Leo Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 No joke. This is a major WHAT!!!! Rob Keck Resigns from NWTF A shining example of how badly an ignorant board of directors can mess something up! Folks, Rob was the NWTF, there is little doubt of that. Yes, the NWTF will survive but it's got a black eye and a fat lip right now. There had better have been a good reason for this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HUNTINGMAN Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Why did he giv it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohiobucks Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 Wow. That is a major kick in the seat for the NWTF.....too bad. Mr. Keck will be fine though I'm sure of it. He seems like the real deal. Mr. Keck hunted a friend of mines property years ago. My friends neighbor was working with the NWTF and invited Rob to hunt here in central Ohio. The neighbor asked Michael if he could take Rob on a turkey hunt on his property, he said sure. No turkey's were harmed that day, and a few weeks later Michael got a thank you card from Rob showing his appreciation for allowing him to hunt his property. Michael had no idea who he was until the card showed up, and it was signed by the CEO of the NWTF. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 every organization has its politics, and wannabe's. probably more of the same.. too bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdvantageTimberLou Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 All I know as a turkey hunter, we all owe Mr. Keck a HUGE thank you for all he has done to make the wild turkey populations get to an all time high. He vision is what makes it possible for our states to offer turkey hunting. I can remember when I was a kid it was a rare treat to see a wild turkey in the woods. Now its almost a daily occurence! Thank you NWTF and thank you Rob Keck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 What a shocker! Rob Keck certainly deserves a pat on the back for all of his hard work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adjam5 Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 If Mr. Keck quit out of loyalty to his buddies, that is a quality seldom seem today. I am sure he is financially secure and would not cut off his nose to spite his face. He'll land on his feet. He just about singlehandedly restored the Meleagris gallopavo silvestris to was it is across North America. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't even know what that word was. Good Luck Mr Keck, and thank you for all you have done for our turkey world across the United States. PS If you need a place to hunt now...I know a few spots. Give me a shout;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 The word going around the NWTF forums and others was that it was a dispute over salaries. All three of them were bringing home close to $400K a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 27, 2008 Report Share Posted March 27, 2008 That is bit of a shocker alright. Sure Mr. Keck is and will be fine too. Got to wonder what is going on with the nwtf though and what the intentions are for the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DownSouth Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 Placing blame on the board is ignorant. Suffice it to say Rob did great things in his tenure. However things that transpired under his leadership in recent years severly put the NWTF not for profit status in jeopordy. The board did a courageous thing. How hard it must have been to accept a resignation from an ICON if it wasnt the right thing to do. The dirt will never come out nor should it. Let look forward to the enthusiasm and vision of a new CEO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tominator Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 However things that transpired under his leadership in recent years severly put the NWTF not for profit status in jeopordy. Then it sounds like you need some new accountants, not a new CEO. Cover it any way you want, but I think, and I'm sure a lot of others think NWTF dropped the ball here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lungbuster12point06 Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 It is my understanding that Mr. Keck was sucking the funding dry with his enormous salary......................That said he was a good front man, but the real work of the NWTF is done on the local level not by the CEO, Rob Keck is a very personable fellow but was his job worth over $300,000/year? I think the board made a good financial decision and I would not worry about Rob or his finacial status;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest arizonagobbler Posted March 28, 2008 Report Share Posted March 28, 2008 RE: Rob Keck Leo...The Board is NOT ignorant...the release of two top executives has "been in the wind" for several months. I suspect more details will surface later. Rob was an excellent spokesman for the NWTF and he will be missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DownSouth Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Lawsuit Make sure you use the links at the end of the article. National Wild Turkey firings prompt civil complaints By Rob Pavey | Staff Writer Friday, April 25, 2008 5:58 p.m. Two senior National Wild Turkey Federation executives fired on March 25 sued the organization and its governing board Friday, alleging their termination was the result of "a well orchestrated smear campaign" that involved lies and defamation. The civil complaints were filed in Common Pleas Court of Edgefield County. Carl Brown, the group's chief operating officer and a 27-year employee, and Vice President Dick Rosenlieb, a 19-year employee, contend in separate complaints that their firings were based on false accusations leveled by unnamed members of NWTF's 18-person board. In particular, according to Mr. Rosenlieb's complaint, board members falsely claimed that he accepted a free or discounted African safari trip from an outfitter the federation does business with, in violation of NWTF's internal rules. Those charges are false, the lawsuit contends. The board, using an outside consultant called The Krizner Group, also claimed that Mr. Brown fraudulently manipulated membership records, according to the complaint. Mr. Brown denies those allegations. Although the NWTF, based in Edgefield, S.C., claims 550,000 members, it was a longstanding and routine practice to assign donated memberships to names of expired members, the lawsuit contends. "The donated memberships are received during NWTF fundraising banquets held at 2,300 towns across America," the complaint said. Each attendee who buys a banquet ticket receives an adult membership, but sometimes people multiple tickets, leaving "memberships" for which no names are available. The federation routinely takes the "donated memberships" and assigns them to names of expired members or to those who signed up at special events for youths and disabled sportsmen, the lawsuit said. "This process started years ago and resulted in a youth membership of over 225,000 kids and 20,000 disabled memberships," Mr. Brown's complaint said. Furthermore, NWTF's "effort to crush the uproar amongst the membership" included written and verbal statements by NWTF personnel that implied that the fired executives' continued employment would "jeopardize the very existence" of NWTF. The federation's chief executive officer, Rob Keck, was opposed to the firings, which were first proposed in an Oct. 26, 2007, board meeting. At that time, Mr. Keck said he would resign rather than be forced to fire Mr. Brown and Mr. Rosenlieb, the suit said. Mr. Keck did resign March 26 after the two plaintiffs were fired. Both men claim the federation, its board members and counsel engaged in false and defamatory statements that were used to secure the firings. Their lawsuits ask for jury trials and unspecified actual and punitive damages. NWTF spokesman Brown Dowler referred questions about the lawsuits to the federation's attorney, Rick Morgan, who was not in his office Friday afternoon. A lawsuit represents only one side of a dispute. The defendants have 30 days to file a response. The federation, which raises money for programs that benefit hunting, wildlife conservation and outdoor education, raised more than $67 million last year. Mr. Keck, with 30 years of service, earned $360,765 in salary and retirement, plus $57,156 in expenses, in 2005, the most recent year for which complete figures are available. Brown, with 28 years, earned $293,858 plus a $23,287 expense account. Rosenlieb, a 19-year employee, earned $173,977 plus $19,384 in expenses. The plaintiffs are represented by attorneys Richard Harpootlian and James Griffin of Columbia. Read copies of the complaints filed by Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 well, i'm not surprised to see the suit. lets see how things work out now.... i'll bet you see some board members resigning pretty soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig mack Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 WOW!!!! I should have gotten a job with NWTF!!!! Those guys were bringin' home the bacon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RangerClay Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 WOW!!!! I should have gotten a job with NWTF!!!! Those guys were bringin' home the bacon. Especially since they are a non for profit organization. If I remember correctly about 6-10 years ago the United Way had this same thing happen. They had exec's that were hauling in HUGE salaries and they had to clen house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Before anyone goes rushing to judgement on what a so called huge salary is for a CEO, COO, and VP; you need to do a search and do a comparison with other organizations. These salaries are not out of line at all for these positions, especially for an organization that raised more than $67 million last year. There are companies out there loosing lots of money that compensate people in these same positions with millions of dollars annually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snapper Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 He resigned...lets thank him for his job he did and respect his decision. Why do folks have to beat these things into the ground like a dead horse. The board didn't get rid of Mr. Keck...he resigned and they accepted his resignation. Thats it...move on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdvantageTimberLou Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 He resigned...lets thank him for his job he did and respect his decision. Why do folks have to beat these things into the ground like a dead horse. The board didn't get rid of Mr. Keck...he resigned and they accepted his resignation. Thats it...move on! Agree, Rob is good people, if it wasn't for him, we probably would not have turkey seasons like they are now. He has helped get the numbers way up and now its not a lottery or draw like the past. I remember the days of seeing a wild turkey was a rarity because of low numbers. Now they are in great abundance due to the hard work of the NWTF.org and Mr. Keck. I applaud him for all his hard work and wish him the very best in his next endeavor! Thanks Rob! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest DownSouth Posted May 1, 2008 Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 Fired NWTF officers file suit over dismissals web posted April 29, 2008 EDGEFIELD – Carl Brown and Dick Rosenlieb, fired in the recent shake-up at the National Wild Turkey Federation last month, have now filed civil suits against the NWTF claiming their dismissals were orchestrated and based on lies and deformation. Brown, the former chief operating officer, and Rosenlieb, the former Vice President, filed individual suits in Edgefield on Thursday court records show. The two have asked for jury trials in the Court of Common Pleas. The Krizner Group was assigned by the eighteen member board to look into suspected irregularities at the NWTF last year after. Among the reported findings of the near year-long investigation were that Mr. Brown fraudulently manipulated membership records the suit claims. According to the suit filed by Brown, it was a long-standing practice to assign gifted memberships to members whose standing had expired, those who registered at special events for youths, and disabled sportsmen. Both suits seek an undisclosed amount of damages. Carl Brown’s suit is filed under case number 2008CP1900126 and Mr. Rosenlieb’s suit is filed as case number 2008CP1900125. The suits represent only one side of the cases and the NWTF has 30 days to respond. Rob Keck, the near 30-year CEO of the National Wild turkey Federation, resigned last month following the dismissal of Mr. Brown and Mr. Rosenlieb. The salaries and benefits of the three totaled over $900,000. The NWTF is said to have taken in over $26 million last year. Readers may follow the case proceedings by going to the On The Record Section and following the link provided in the top notice and enter the names or the case numbers for the latest information on court filings. All records are available for public view at the Clerk of Court’s Office Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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