red & White for Life Blog

An Announcement from Chancellor Woodward

10.12.2009 | Posted by Chris Richter | Filed under Alumni Association News, Alumni News | Tags: Jim Woodward, Lennie Barton |

As some of you have perhaps heard by now, a change in the position of Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations/Executive Director of the Alumni Association will take place immediately. The decision to make this change was made by me following extensive discussions with our Trustees and others and based on a careful and thorough evaluation of the organization and especially the trends, financial and otherwise, now underway. I firmly believe that new leadership is needed if the defined mission and purpose of the Alumni Association are to be successfully pursued in the years ahead.

Like many of you, I appreciate the many contributions that Lennie Barton ’77, ’81 MS, ’87 DED has made to NC State and the Alumni Association during his long career at NC State, and wish him well as he pursues future endeavors.

NC State’s best years are ahead, and I invite all alumni to help build a stronger and more vibrant Alumni Relations program and Alumni Association in support of your university. Thank you.

Jim Woodward
Chancellor

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37 Responses to Lennie Barton out as Alumni Relations Executive Director

  1. JaxPackMan 10/13/2009 at 4:59 PM #

    Good points GoldenChain. I’m 35 years and 475 miles away from the campus. It is really hard to keep up with anything that is going on from afar. All I know is despite the love Lennie obviously has for the university perhaps he was put in a position where he couldn’t succeed, and that’s not being fair to him, the school, or alumni and its friends.

    Clearly he had the best of intentions to grow the alumni base, but to-date those efforts were marginal at best. But he should be applauded for trying to bring in younger alums and segment the the grads in ways so that people will have a way to identify themselves with State.

    Unintentionally however, many long time members of the association have been alienated by recent actions of the association. They feel left out.

    If it is true that pledges to the building fund are being used for current operations, then perhaps what cooked Lennie’s goose was not having a plan to get out of the ditch and back on the high road. That is the Director’s primary job. If he can’t or hasn’t done that then he needs to move on.

  2. rtpack24 10/13/2009 at 5:13 PM #

    Wonder how many tickets Jed received to the U2 concert. If Jed has not mismanaged funds that is because he has not had access. Please Mr Woodward take a hard look at our AD office before you leave.

  3. StateFans 10/13/2009 at 5:19 PM #

    COM rocks. Seriously. If there is a College really developing, growing, and truly aiming to be better it is the College of Management. Dean Weiss has been a Godsend.

  4. tractor57 10/13/2009 at 6:45 PM #

    Long ago while I was a student in Textiles I knew Lennie. At that point I always had great interactions with him. How he has managed the alumni association I have no idea as I refuse to have ANY interaction with my beloved school until major changes are made. Sadly that might be part of Lennie’s downfall but in my opinion the problem goes much higher.

    Maybe a sign that change is in the wind (and I’m not speaking of ONLY f’up either).

    Another comment relating to Clemson’s relationship with the business world. Once I was in a position where I was involved with both NCSU and Clemson – Clemson had a much better focus on the needs of my company (and maybe the needs of their students).
    I was glad for the experience with Clemson and greatly saddened by my experiences with my beloved alma mater.

  5. mafpack 10/14/2009 at 12:28 AM #

    No offense GoldenChain but you may want to reread your own post… you just described the Good Old Boy network to a T.

    Got a kid that needs help in a department at State that I’m not at all responsible for and you’re a classmate who I’ve given my personal cellphone number to? Sure give me a call, I’ll sort it allllll out for you, what else would I be doing with my time… at work… yeah…

    Obviously I can’t know the specifics of you or your son’s situation and I could be completely off on how that scenario played out. That being said, having worked at NCSU in Housing, IA and ITD, this kind of ‘help from above’ does nothing but undermine the functioning systems set in place by the grunts, those few state employees who actually work for a living – who coincidentally are most often much more creative, qualified and motivated than any of the aging ‘promote um out of the way’ 30 year management types set above them.

    They’re all just trying to maximize salary for 3 years before retiring and could give a damn about what’s best for NC State or it’s Alumni/Students. [See our previous Chancellor, Provost, et al for more information]

    Sigh. /EndRant

    This is exactly why I left State employ a few years back to engage in an industry where stupidity and incompetence get you fired, not promoted, and where creativity and motivation are rewarded, not frowned upon for all the ‘extra work’ it might create. One can only hope that somehow, someway, NC State miraculously manages to change it’s internal culture from one of utter apathy to one of excellence… we can only hope.

    Edit – And as a quick note, I work for a Fortune 10 company now, with a small branch office here in Raleigh (others in Durham, Charlotte, etc). Three guesses as to which of our local triangle schools actually made an effort to contact us for possible internships for their students? Sigh. (UNC)

    Hell, half of my co-workers are State grads and it’s still a no go. Pretty amazing.

  6. GAWolf 10/14/2009 at 7:09 AM #

    MAFPack… you’re so right. Goldenchain needs to reread his post from the perspective of another. I’m not saying anything underhanded went on there to help his son, but it sounds like special favor was given to an old friend. Perhaps that’s not the case, but GC certainly didn’t further his intended point with that story.

    The major Raleigh TV outlets are reporting this morning that the move was made due to misappropriation of funds. If what was reported in the NandO is true, it’s simple matter of being honest with your constituents… the alumni who give money. If they give money tabbed for a particular purpose that was sought for a particular purpose, then don’t use that money for something else without their permission. Certainly there is a budget crisis across the board, but that doesn’t mean it’s noble to shift funds in the middle of the night to cover your own mismanagement of the budget.

    If we’re going to reshape the image of the University, it needs to be done across the board. Do what you say you’re going to do, and do it when you say you’re going to do it. For those of us in private business we know very well that it’s the only way to survive… to be honest, straightforward and sincere.

    Asking for money for a new center and then using it to cover operating costs… I assume that means salaries, etc for Alumni Association employees… is damned close to stealing. And if it’s not illegal, it’s certainly unethical.

    I’d also like to point out… I’m a Christian. Not everyone who goes to church every week is a good person. Goldenchain might be very right that Mr. Barton is fantastic man. I do not know him. But to say he’s got a spiritual life and is open with it doesn’t, alone, make him so to me. I’ve gone to church my whole life and I’ve seen way too many people use it as a farce. For me, I require proof by actions in daily life to prove to me someone is a good, honest person. Anyone can show up to church on Sunday and put on that air. That’s the easy part.

  7. GoldenChain 10/14/2009 at 10:07 AM #

    Dear guys,
    Never said he was “an old friend” I said he was a classmate, I said I knew him maybe YOU GUYS are the ones who need to re-read?!
    I knew him when I saw him at the ‘Shuttle Inn’ etc. Saw him numerous times at various industry events over the years (where he was reping the COT).
    The main problem I had with my son was related to his appartment in Wolf Village where he was having no luck whatsoever with Housing so I called Lenny and he put in a call on my son’d behalf…..does anyone have a similar example where Lenny ignored their request for help (thus proving that I got special treatment as an “old friend”). Yeah, that’s polical leverage alright…my son got a washing machine, that actually worked, out of the deal (which was included in his rent) when Housing was stonewalling him.
    As far as his cell number…it was his personal cell number…as in his cell provided by the Alumni Assoc (sorry if I didn’t make that clear, it was not intentional).

    Many thanks to all of you who want to misqoute me, misread my post, and bludgeon me for 30 years of loyalty to the WPC and Alumni Assoc.
    I think I know a small piece of what Lenny is feeling.

  8. GAWolf 10/14/2009 at 11:17 AM #

    Goldenchain: Please don’t feel attacked. I just said you might want to reread what you posted simply because I don’t think it adequately put forth what you were attempting to put forth with respect to Lennie’s character. You obviously have personal perspective on that which we do not. I respect that and your information is, I’m sure valid. I just think your post has the potential opposite effect than what you’re after is all. I get what you intended. I’m glad you got that resolved for your son and I’m glad to hear someone over at State (Lennie) acted to right an obvious wrong. I’m sorry if you felt attacked or belittled.

  9. GoldenChain 10/14/2009 at 11:36 AM #

    PS. GAWolf, all I said was that he went to church and was active (an evangelical one at that). That was in response to a comment made on here that Lenny married a younger woman with an implication that this somehow made him evil. All I was saying is that he did go to church and was active and I suspect that a higher percentage of people who go to church have some sort of morals, values and ethics. Never said he was a saint, never said that I had any special knowledge about his spiritual life.
    If you gathered anything more then you inferred what was not implied;
    belive me, I have graduate degree in theology and have done doctoral work…as a layman, so I’m sure we could swap stories about hyporites.

    If Lenny played fast and loss with money then I certainly do not suport such.

    If he fell victim to the souring economy and political changes at NCSU then I hate that for him. It could have happened to any of us.

    PSS Hard not to take it personally when folks are saying he did something for me because I was on “old friend” when I never said anything other than I knew from class.

  10. fvpackman 10/14/2009 at 3:00 PM #

    While all the stuff posted in the Chancellors email had some bearing on his firing…I am hearing the bottom line was he was told not to publish the story on Mary Easly and did it anyway….For me…that’s reason enough…If I tell an employee not to do something and they do it anyway…the outcome would be the same as Lennie’s

    fv

  11. waxhaw 10/14/2009 at 5:02 PM #

    I’ve met and interacted with Lennie a few times over the years and it seemed to me that he was doing a good job. I don’t have any inside information on the why but I hope he wasn’t a scapegoat for bigger problems.

    As far as his potential career choices now, he could easily play on the champions tour if he’s old enough. He’s something like a +2 handicap and the best golfer I’ve ever seen outside of professionals.

  12. statered 10/16/2009 at 1:48 PM #

    fv – contrary to what has been expressed here Lennie is not part of the good ole boy network and I think to some degree he was disgusted by it and what it is doing to our school vis a vis Mary Easley and Fowler. If he ran that story when told not to that was unwise BUT I am sure he was motivated by his contacts with alumni who only love the university and give money to it (and receive little or nothing in return). These folks are disgusted that pigs saddle up to the trough and destroy what they invest in. Perhaps he didn’t want to be part of the on going cover up – his loyalty to the university being greater than his loyalty to the pigs.

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