Who held the responsibility to inform SRHS employees and retirees of the lack of pension funding? According to Mike Crews, that responsibility fell to then CEO Chris Anderson.
Crews testified under oath that he felt he didn’t have a responsibility to inform employees about pension underfunding. He felt that since his job never involved communications with employees, that this would have been inappropriate. Instead, he felt that Chris Anderson should have taken on the responsibility of informing retirees and the public.
“[…] it was the CEO’s job to do that. He handled communication with employees. I did not handle communication with employees.”
Anderson regularly communicated with employees en masse with system-wide e-mails, “town hall” style meetings, and the infamous employee benefit letters. The letters, signed by Anderson, portrayed the system as contributing to the pension fund, despite no contributions being made in those years. Crews further testified that he had no role in the preparation of those letters and had not seen them.
I seem to remember Crews speaking in many of the Department Directors meeting concerning financial matters. Maybe he should have tipped us off then.
I sat across the table from Mr Crews as an EMPLOYEE representative of the retirement committee from 2007 until 2013. Mr Crews never disclosed that the retirement plan was not being funded. He attended every meeting from 2007 until 2013 and spent a great deal of time discussing the stability of the investments and ended every meeting by reassuring us that the pension was “safe and secure”
I know at least 3 members of SRHS leadership team (Chris Anderson, Stephanie Taylor Barnes, Mike Crews) knew the plan was NOT being funded and deliberately deceived employees.
I know Kevin Holland and Lee Bond knew the plan was in trouble in March of 2014 and deliberately concealed the truth from employees.
Really you didn’t communicate with the employees, as if that was just beneath his scope. That is so silly. What was done was wrong, and he knew period! He should have done the right thing and made sure everyone knew regardless of the fact that he didn’t feel it was his “job” to speak to the lowly employees. Sorry excuse
Someone told me yesterday that they were highly upset that none of these people have gone to jail for what they have done. Basically, this person is right, why should they get away with taking other people’s money, lie about it, and then are not held accountable for their actions. If this was a bank employee, or any other business, and the employee had taken money from other people’s account to benefit their needs, they would have gone to prison. So, why are these people getting away with this embezzlement?
It’s coming……!!
All of these topics and headlines are rediculous. It really does come down to a few blatantly obvious points.
1. When funds were transferred between SRHS and the retirement funds who would have signed off on it…. was it one person????
Is there any one person reading these comments that is stupid enough to believe that some dumb secretary signed some simple form transferring the money to fund the retirement fund, or would a transfer that large require a CEO signature. I believe that these types of transfers into the retirement fund require Chris Anderson or Kevin Holland’ signature. So if the money wasn’t there, wouldn’t it be impossible to believe Chris, Kevin, and the rest of the thieves at the top would be the first to know???
I worked in management at OSH and can tell you these guys knew EXACTLY what was going on.
2. So, the funds are short and the secretary on the first year can’t write the check…. what would she do???? Just say awww heck, we’ll make it up next year, or would they tell or send an e-mail to their superior? This scam goes all the way to the top. No doubt about it! I guarantee you all Chris Anderson didn’t lose a dime and neither did Kevin Holland. It’s time the thrives are held accountable. They are all wealthy, confiscate and auction their houses to pay for the shortfall, because on the end many of SRHS employees will be selling off their assets to pay for the sins of yhe CEO’s
Perhaps, the (prior) Trustees of the pension plan! ( I believe they to be the same individuals who serve as the Trustees for the hospital itself.) These pension plan trustees could very well be criminally negligent, if not civilly negligent, in their failure to act in the best interests of the plan’s beneficiaries. One should not hold one’s breath in anticipation of Jackson County legal authorities doing anything, much less the right thing. This is a rather blatant example of a conflict of interests.
This observer continues to be amazed, that with all the lawyers involved, the most clearly fruitful avenue—a suit for breech of fiduciary responsibilities, is not at the forefront of discussions.