Linsey Gallagher, president and CEO of Visit Napa Valley, has been accused of fostering a toxic work environment and mismanagement of funds by 10 current and former employees, according to a report in the San Francisco Chronicle, which obtained a copy of a four-page letter sent to the Visit Napa Valley board, the Napa Valley Tourism Corporation and some elected officials.
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The letter was sent in response to an internal investigation following a complaint filed against Gallagher in May.
The chair of the Visit Napa Valley board of directors, Emma Swain, CEO of St. Supery Estate Vineyards and Winery, said that she was limited as to how she could comment on the situation, given it is a personnel issue, but issued the following statement to Meetings Today:
Earlier this year, a group of former and current employees at Visit Napa Valley contacted the board of directors with allegations of policy violations. Our board took those claims seriously and immediately hired a neutral third party to conduct a comprehensive review of the facts associated with the issues raised. This exhaustive process was premised on the complete independence of the investigator and included interviews of each employee complainant of 90 minutes to three hours in duration. The report’s conclusion is that there is no evidence that in any way supports the workplace bullying or financial impropriety allegations. Our board has complete faith in the team at Visit Napa Valley to carry out our mission and continue to build on Napa Valley’s reputation as a leader in the tourism industry.
There are a few facts I would like you to note:
- Linsey has been the CEO of Visit Napa Valley through COVID when the lack of travel and tourism forced the organization to reduce the organization by 28 positions.
- Know that we have addressed all these issues by providing each employee complainant with a detailed summary of the investigator’s findings in addition to an opportunity to meet with a board member to discuss; only a few of the employees took us up on the opportunity.
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