Barbara Wood once again gives an accurate description of the situation at Filoli......and it is not getting any better. Cynthia D'Agosta has some real issues that not even a crises management firm is going to be able to resolve.

Barbara Wood's analysis and description of the situation at Filoli corresponds exactly to what's going on. There is widespread discontent among the volunteers, including many of those who signed the Volunteer Agreement. Morale is suffering, and a number of people are just waiting to see how things go and are hoping for changes in management. I would expect to see a further decrease in the number of volunteers as we approach summer.

Why won't D'Agosta/Kamer talk with Barbara Wood at The Almanac? Why won't they respond to the questions she's asking? (These are the same questions the volunteers have been asking, also with no response from Filoli management.) If they believe what they've done is right, why won't they talk?

With every day that passes, Kamer's services are taking a bigger and bigger chunk of Filoli's budget -- money which was raised with the help of Filoli's large, loyal, hardworking, reliable, free volunteer labor force.

Thank you Barbara, for giving Filoli volunteers a voice and for your determined pursuit of a response to questions still unanswered. The volunteer exodus continues whether Filoli wants to admit it or not. It will continue for months to come; some volunteers are only there now because of their strong commitment to the public programs they created and supported over the years.
Some feel horribly betrayed by the representatives of Filoli's volunteer organization. Others are still on the fence, waiting and hoping for some real communication and some real solutions. Sadly, they may never get those.

Early on in this process management began poisoning the well. They established a narrative where certain volunteers and volunteer groups-the ones with questions and contrary opinions-were accused of "threatening" the staff and their continued employment. No doubt someone was threatening the staff but it certainly wasn't the volunteers. In the midst of the turmoil an atmosphere of fear and suspicion was introduced and continues to be nurtured. Divide and conquer-it's an old tactic but an effective one.

So, we know these folks are good at destroying things but what are their plans for the future? So far all we've heard is a lot of corporate double-speak about 21st century businesses and industry standards. I doubt very much that Ms. D'Agosta's management style of bullying and personal vendetta will be leading anyone into some glorious future of success and efficiency. It's more like we've all fallen down the rabbit hole with the Red Queen screaming "Off with his head!" But Alice got to wake up from her bad dream...will we?