Leadership Changes Announced by the Center for Inquiry

The Center for Inquiry and its affiliate organizations, the Council for Secular Humanism and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, announced today that in support of its two-year succession plan Dr. Paul Kurtz, the visionary leader and founder of all three organizations, will become chair emeritus. Kurtz in this capacity will continue as a voting member of the boards of directors for the balance of his terms ending in 2013. In his new role Kurtz will have time to concentrate on writing and numerous public speaking engagements on behalf of the Center for Inquiry as the founder and face of the organization.

Dr. Ronald A. Lindsay remains chief executive officer and president of the three corporations, with all rights and responsibilities associated with those positions. “Transition is challenging for an organization, but I believe because of the strength and resources of the Center for Inquiry and its affiliate organizations, including most importantly the quality and dedication of the staff, we will be able to carry out these changes successfully,” Lindsay said. “Indeed, I believe that these changes will ultimately strengthen the organization.”

Board member Richard K. Schroeder has been named chair of the three boards, and board member Jonathan Kurtz has been named to the new position of vice chair of the three boards. “I look forward to working with the new board chair, Richard Schroeder, and the new vice chair, Jonathan Kurtz,” added Lindsay.

The Board reaffirmed the goals of the organizations, which are to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values, and to promote critical investigation of controversial and extraordinary claims through the use of responsible, scientific inquiry. From this point forward, the Board will take a more direct role in overseeing their policies and overall direction. Three new committees will be formed within the Board: a Policy Committee, a Nominations Committee, and a Compensation Committee.

The Center for Inquiry/Transnational, a nonprofit, educational, advocacy, and scientific-research think tank based in Amherst, New York, is also home to the Council for Secular Humanism, founded in 1980; and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly CSICOP), founded in 1976. The Center for Inquiry’s research and educational projects focus on three broad areas: religion, ethics, and society; paranormal and fringe-science claims; and sound public policy. The Center’s Web site is http://www.centerforinquiry.net.

Source: http://www.centerforinquiry.net/newsroom/leadership_changes_announced_by_the_center_for_inquiry

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

May I set the historical record straight. I was unceremoniously ousted as Chairman of the Center for Inquiry/Transnational on June 1, 2009. It is totally untruthful to state that I was not. The effort by the CEO to cover up this deed offends any sense of fairness and I do not wish to be party to that deception. It was a palace coup clear and simple by those who wish to seize immediate power.

I founded the various organizations of the Center for Inquiry (CFI), including CSICOP (now the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry or CSI) and the Council for Secular Humanism (CSH) and I labored tirelessly for years. And I served without any compensation whatsoever for over 33 years, devoting my life blood to these organizations and the high ideals that they represent. The broad goals of CFI are to defend the scientific outlook and critical thinking in the public at large and to develop secular ethical humanist values as alternatives to religion. There are now 40 Centers and Communities world wide. We are the largest secular humanist and scientific rationalist organization of its kind in North America.

The Board of Directors removed me as Chairman (I am “Chairman Emeritus”) and stripped me of any authority or responsibility to see that the Center for Inquiry continues to grow during the current economic crisis. I had agreed to a succession plan, but it was supposed to be a gradual process. I am concerned that the direction CFI will be changed.

I should further state that at one point, the Board majority notified me that if I did not agree with my ouster that they would eject me from my office from our world headquarters in Amherst, New York, a building that I designed and raised the funds to build. It is across the street from the State University of New York at Buffalo campus, where I served for many years as Professor of Philosophy.

I have agreed to remain on the Board for now — though I feel completely demoralized by the power grab — after a degrading Inquisition conducted by the Board a year ago and my final Expulsion from an organization, which I love dearly, and whose future survival I fear is now endangered.