Yesterday afternoon the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) fired its executive director, Dean Danos, and accepted the resignation of his deputy, Mike Quinn. Quinn resigned on March 25 and asked for nine months' salary as severance; his request was denied.
Local nonprofits and media questioned the relationship between AACOG and the TriHM foundation in late 2012. TriHM owed the agency more than $100,000 in rent on space AACOG refurbished and leased them. $168 million in grants TriHM promised AACOG were never delivered on. Up until his suspension earlier this month, Danos maintained the money was forthcoming.
It was later learned that empty promises were not unusual with TriHM. TriHM Executive Director Jackie Cooper traveled the county and state handing out oversized checks for grants that she didn't deliver on. Cooper's TriHM wasn't a 501(c)3 until after some of the irregularities were discovered by the media.
AACOG lost an $3.8 million contract with the state for workforce development as a result of the scandal and 21 people funded by that grant money may lose their job as a result.
Guest:
- Joe Conger, KENS-TV investigative reporter who broke the news regarding TriHM
- Kevin Wolff, county commissioner for District 3 and also sits on AACOG Board
*This is the first segment in the April 1 edition of The Source, which airs at 3 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM -- audio from this show will be posted by 5:30 p.m.
***Disclosure Note: The Alamo Area Council of Governments is a financial supporter of Texas Public Radio.
