FWP Fisheries Director Ousted?

[Beignet]

Jock - Your insight on these issues is always appreciated. Glad to see you back on here and will look forward to seeing that opinion piece next week.

 

[Jock Conyngham]

Jock - Your insight on these issues is always appreciated. Glad to see you back on here and will look forward to seeing that opinion piece next week.

Thank you, Beignet. I appreciate the kind words and hospitality. And a couple of points of reference: no one liked Volesky, and he had no real defenders. Don’t get hung up on him; look to the big pattern here. And let’s not forget how poorly Schweitzer treated Jeff Hagener. To my mind this isn’t about party; it’s about management style, power consolidation, and arrogance damaging an agency with an important mission.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Correct me if I'm wrong but putting someone on administrative leave means they are still accumulating tenure that counts towards retirement and pension.

Putting some senior management public official on administrative leave with no explanation cited really opens the rumor gate. It sure doesn't look good. But hey, a governor who body slams journalists really isn't much concerned about public image. And neither are the partisan blinded voters who keep supporting him.

 

[Jock Conyngham]

Correct me if I'm wrong but putting someone on administrative leave means they are still accumulating tenure that counts towards retirement and pension.

Putting some senior management public official on administrative leave with no explanation cited really opens the rumor gate. It sure doesn't look good. But hey, a governor who body slams journalists really isn't much concerned about public image. And neither are the partisan blinded voters who keep supporting him.

I believe you’re right about tenure, OH, but Eileen has retained counsel, and her former colleagues are starting a Gofundme for her legal expenses. She feels 1) that she is out the door and 2) she has grounds for litigation. Eileen’s a smart, tough Scot. I expect she is right, and I wouldn’t bet against her.

OTOH—and I don’t have a way to corroborate this directly—insiders say one individual no longer with the agency is still getting full pay. That’s a pretty good deal except for those who believe in fiscal responsibility and mission execution.

 

[Sytes]

Volesky may be the "one individual". He pled "Not Guilty". Admin leave is a common use for State/Federal agency employees accused awaiting a court disposition.
Potential employment disciplinary action for a personal matter (outside of work) looms thus Volesky lawful court continuations extend...

Let's spin this around. Accused State / Federal employee terminated for an outside of work personal matter found not guilty... That will pay more than administrative leave. That is a clear settlement or more. Even a dismissed case holds settlement likelyhood of backpay +.

Attached .pdf Montana State "Discipline Handling Guide" for those interested.

 

[Fire_9]

‘Experienced experts fluent in science and policy have been replaced by inexperienced young staffers who, without mentors, can be easily controlled and silenced’

I think this sentence from the article hits the nail on the head. New employees and those fearful for their jobs are easily railroaded. Unfortunately this style of leadership is far too common in all areas of the workforce. Just really sucks to see when it involves a public resource

 

[Jock Conyngham]

‘Experienced experts fluent in science and policy have been replaced by inexperienced young staffers who, without mentors, can be easily controlled and silenced’

I think this sentence from the article hits the nail on the head. New employees and those fearful for their jobs are easily railroaded. Unfortunately this style of leadership is far too common in all areas of the workforce. Just really sucks to see when it involves a public resource

Fire, may I ask where you saw this? I didn’t know the guest op piece was out yet.

 

[Jock Conyngham]

For those willing and able to donate to Eileen’s gofundme, it’s operational. I sure hope I’m not violating any board rules here!

https://gofund.me/d4f3aff6

 

[Fire_9]

Fire, may I ask where you saw this? I didn’t know the guest op piece was out yet.

The Systematic Evisceration of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks - Flathead Beacon

If there is one thing every business owner, rancher, and manager agrees on, it’s that if you don’t have good people, you don’t have much. And if there’s one thing Montanans (and, increasingly, outsiders) know, it’s how good our hunting and fishing opportunities generally are. They make life here...

flatheadbeacon.com

 

[Jock Conyngham]

Since the guest opinion piece is evidently out, I’ll post it here:

If there is one thing every business owner, rancher, and manager agrees on, it’s that if you don’t have good people, you don’t have much.

And if there’s one thing Montanans (and, increasingly, outsiders) know, it’s how good our hunting and fishing opportunities generally are. They make life here special. They feed our families and shape our lives. We tend to assume these same opportunities will continue for our kids, regardless of income—but Governor Gianforte and Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Dustin Temple have shown yet again they have very different ideas.

When we learned May 20 that Eileen Ryce, FWP’s highly regarded fisheries division administrator, had become the latest middle and senior manager there to be suddenly placed on administrative leave—usually a pause on the path to a permanent exit—it further confirmed a pattern of chaos, intimidation, and firings of the best and most experienced people in a once-renowned agency. As Laura Lundquist’s 5/20 article in the Missoula Current documents, Governor Gianforte’s tenure has resulted in the unexplained termination of a large number of senior people. A legislative audit in the enforcement division and a “culture survey” distributed agency-wide reveal a crisis of low morale, early departures, and forced retirements.

Referring to Ryce’s sudden escort out the door, one insider stated, “This was meant to intimidate and destroy morale…The message is, ‘if it can happen to her, it can happen to you’.” She was one of the last of Temple’s administration with a background in fish and wildlife science—in fact, a Ph.D. from MSU. Ryce was known for professionalism, open communication, and staunch defense of her staff—precisely the opposite of the reputations of Gianforte and Temple.

Temple’s tactics are working. Morale at the agency has never been lower, and candidate pools for open positions have eroded in quantity and quality. Seasoned experts fluent in science and policy, and known to landowners and decision makers, have been replaced by young staffers who, without mentors, can be easily controlled and silenced. Gianforte either thinks that Montanans are too stupid to notice he is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, or he just doesn’t give a damn.

For years FWP attracted the best graduates of fish and wildlife programs nationwide and beyond. Because of their dedicated work we fish over world-famous populations of wild trout, we enjoy long, productive hunting seasons, and every resident who wants an A elk tag gets one—none of which are necessarily true in other western states. Here’s the rub, though: while it takes years to build and refine an excellent agency, excellence can be and has been dismantled in short order. Temple is a software developer, but has anyone else had trouble with the changes and recurring tech failures in licensing and permit drawings? Yeah. Us too.

Gianforte’s systematic evisceration of FWP, disregard for resident hunters and anglers, and giveaways to outfitters and non-resident landowners are widely recognized, but they are not unique. The Office of Public Instruction, the Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Attorney General’s Office, and other agencies that Montanans pay for and value have been hollowed out and damaged nearly beyond recognition. If Gianforte had managed RightNow Technologies the way he and his bullying appointees have managed these agencies, he would be bankrupt instead of a billionaire.

On November 5 Montanans will have a serious and consequential choice—and when we fill out our ballots we can choose to stand up to a governor who does not stand up for us, our hunting, our fishing, our wildlife—and our values.

Jock Conyngham, Evaro
Greg Munther, Missoula
Jeff Herbert, Helena
Joe Perry, Conrad
Ray Gross, Dillon
Bruce Sterling, Thompson Falls
Harvey Nyberg, Lewistown
Andrew McKean, Glasgow
Don Thomas, Lewistown
J.W. Westman, Park City
Mike Penfold, Billings
Tim Thier, Trego
Steve Schindler, Glasgow
Chris Servheen, Missoula

 

[Jock Conyngham]

The Systematic Evisceration of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks - Flathead Beacon

If there is one thing every business owner, rancher, and manager agrees on, it’s that if you don’t have good people, you don’t have much. And if there’s one thing Montanans (and, increasingly, outsiders) know, it’s how good our hunting and fishing opportunities generally are. They make life here...

flatheadbeacon.com

Thanks!

 

[SixPoint]

Since the guest opinion piece is evidently out, I’ll post it here:

If there is one thing every business owner, rancher, and manager agrees on, it’s that if you don’t have good people, you don’t have much.

And if there’s one thing Montanans (and, increasingly, outsiders) know, it’s how good our hunting and fishing opportunities generally are. They make life here special. They feed our families and shape our lives. We tend to assume these same opportunities will continue for our kids, regardless of income—but Governor Gianforte and Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Dustin Temple have shown yet again they have very different ideas.

When we learned May 20 that Eileen Ryce, FWP’s highly regarded fisheries division administrator, had become the latest middle and senior manager there to be suddenly placed on administrative leave—usually a pause on the path to a permanent exit—it further confirmed a pattern of chaos, intimidation, and firings of the best and most experienced people in a once-renowned agency. As Laura Lundquist’s 5/20 article in the Missoula Current documents, Governor Gianforte’s tenure has resulted in the unexplained termination of a large number of senior people. A legislative audit in the enforcement division and a “culture survey” distributed agency-wide reveal a crisis of low morale, early departures, and forced retirements.

Referring to Ryce’s sudden escort out the door, one insider stated, “This was meant to intimidate and destroy morale…The message is, ‘if it can happen to her, it can happen to you’.” She was one of the last of Temple’s administration with a background in fish and wildlife science—in fact, a Ph.D. from MSU. Ryce was known for professionalism, open communication, and staunch defense of her staff—precisely the opposite of the reputations of Gianforte and Temple.

Temple’s tactics are working. Morale at the agency has never been lower, and candidate pools for open positions have eroded in quantity and quality. Seasoned experts fluent in science and policy, and known to landowners and decision makers, have been replaced by young staffers who, without mentors, can be easily controlled and silenced. Gianforte either thinks that Montanans are too stupid to notice he is killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, or he just doesn’t give a damn.

For years FWP attracted the best graduates of fish and wildlife programs nationwide and beyond. Because of their dedicated work we fish over world-famous populations of wild trout, we enjoy long, productive hunting seasons, and every resident who wants an A elk tag gets one—none of which are necessarily true in other western states. Here’s the rub, though: while it takes years to build and refine an excellent agency, excellence can be and has been dismantled in short order. Temple is a software developer, but has anyone else had trouble with the changes and recurring tech failures in licensing and permit drawings? Yeah. Us too.

Gianforte’s systematic evisceration of FWP, disregard for resident hunters and anglers, and giveaways to outfitters and non-resident landowners are widely recognized, but they are not unique. The Office of Public Instruction, the Department of Public Health and Human Services, the Attorney General’s Office, and other agencies that Montanans pay for and value have been hollowed out and damaged nearly beyond recognition. If Gianforte had managed RightNow Technologies the way he and his bullying appointees have managed these agencies, he would be bankrupt instead of a billionaire.

On November 5 Montanans will have a serious and consequential choice—and when we fill out our ballots we can choose to stand up to a governor who does not stand up for us, our hunting, our fishing, our wildlife—and our values.

Jock Conyngham, Evaro
Greg Munther, Missoula
Jeff Herbert, Helena
Joe Perry, Conrad
Ray Gross, Dillon
Bruce Sterling, Thompson Falls
Harvey Nyberg, Lewistown
Andrew McKean, Glasgow
Don Thomas, Lewistown
J.W. Westman, Park City
Mike Penfold, Billings
Tim Thier, Trego

I understand how the optics of this may appear, especially given the departments track record the past several years. That being said, if/ when the facts become public surrounding her departure I think folks will quickly realize this is not in any way political. I for one will be taking a big sigh of relief knowing that she is gone. Our fisheries division will be much better off under new leadership. I would strongly encourage folks to wait for more information before jumping to conclusions.

 

[Sytes]

Don't blow out the political candles during an election year!

 

[JEL]

I worked with Eileen a bit over the years. She is smart as a whip and a straight shooter. I have no doubt that she is being forced out over willingness to speak truths about what is going on in Montana. Perhaps voters should start paying attention to something other than R in front of a name.

 

[jimh406]

Political opinions are worth about nothing to me. I have my own.

 

[Sytes]

Perhaps voters should start paying attention to something other than R and D in front of a name.

FIFY

 

[Eric Albus]

I understand how the optics of this may appear, especially given the departments track record the past several years. That being said, if/ when the facts become public surrounding her departure I think folks will quickly realize this is not in any way political. I for one will be taking a big sigh of relief knowing that she is gone. Our fisheries division will be much better off under new leadership. I would strongly encourage folks to wait for more information before jumping to conclusions.

Oh but wait….liberals never miss a chance
To turn something into a disgusting political $hit storm.
I’d be willing to bet the folks in charge did this just so they could be political fodder at election time….for crying out loud. Usually the guys in charge have info us infidels are not privy to.

 

[Jock Conyngham]

As I noted, this is the way Schweitzer treated Hagener. I don’t see anyone making it (only) a liberal vs conservative pissing match.

And not to pick a fight with you, SixPoint—you may well know things I don’t—but if you look at her Gofundme donations they already list some great names in Montana fisheries.

 

[SixPoint]

I’d be willing to bet the folks in charge did this just so they could be political fodder at election time….for crying out loud.

Incorrect.

 

[SixPoint]

As I noted, this is the way Schweitzer treated Hagener. I don’t see anyone making it (only) a liberal vs conservative pissing match.

And not to pick a fight with you, SixPoint—you may well know things I don’t—but if you look at her Gofundme donations they already list some great names in Montana fisheries.

Not looking for a fight and yes highly likely.

Probably because they were swayed by a very misinformed opinion piece that unfortunately had quite a few great names in conservation attached to it.