The Pratt Museum announced the appointment of two staff members as interim co-executive directors on Friday, following the sudden departure of former Executive Director Patty Relay last week.

Whitney Harness previously served as the museum’s communications director; that position is now marked open on the Pratt’s website.

Yarrow Hinnant is the museum curator of botanical exhibits; according to Friday’s press release, he will divide his time between his current role and his new duties as co-director.

Harness and Hinnant will work together as co-directors for a six-month interim period. Near the end of this period, Harness said Friday, the board will complete performance evaluations of both employees, and if they meet standard requirements, they may be considered as part of the applicant pool for a permanent position.

In the meantime, Harness said, all scheduled museum programs and activities will continue as planned. Additionally, the release states, a newly established steering committee for the board of directors will be “actively engaged in providing support for the development of relationships between staff, Board, and the community.”

Relay, who took on the executive directorship in July 2023, was placed on administrative leave following a special meeting on Feb. 11 of the Homer Society of Natural History Inc. Board of Directors, which governs the museum. Relay submitted her letter of resignation on Monday, Feb. 17, which the board accepted, effective immediately, during a second special meeting held that day.

The current HSNH board was confirmed on Feb. 4 during the museum’s annual meeting. Former director at large Sue Fallon was elected as president. Milli Martin, who previously served as president, was elected as vice president. Savanna Bradley and Jennifer Bartolowits continue their roles as secretary and treasurer, respectively. Directors at large include Clark Fair, Tim Hatfield, Kate McGregor, Linda Rowell and Mel Strydom.

A Feb. 13 board president report from Fallon noted that immediately following the annual meeting, “urgent personnel issues” were brought to her attention. She held a mediation session on Feb. 5 which “ended in an agreement to uphold the grievance policies outlined in the employee handbook.”

“Following the (Feb. 11) Executive Session, an action item was passed placing a staff member on paid administrative leave pending board investigation of multiple violations of the rules and regulations outlined in the employee handbook,” Fallon wrote in her report. “Staff are highly fractionalized due to this situation.”

Minutes from the Feb. 17 special meeting note that the board unanimously passed several action items following executive session discussion. These included acceptance of Relay’s resignation, effective immediately, and a decision to uphold an employee grievance in favor of the employee who presented it to the board. No details were provided as to what the grievance was or by whom it was filed.

Additionally, the board voted to reinstated pay periods per the 2018 employee handbook, effective March 1; to reinstate the visitor services, store, and communications manager position to full time effective at the beginning of the current pay period; and agreed that the board would start discussions to establish an interim director, effectively immediately.

“I wish to express my profound disappointment with how this situation has been managed,” Relay wrote in an email to Homer News Thursday. “At a minimum, I anticipated receiving a clear notification outlining the specific reasons for my leave and the expected duration. Instead, I find myself feeling isolated and uninformed, as if my circumstances are being addressed without regard for my needs.”

A lack of transparency and respect during the period between Feb. 11-17, she said in a follow-up interview, led to her decision to tender her resignation.

Relay suggested that last week’s events were a “distraction from more significant systemic issues” that she had been attempting to address during her tenure.

“When I accepted the position of Executive Director of the Pratt Museum, I did so with enthusiasm and a commitment to leveraging my skills and connections for the museum’s benefit,” she wrote. “However, from the outset, I encountered challenges stemming from a Board of Directors characterized by hostilities, secrecy, and conflicts of interest.”

This “dysfunctional” workplace environment led her to submit her first letter of resignation on Jan. 6, 2024, which she retracted after receiving encouragement to stay on and reached an agreement on terms for continued employment with the museum.

“I genuinely believed that retracting my resignation would allow us to move forward positively,” she wrote.

Relay noted “significant progress” made in the museum’s operations following Jan. 6, including the implementation of health insurance for full-time employees, updates to bylaws regarding conflicts of interest and grievance procedures, a clearer definition of board committees, and the completion of the 2025-2030 strategic plan. However, she wrote that she continued to experience issues with unnamed board and staff members.

“On Oct. 10, 2024, I filed a grievance against two board members that remains unresolved. Additionally, the Board has allowed a hostile employee to remain on staff, thereby fostering an unsafe workplace environment. This lack of support from the Board of Directors creates a perception that detrimental behaviors are tolerated, which contributes to an unhealthy work atmosphere,” she wrote.

“To date, I have not been informed of the reasons for my Paid Administrative Leave, nor have I received details about the grievance filed against me. Furthermore, I was not afforded the opportunity to respond, which significantly influenced the acceptance of my resignation. It is particularly concerning that my issues involving the employee remain unaddressed.”

As of press time, HSNH did not respond to requests for comments.