| The board of directors of Community Resources, Inc. fired the agencies executive director Steve Ellis Tuesday night.
"The board of directors relieved (him) of his duties and we parted ways cordially," said Randall Siers, president of CRI's board.
State officials from the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity are auditing and reviewing the operations of the 11-county agency, whose main office is in Parkersburg.
The OEO audit is reportedly based on a number of complaints that have surfaced regarding the management of the agency by Ellis.
Ellis has retained the services of an attorney, calling it a "witch hunt."
Board president Siers said, "We have appointed Vicky Randolph as the interim Executive Director and have chosen to have the organization manage itself by committee in the interim."
"We will begin the process of identifying and hiring a new Executive Director shortly after the holiday season," he said.
Edward Harper, director of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity, told the Herald, "We will be looking at the overall health and status of CRI."
"The Board is thankful and impressed with the quality of the employees that CRI has been able to hire and retain throughout the years, and we feel that our separation from our Executive Director should not negatively affect our performance or the quality of service that we provide in the field," Siers concluded.
CRI was the target of a major investigation by OEO in 2007, after which the executive director at the time resigned, a review found 19 weaknesses.
Ellis was hired at that time to re-group the agency.
The agency has embarked on an expanded $3 million weatherization program, and is in line to receive other assistance money through the stimulus program.
CRI provides services to West Virginia counties that have some of the neediest families, including older citizens.
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