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The Historic Mobile Preservation Society accepted the resignation of executive director Marilyn Culpepper on Tuesday, according to board members. Culpepper, who has served the society since 2001, resigned for “personal reasons.”
The timing of her resignation comes in the midst of the society dealing with issues surrounding a grant that the HMPS filed for and received for the Archdiocese of Mobile, under Culpepper’s direction, from the Hearin-Chandler Foundation.
HMPS was awarded $150,000 by the foundation, which was to be transferred in three equal payments of $50,000 per year. The grant monies were to be used for landscaping and other items around the grounds of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, located in downtown Mobile. To date, $100,000 has been transferred to HMPS.
HMPS President David Calametti, whose tenure as president ends next week, erected four small statues on the grounds several months ago, using a portion of the grant monies. And there has been “some landscaping” done on the grounds. But at this point, it is not clear how much of the grant money has been spent at the Cathedral.
This information was confirmed today by Martha LoCicero, president-elect of HMPS, who also stated that the society just learned there were some questions surrounding this grant and the expenditures associated with it.
“We just became aware of some issues with the grant, and we are presently looking into it and its expenditures. The Hearin-Chandler Foundation has been advised of it, and we are committed as an organization to resolving the matter,” LoCicero said.
LoCicero emphatically stated Culpepper’s resignation had absolutely no relationship to the “issues” with the grant.
Calls to Msgr. Michael Farmer with the Archdiocese of Mobile, Tom Van Antwerp, with the Hearin-Chandler Foundation and David Calametti, were not answered or returned today.
Developing…
midtownmama says:
October 05, 2009
11:34 PM
What's going on with this story? Has anything new come out? What's going on with the money? Do they have any idea where its gone?
judge_not says:
June 08, 2009
09:35 PM
I want to know what kind of people are so ready to jump on the bandwagon, to try to destroy someone's good reputation, when nothing has been proven. What is your agenda? Do you really know anything about the truth. Ms. Culpepper has been nothing but an honest & true caretaker of all things under her control, as has been her character throughout her entire life.
mobileblues says:
June 08, 2009
06:49 PM
Stories....that is the operative word. Pretty much everything she said was a story. She was OK at first, but as time wore on she began to drift into a very vindictive person. When anyone questioned her or her judgement they quickly found themselves out of the picture and isolated. I doubt that the complete truth will ever be told, but I can assure you there is a lot more impropriety than the Cathedral matter. Sadly, the Oakleigh board will cover it up and act like it never happened, which will have serious implications for their future fund raising efforts. They need to come completely clean and transparent, and then move on to bigger and better things.
judge_not says:
June 07, 2009
11:35 PM
I am stricken by the news of Ms. Culpepper's resignation, if that's what it was. I've known her for many years & know she gives her all to any project she undertakes. The whole area, at the very least, will be much the worse for her loss. Have you never seen her give a presentation at the farmer's market on the square? She is the very embodiment of the relevence of history & its preservation. As she tells us, our little lives, our memories of our Mamas making biscuits or frying chicken, our memories of our Daddys milking cows or shoeing horses... or walking the dogs, watering the lawns, bathing the babies... the memories we have of all these things, they are the preservation of our history. OUR history. That is what Ms. Culpepper led us to remember & to keep alive. If you weren't able to hear this from her... I'm so sorry. You've missed more than you can imagine.
midtownmama says:
June 02, 2009
10:03 PM
What renovation? Have you seen any renovation done? I've heard a lot of TALK about renovation, but haven't seen the first thing happen.
gladmobileisdead says:
May 25, 2009
12:45 PM
downtowndoll obviously has some personal vendetta and little to do with all that hausfrauing.
i remember ms. culpeper from when i was still living in that rat trap you call home. before she arrived, oakleigh was boring and dead. glad she revived it for a while.
rexcafe says:
May 23, 2009
09:24 AM
HMPS must settle this asap and get to the real work of saving Barton. It is unacceptable that this historic structure which has served Mobile and Alabama for 173 years is treated as an afterthought.
downtowndoll says:
May 23, 2009
08:02 AM
LOL! She definitely knew how to spin a lie better than anyone. I hope you didn't believe the crazy lies she told about so many Mobilians.
mobileblues says:
May 22, 2009
06:41 PM
It is about time.......Oakleigh has been mismanaged for years. Culpepper has run Oakleigh like her own feifdom for years and hand picked her board of directors who merely rubber stamped everything. From the word on the street there is a lot more money missing from places other than the Cathedral landscaping grant. I hope someone looks into this since some of the money comes from the City and me as a taxpayer......
cloverdale says:
May 22, 2009
06:28 PM
I am saddened by the fact that HMPS will lose such an invaluable person. Ms. Culpepper devoted countless hours and hardwork at Oakleigh and her enthusiam for historic preservation will be sorely missed. She is a wealth of knowledge and knew how to spin a story better than anyone else. She made people thirst to learn more our hometown and what glory was once here. She dedicated so much to Oakleigh and HMPS and I am afraid we really do not realize how much we've lost. I wish her well and thank her so much for the wonderful work she has done.
cloverdale says:
May 22, 2009
06:26 PM
I am saddened by the fact that HMPS will lose such an invaluable person. Ms. Culpepper devoted countless hours and hardwork at Oakleigh and her enthusiam for historic preservation will be sorely missed. She is a wealth of knowledge and knew how to spin a story better than anyone else. She made people thirst to learn more our hometown and what glory was once here. She dedicated so much to Oakleigh and HMPS and I am afraid we really do not realize how much we've lost. I wish her well and thank her so much for the wonderful work she has done.
downtowndoll says:
May 22, 2009
11:43 AM
All I can say is "HOORAY"!
Bravo, finally, to the board of HMPS for being brave enough to delve into what she's been up to. I know it won't be easy.
I wasn't going to but, now I will definitely renew my membership in HMPS. Reason that I wasn't going to renew? (one of many) No newsletters, never received things, etc. Also, under her terrible leadership, Historic Homes Tour was a shadow of what it previously had been. She didn't put committees, or homes, in place until late in the winter and it's a March tour!!!
For years, she's been jealously guarding the "control" of "saving" Barton Academy while ZERO was done and columns fell from the cupola. With her at the helm, not much was done for preservation in Mobile. It's supposed to be an activist group, but she wouldn't allow much to get done.
Is there a parade today on Government Street to celebrate?!
billybob says:
May 22, 2009
11:15 AM
The story didn't provide many details. There's absolutely no telling whats going on here. You want to see people screw up - give em' some money. They seem to go off the deep end. Ms. Culpepper spearheaded the renovation of Barton Acad. Hope someone picks up where she left off.