GRAND FORKS — In the days after the Northlands Rescue Mission Board of Directors
terminated its executive director,
Everett C. Jones Sr., city officials and nonprofit leaders expressed shock and concern.
Grand Forks Mayor Brandon Bochenski and Police Chief Jason Freedman, who worked alongside Jones on the city’s recently established homelessness task force, said the news definitely came as a surprise.
“I’m still expecting a good partnership with the Mission, and that they’re going to be able to fulfill their important function (for the city,)” Freedman said. “But it wasn’t something I was in the loop on, or expecting.”
Bochenski also said he was unaware of any details behind the board’s decision, but knew Jones as well-informed, eager to participate and a strong communicator.
He expects some work to address homelessness in the city will slow until Jones’ replacement is hired and brought up to speed, since the Mission — as Grand Forks’ primary emergency shelter — is a big piece of the puzzle.
“But we’ll continue to charge forward,” Bochenski said.
Freedman said he hopes Jones’ successor will continue to collaborate with the police department as Jones had in his five months working for the Mission. He appreciated Jones’ willingness to discuss problems in the city and consider a variety of potential solutions.
Doris Lebby, president of local, faith-based nonprofit Love in Action and a member of the task force, said the news of Jones’ termination was “just shocking.”
She was in a board meeting when she got the message, and everyone there was asking the same question: How can this be?
“My heart was broken when I saw that,” she said. “… He did such a good job in the community.”
Lebby believes Jones was bringing the community together — including nonprofits and other entities — and was present for every meeting she attended. He was articulate, vocal, knowledgeable and collaborative, Lebby said.
She believes Jones brought people together, going above and beyond his duties as executive director.
“He could have just focused on the Northlands Rescue Mission, but he has to deal with something bigger in order to make the Northlands Rescue Mission what it needs to be,” Lebby said.
Homeless Helpers President Patrick Moore, also a member of the task force, said he’d heard from Jones recently about changes to the Mission, such as increasing the number of beds available and eliminating the 90-day maximum stay.
They discussed why Jones believed that was appropriate, and Moore found his perspective to be forward thinking,
informed by professional as well as lived experiences.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen,” Moore said. “It’s going to take a while to find a replacement. It’s a challenging job, no question about it. So, I don’t know.”
He said there’s absolutely a need for the Mission — not just for the services it provides, but also to give people direction on how to get their lives back on track.
“I think the Mission is definitely a huge starting point in that whole process,” Moore said.
After requests for comment from the Herald, the Mission’s board released a statement on Jones’ termination Thursday evening, Oct. 2. It said he was not the right fit for the organization, and the Mission had been heading in a direction not fully aligned with “our core values and goals.” Board members have given no additional insight on the decision, other than emphasizing that it was unanimous.
Lebby questioned the board’s statement. She thought if he didn’t feel like a good fit, that could be all the more proof he needed to be there, because sometimes it takes an outsider to recognize room for growth and positive change in an organization.
“We just get too comfortable, or put a blind eye to something, until someone brings it to the light,” Lebby said. “If things aren’t working, why aren’t they working, and what do we need to do to make it work?”
She also said it’s not always a good thing for everyone to agree; that’s how boards end up making unanimous decisions with little thought when they should be bringing their individual expertise to each issue.
Lebby said she believes there’s a lot more to the issue, and suspects others who worked alongside Jones would agree. Jones himself said he believed the termination was retaliation for a disagreement he had with one board member.
Lebby said if someone had an issue with Jones, they should have taken it directly to him, and given him a chance to adhere to their standards before escalating to termination.
“That’s what the Scriptures tell us to do if we have something against our brethren — to go directly to them to try to solve it before we go to the next person and talk about them,” she said.
Moore and Libby expressed concern about the upcoming Grand Forks Community Vision Awards & Banquet, which should be a major source of funding for the Mission.
The board posted its statement, provided to the Herald Thursday evening, Oct. 2, to Facebook, with an addition clarifying that the Oct. 16 banquet and auction will proceed as planned.
“We look forward to celebrating the achievements of the human services community and continuing to serve individuals experiencing homelessness and hunger,” the statement concluded.
Many in the community have reacted to Jones’ termination, particularly on social media.
Thursday’s Herald article announcing the news, posted to Facebook, generated 75 comments as of Monday morning, Oct. 6. The statement from the board, posted on the Mission’s Facebook page, received 54 comments. Some people shared their gratitude for Jones’ work, telling stories of their positive experiences with him during his five months with the Mission.
Some also have questioned the decision and called for more clarity on the situation.
Jones shared a statement with the Herald Monday morning expressing his gratitude for the “overwhelming support, encouragement and love” the Grand Forks community has shown him during this time.
“Your prayers and words of kindness have reminded me that even in seasons of uncertainty, community and faith remain steadfast anchors,” the statement said.
Jones wrote that, at the advice of legal counsel, he is limiting public comments about his termination. However, he believes it’s important to reaffirm his commitment to truth, service and the mission of helping those in need.
“Scripture reminds us in Galatians 6:9, ‘Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up,'” Jones wrote. “I hold tightly to that promise, believing that perseverance, integrity and faith will always yield purpose.”
Jones intends to remain in Grand Forks, continuing the work he believes he has been called to do — “building hope, creating opportunity and helping others find their way forward,” the statement concluded.