N.Y. Junior League Hopes New President Will Repair Image
January 23, 2008 | Read Time: 1 minute
The New York Junior League has received a whirlwind of publicity this week, but not all the news is positive. The New York Times reports that the organization announced the appointment of its first black president — Gena Lovett, the chief operating officer of a Manhattan hedge-fund company — on Tuesday, but the organization continues to be haunted by comments made by Ms. Lovett’s predecessor, Trisha G. Duval, who has accused the board of mismanaging the group’s finances.
Ms. Duval alleges that the board tried to cover up a projected $1-million deficit from members. Though the board denies such mismanagement, Ms. Duval has threatened to take details of her allegations to the league’s membership at the group’s annual meeting on January 29.
The board has countered Ms. Duval’s allegations through a special committee of the league that may charge her with ethical violations that include an “unauthorized interview” to The New York Times last week about the league’s financial condition. Ms. Lovett is set to replace Ms. Duval on July 1, but if the special committee pursues the ethical charges, league officials say that Ms. Duval may be forced to leave before the end of her term.
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