|
HOME > ABOUT > PRESS > MARIN STAYS WITH COUNTY SUPERVISOR GIACOMINI
Article published - August 21, 2007
Credit: MARIN INDEPENDENT JOURNAL
Supervisors stay with foundation representative Giacomini
AUTHOR
Brad Breithaupt
Former Marin supervisor Gary Giacomini was reappointed to the Marin Community Foundation board Tuesday amid questions about the philanthropy's funding strategies.
County supervisors voted 4-1 to retain Giacomini as one of their two appointees to the nine-member panel. Supervisor Susan Adams dissented.
Giacomini faced three challengers, two of whom raised questions about the foundation's grant-making shift from funding business as usual at local nonprofits to new capital projects and initiatives.
With three of the five supervisors ready to vote for him last week, Tuesday's reappointment of Giacomini came as no surprise. Supervisor Charles McGlashan joined Supervisors Steve Kinsey, Hal Brown and Judy Arnold in reappointing Giacomini.
Adams, who opposed Giacomini's appointment in 2003, voted against him again Tuesday, voicing her concern that there is a potential for conflict of interest.
"Gary has a lot of fingers in a lot of pies in this county," she said.
Giacomini served as a county supervisor for 24 years before retiring in 1996. Since then, he has as a lawyer represented clients including big businesses like the San Rafael Rock Quarry, and developers, among them St. Vincent's School for Boys, whose plans Adams has opposed.
Kinsey said Giacomini's experience made him the best choice. While a county supervisor, Giacomini was one of the architects of the foundation, whose assets include the $860 million Buck Trust.
He won the county's appointment over challengers RoyAnne Florence of Belvedere, a volunteer with local nonprofits; Jonathan Frieman of San Rafael, a political activist; and Jean Taylor of San Rafael, a booster of programs for Marin's homeless.
Supervisors McGlashan, Adams and Arnold have received large campaign contributions from Frieman.
McGlashan last week pushed for the public interviews, saying they offered a rare opportunity to have a dialogue about foundation funding priorities. Kinsey tried to abort interviews and appoint Giacomini immediately.
The foundation recently increased spending on capital programs while reducing its support for nonprofits' ongoing costs, generating protests from nonprofits.
While Giacomini, chairman of the foundation board, defended the shift, Frieman and Florence questioned it. Taylor was unable to attend the interviews.
Frieman paid for a poll of 60 Marin nonprofits and found "a general level of dissatisfaction" with the new funding priorities. Frieman advocated a short-term increase in funding for nonprofits. In addition, the foundation needs to be more open about its decision making, he said.
Florence questioned the foundation's recent large grants for a gym in San Geronimo Valley and a playfield at San Anselmo's Red Hill School in light of cutbacks in human services provided by nonprofits.
Giacomini said foundation trustees are trying to make sure there is money for capital grants and new initiatives. Many capital projects were "stuck in the pipeline" because most of the foundation's cash was committed to nonprofits' ongoing expenses, he said.
Among the projects recently funded under the shift was $1 million for building a new Marin Community Clinic in San Rafael's Canal area and $1.5 million for the construction of an affordable housing project in Larkspur Landing. More projects will be announced in the coming months, he said.
Giacomini said the shift represents unanimous decisions by the 16 foundation trustees.
He said he is proud of the foundation's commitment to support construction of affordable housing, an initiative that has drawn complaints from environmentalists who oppose housing.
He said he is recusing himself from foundation votes on grants for specific housing projects, but he defended his legal representation of St. Vincent's.
"I'm proud to represent St. Vincent's and trying to get affordable housing for seniors," he declared.
|
