There is quite a bit of background which has been missing from the discussion, primarily because there are employment issues involved. The Board has been trying to be sensitive to the employment issues but it is clear that we need to be more direct to let our members know why the Board has acted and what it's decisions mean.

First, I will be the first one to apologize for our imperfect communications. We have been attempting to work with Jimmy in regard to his work visa, and because of that, we chose not to fully explain his situation and the Board's action. I will clear that up in this email.

Second, we also care deeply about the Club, which is why we donate our time and energy to serve on the Board. I have personally spent over 70 hours in the past week in meetings and conversations with the Board, members of the local soccer community, concerned parents at the Club and our Club employees. Our goal going forward is exactly the same as yours - repair, heal and move to do what is right for the kids.

Third, I am sending a message out to the Club tonight which explains some of the steps the Club is taking to move forward, which includes the time and location for the Town Hall meeting. We use Bonzi to send out our Club emails, and Bonzi seems to be less than perfect due to spam filters issues and the like. Bonzi is our member registration and member management software, and it generally works well. It is also the only way we can send out emails to everyone.

Fourth, you have asked for details about what has transpired. There are a lot, which explains the summary nature of the Board's letter from Sunday evening. The Board's letter was also ambiguous for a very important reason, and that has to do with Jimmy's work status. Let me explain.

Jimmy has been employed at the Club through a federal work visa, an H1B. If his employment terminates, then Jimmy's work visa also terminates and he must return to England. For the past week, myself and others from the Board have been trying to meet with Jimmy to reach an agreement so that he can remain in the US under his work visa while looking for a new soccer organization to work for. We did not publicly announce that he had been terminated for cause on Saturday because we were hoping to meet with him and reach an agreement. With Club families demanding more clarity on Jimmy's employment and the Board's decision, the Board needs to explain what has happened and why.

Jimmy was terminated by the Board for three basic reasons: inability to work with people at the Club and at other soccer organizations, poor management, and apparently intentional errors on his published resume. I will summarize each one briefly.

• Inability to Work with Others. This was the key finding in the Board's decision. Jimmy's hard-charging style has alienated numerous people at the soccer organizations the Club works with and has caused tension and conflict within the Club. The Board had been aware for quite some time that Jimmy is difficult to manage, is combative at times and constantly pushes the rules, and the Board had been trying to work with Jimmy on those issues. On July 2, four of the Club's five administrative employees refused to work with Jimmy any longer and demanded that he be fired. The Board reviewed the employees' complaints and concluded that Jimmy was causing a great deal of conflict at the Club. Jimmy was also removed from the Puget Sound Premier League board (PSPL) three weeks ago because he was causing too much conflict. In addition, Jimmy failed to timely provide information and documents to the Board's independent investigator when asked. Further, during the latter part of the Board investigation, Jimmy's behavior with the Board was uncooperative and hostile, including attacking the integrity of anyone (and their family members) who wanted to understand details of his background. The Board ultimately decided that Jimmy could not and would not change his combative style and he needed to leave the Club.
• Poor Management. Many of our Club members are aware of Jimmy's amazing energy and passion. However, his job was Director of Football, and that job required him to manage all of the Club's programs, which include Micro, Rec, Select and Premier. For most of Jimmy's five years with the Club, he routinely over-promised and under delivered with the Board, and engaged in management by crisis. The Board repeatedly asked Jimmy to be more organized, more practical and oriented on the goals he was given. He was unable or unwilling to improve.
• Resume issues. This aspect has received the most notoriety inside and outside the Club, but it was not as important as Jimmy's other work challenges. To briefly summarize, Jimmy claimed to have played in the English Premier League but was unable to provide any proof, and the records of the English clubs do not show him appearing in any games. If he did play, the club records do not show it. Further, Jimmy claimed to hold a bachelor's degree; he did not attend college. Finally, Jimmy claimed to hold an FA Coaching Diploma. He has a lower level FA coaching certification and not the prestigious Coaching Diploma. These claims continued on both the Club's and Jimmy's personal websites up until last week. The resume issue is embarrassing to the Club, and has caused significant tension with the PSPL due to the Club's loaned employee agreement with the PSPL.

The Board reviewed and dismissed the former employees' other claims, which included claims that Jimmy had misappropriated funds, had engaged in conflicts of interest or hired coaches without the proper paperwork

Fifth, the Board has been trying to work with Jimmy for the past week to discuss a smooth transition and parting of the ways, but we have been unable to meet despite repeated efforts by the Board. Jimmy has retained an attorney and I am scheduled to speak with his attorney Wednesday to see if we can bring closure to his situation.

Sixth, the resume issue. See my comments above.

I hope I have responded to all of your questions, and look forward to seeing you at the Town Hall so that we can move forward with repair and healing.

Randy Beighle

President, Board of Directors

ISC Gunners FC

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ISC Gunners Families:

Our Club has grown rapidly in the past five years, and has had many successes such as our Girls U-15 Premier team playing in the final of the US Club Soccer national championship this summer.

Our growth and change have created challenges, and the ISC Board of Directors has been responding to some serious charges leveled by current and former ISC employees and Board members against each other and the Club. We know a number of you have heard of rumors of the charges, and we want to give you an overview of what the Board has done to address the situation.

Independent Investigation

The Board was notified of the initial charges on July 1, 2014. The Board met the next night and agreed that the Club should retain a qualified, independent third party to investigate all of the charges and report to the Board. On July 9, 2014, the Club retained a respected local attorney, Jane Graham, to conduct an investigation into the charges. Ms. Graham's work was supervised by ISC Board members (Investigation Committee) who were not targets of complaints being investigated by Ms. Graham.

Ms. Graham interviewed 15 individuals, reviewed numerous documents provided by various witnesses and performed some of her own Internet research. Ms. Graham provided the ISC Board with a detailed memorandum summarizing her investigation and conclusions. The ISC Board reviewed Ms. Graham's report at an Executive Session on September 9, 2014. The Investigation Committee also provided their observations and recommendations.

The Board's Conclusions Based on the Investigation

• The significant majority of all claims were based on speculation, incomplete facts or mischaracterization of events. In particular, there was no misuse of Club funds or financial improprieties, no significant conflicts of interest and no abuse of power.
• In their desire to prove their claims and discredit others, certain former employees violated their employee duties. The improper actions included recording a Board of Directors meeting without informing the Board, misuse of the Club's membership directory, and sharing confidential employee information outside the Club.
• The Club's management structure was unclear and contributed to internal conflict. While this was a result of the Club's growth and changes, it needs to be fixed.
• The Club's Director of Football, Jimmy Ball, had inaccurately stated aspects of his resume.
• Actions by those being investigated and others created the appearance of conflicts of interest and favoritism that have damaged ISC.

ISC Board Actions and Changes

• The Board will clarify the Club's management structure and governance, including clarifying the role of the Board's Executive Committee in good board governance.
• The Board has appointed Joe Yellig as the Club's interim Executive Director with full CEO authority. Joe has been a Board member and has years of business management experience, along with an MBA from Rice University.
• Board President Justin Lee has resigned. The Board notes that the Board investigation determined that Justin did not violate his fiduciary duties to the Club and none of the claims against Justin were substantiated. However, Justin has had to spend an extraordinary amount of time on the Club in the past year and he needs to devote more time to his business. Justin also feels he has been unfairly attacked by the claims and the entire investigation process has been draining. Justin has been incredibly hard working, a great contributor to the Board and a passionate advocate for the Club. Justin and the Board are exploring ways for Justin to stay involved in the Club going forward.
• Randy Beighle has been appointed Board President. Randy has served as Board Secretary since 2010. He is an attorney and has been assisting non-profits for over two decades. He was also a Rec coach for the Club for many years.
• Guy Ellis has been appointed Board Secretary to fill Randy's old position.
• Director of Football Jimmy Ball will be stepping down from his position as Director of Football. Jimmy and the Club will discuss a transition period.

Parting Thoughts

Jimmy Ball has been the face of the Club since 2009. He has tirelessly championed the Club, promoted its teams and coached through sun, rain, hail and snow. He has crisscrossed the state countless times to coach games in virtually every soccer complex in the state. His personal energy has astonished all who meet him. To say he will be missed is a tremendous understatement. Yet there are times when relationships must change and organizations must adapt, and this is one of them. The Club and Board thank Jimmy for his tireless service and wish Jimmy and his family nothing but the best, and we will miss them.

The Board is committed to work hard building a culture of mutual respect between administrative staff and coaches, and building strong relationships between the Club and the soccer community.

The entire Investigation process and resolution has been stressful for the Club, the Board, our coaches and employees and the local soccer community. It is our hope that with investigation completed and the recommended changes implemented, we can put the events behind us and continue the good work of the club. The Board will schedule a Town Hall meeting in a few weeks so that we can meet and discuss the clubs direction moving forward.

Your ISC Board of Directors