MENDOCINO CO., 1/23/17 — The board of directors of the Mendocino County Tourism Commission has asked Executive Director Alan Humason to take an indefinite leave of absence starting January 22, in the wake of being charged with felony embezzlement by the Yolo County District Attorney. His charges stem from actions he is accused of taking while working as director of the tourism commission in that county.
The board met on Friday, January 19 and again on January 22 to discuss the embezzlement charges and have asked former Mendo-Lake Credit Union CEO Richard Cooper to fill the job in an interim capacity beginning January 29. The board plans to meet again on February 28 to discuss how to move forward.
The announcement about the charges against Humason can be found here. Here’s the full press release issued by the Mendocino County Tourism Commission:
Recent allegations levied against Mendocino County Tourism Commission (MCTC) Executive Director Alan Humason by Yolo County have prompted the MCTC Board of Directors to convene an emergency session on Friday, January 19, 2018, and second Board of Directors’ meeting Monday January 22, 2018, in Ukiah, Calif., to discuss actions and possible ramifications.
According to Board Chair John Kuhry, the Board has directed Humason to take a leave of absence from his post as Executive Director effective January 22, 2018, in order for Humason to focus his full attention to resolving the issue. The Board of Directors will reconvene February 28, 2018, to determine next steps.
In the interim, MCTC has requested former Mendo-Lake Credit Union CEO Richard Cooper to steward the organization beginning Monday January 29, 2018, on an indefinite basis. Board Chair John Kuhry stated “We are extremely grateful that Mr. Cooper is willing to take a break from retirement and bring his experience and leadership to the organization during this time of uncertainty. Our goal is to operate seamlessly under his direction until we have a final outcome to this matter.”