Days after the shock resignation of Auckland Pride Festival’s Director, the Board is yet to answer questions about its hiring processes. Julian Cook confirmed he was stepping down from the role on Monday. He is saying little about the decision, but his relationship with the Board is understood to have broken down mainly due to his being required, without consultation or warning, to report to a newly-appointed Executive Officer instead of reporting directly to the Pride Board. It has emerged that a former Board member was appointed to the new Executive Officer position earlier this year. The money for the role, believed to be around $30,000 for ten hours work per week, is understood to have come from profit from last year’s festival. There is no record of the position being advertised. GayNZ.com Daily News has sent the Pride Board a number of questions, including asking when the Executive Officer role was created, what the hiring process was, what the role entails and why it wasn’t advertised. After the situation became public the Board released a statement on Monday, through its new Executive Officer, which addresses none of these issues and which claimed Cook had resigned in order to ”pursue other interests”. Former Board Co-Chair Gresham Bradley, who was crucial in ushering the body into existence and laying the groundwork for the Auckland Pride Festival, says he feels unable to comment at the moment, until he learns more about the situation.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 13th November 2014 - 12:32pm