GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY: Prosecutor cuts ties with child advocacy center; resigns from board
Elizabeth Brewer, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
6 min read
May 20—TRAVERSE CITY — Grand Traverse County Prosecutor's office is severing its relationship with the Traverse Bay Children's Advocacy Center, citing concerns with its board.
Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg, who was a TBCAC board member, resigned from the board Thursday.
A statement Moeggenberg released Friday said her office will no longer partner with the center.
"This decision was based on the practices of TBCAC Board leadership, who, in my opinion, have neglected their obligation to ensure that the TBCAC is a well-run, trauma-informed, and financially supported organization that reflects best practices," she wrote in that statement.
Lisa Migazzi, the center's new chief executive officer as of March 9, said she is aware of Moeggenberg's allegations, but was waiting on more details about them.
Friday's statement came as a surprise.
"We were hoping to get a little more information so we could look into them further, but we were not aware that she'd be sending out that letter today," Migazzi said Friday.
Moeggenberg confirmed a meeting had taken place Thursday with the center's board and multi-disciplinary team partners, but she did not elaborate on the purpose of the meeting or what was discussed.
The day-to-day employees who work with children at the center are not the problem, Moeggenberg said. But she is "seriously concerned" about the board.
Behind closed doors, the board is not following its own mission, she said.
The organization's mission statement is "to provide a coordinated, multidisciplinary response to allegations of child abuse in a child-sensitive, trauma-informed environment."
According to Moeggenberg, she and others "repeatedly voiced concerns about expanding too quickly, a lack of transparency and collaboration among and between board members, a budget that is in the red, and concerns about the treatment of employees and several recent employee resignations."
According to the center's 990 IRS tax form from 2021-2022, it lost $68,938 in 2022, compared to a net gain of $499,853 the prior year.
There also was a more than $300,000 difference in fundraising expenses between those two years, with the center spending $545,855 in 2021 compared to $220,708 in 2022, according to its tax filing.
The Record-Eagle reported that the center signaled financial distress in April 2022. That's when changes to federal grants to advocacy centers across the state were cut in half, from $12 million to $6 million.
Those funds, allocated by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services' Crime Victim Services Commission, were later restored with the MDHHS saying that the federal cutbacks were not going to happen.
At that time, CEO Ginger Kadlec said funding for child advocacy centers in the state to become a line item in the state budget, ensuring them steady funding, year after year.
Kadlec is no longer CEO, but is still listed on the website as one of the board members.
In addition to Moeggenberg's issues with the board's transparency, she said other longstanding community activists who have donated time and money to the center share her concerns.
Moeggenberg said TBCAC's leadership has been dismissive and unresponsive.
"I have seen the center, once a trauma-informed organization, inflict trauma on some of its biggest supporters on more than one occasion," she wrote. "As long [as] TBCAC leadership engages in that type of conduct, my office will not support the organization."
Moeggenberg said she hopes that dissolving the partnership will be a catalyst for change within the organization. She wanted these issues to be resolved prior to causing any harm to the center's reputation.
The center responded to Moeggenberg's statement with one of its own: "As with any organization that is evolving to meet the needs of our community, we have experienced some changes. Specifically, within the last few weeks, four members of our organization's Board of Directors have decided to leave their roles on the Board. Importantly, the 11 remaining members of the Board are fully committed to governing the organization."
"Our organization has successfully passed all audits of our finances and services by independent examiners and government funders," it noted. "Our Board has complete trust and confidence in our new CEO Lisa Migazzi and her talented team of child protection professionals to continue to move the organization forward.
"As a Board, we remain committed to meeting the needs of children and families throughout Northwest Michigan, and working towards a world without abuse."
The organization's statement noted that one of the four resignations was Moeggenberg, who represented Grand Traverse County, one of six counties it serves.
"County Prosecutors are a part of the Multidisciplinary Team that collaborates in the investigation of alleged child abuse cases, working together throughout the life of these cases to best support the needs of child victims and their families," the statement explained. "However, following her resignation, Ms. Moeggenberg notified TBCAC of her decision to immediately rescind the Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney's Office agreement to collaborate with us and we understand she has been actively sharing her opinions with other partners which could be detrimental to the organization if partners withdraw."
Their statement said they do not know how Moeggenberg's actions will impact the center. "These actions concern our Board, as they may result in denying hundreds of children in Grand Traverse County access to trauma-informed, professionally trained child forensic interviews in collaboration with other partners in the safe, child-centered environment of our Center.
"Additionally, this decision may deny many children and non-offending family members access to the specialized trauma therapy services and support which TBCAC provides at no cost to families, thanks in large part to generous support from individuals and foundations throughout Northwest Michigan."
The center's statement expressed the hope that Moeggenberg would reverse her action.
"We know that we work better together," Migazzi said. "We're hoping that we can find resolution in the future so that we can continue to work together and do what's best for children."
The prosecutor's office will continue to work with other local organizations to support the intervention and prevention of child abuse, Moeggenberg noted.
The center's website still lists as partners the prosecutors' offices in Antrim, Benzie, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse Band, Wexford and Leelanau counties, in addition to many local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
"What we do know is that the services we offer are excellent and that we remain committed to doing what is best for children and the families in our community," Migazzi said. "And we do know that the Grand Traverse Prosecuting Attorney's Office — as well as other MDT partners in our community — they're all valued partners."
