Rehoboth Beach
CAMP Rehoboth announces search for new executive director
LGBTQ center retains search firm to help in selection of new leader
CAMP Rehoboth, the Rehoboth Beach, Del., based LGBTQ community services center, announced on Thursday that it has launched a search for its next executive director and has retained the national search firm Cooper Coleman to assist.
In a Jan. 19 statement, the group says the new candidate will replace Lisa Evans, who has been serving as Interim Director since the previous executive director, David Mariner, left the position to start a new Delaware LGBTQ advocacy group called Sussex Pride.
Prior to starting as CAMP Rehobothās executive director in 2019 Mariner served as executive director for the D.C. Center for the LGBT Community.
āOur number one priority has been and remains to stay laser-focused on ensuring CAMP Rehoboth continues to meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community in greater Sussex County today and into the future,ā said CAMP Rehoboth Board President Wesley Combs. āThanks to Lisaās leadership, CAMP Rehoboth remains strong and vibrant, helping provide the next Executive Director with a strong foundation to carry the organization forward,ā Combs said.
āCAMP Rehoboth is the largest community center serving the needs of the LGBTQ+ people in Rehoboth Beach and the surrounding area, greater Sussex County and throughout the state of Delaware,ā the statement announcing the search for a new director says.
The statement notes that Cooper Coleman is an LGBT-owned firm certified by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce that has experience working with nonprofit organizations, including organizations focused on LGBTQ-related issues, in conducting searches for leaders of those organizations.
āCooper Colemanās references spoke highly of its comprehensive discovery process conducting stakeholder interviews with staff, board, donors, volunteers, and community members,ā Combs said in the CAMP Rehoboth statement. āThis helps ensure the job description and leadership profile accurately reflect the qualifications necessary for CAMP Rehoboth to continue being a lifeline for the LGBTQ community in todayās uncertain times,ā he said.
āThe next executive director will play a pivotal role in the completion, and execution of CAMP Rehobothās new strategic plan,ā Combs added. āIt is our hope that the candidate will be in place by Memorial Day 2023.ā
According to its release, CAMP Rehoboth seeks a candidate who has successfully led or held a leadership position within a significant and growing organization where they had the opportunity to:
ā represent that organization effectively to the public,
ā lead a diverse management team,
ā develop significant experience in fundraising,
ā do strategic thinking and planning,
ā work with the board of directors, and
ā lead or contribute to organizational change efforts.
In addition to this direct experience, CAMP Rehoboth seeks candidates who have held leadership roles in the LGBTQ+ movement. Learn more about the search and how to apply at coopercoleman.com/current-searches.
Rehoboth Beach
Former CAMP Rehoboth official sentenced to nine months in prison
Salvator Seeley pleaded guilty to felony theft charge for embezzlement
Salvator āSalā Seeley, who served as an official with the Rehoboth Beach, Del., CAMP Rehoboth LGBTQ community center for 20 years, was sentenced on April 5 by a Sussex County Superior Court judge to nine months in prison and to pay $176,000 in restitution to the organization.
The sentencing took place about five weeks after Seeley pleaded guilty to a charge of Theft in Excess of $50,000 for allegedly embezzling funds from CAMP Rehoboth, a spokesperson for the Delaware Department of Justice told the Washington Blade.
Seeley’s guilty plea came shortly after a grand jury, at the request of prosecutors, indicted him on the felony theft charge following an investigation that found he had embezzled at least $176,000 from the nonprofit LGBTQ organization.
āSalvatore C. Seeley, between the 27th day of February 2019 and the 7th day of September 2021, in the County of Sussex, State of Delaware, did take property belonging to CAMP Rehoboth, Inc., consisting of United States currency and other miscellaneous property valued at more than $50,000, intending to appropriate the same,ā the indictment states.
āThe State recommended a sentence of two years of incarceration based on the large-scale theft and the impact to the non-profit organization,ā Delaware Department of Justice spokesperson Caroline Harrison told the Blade in a statement.
āThe defense cited Seeleyās lack of a record and gambling addiction in arguing for a probationary sentence,ā the statement says. āSeeley was sentenced in Superior Court to a nine-month prison term and to pay a total of $176,000 in restitution for the stolen funds,ā Harrison says in the statement.
Neither Seeley nor his attorney could immediately be reached for comment.
At the time of Seeleyās indictment in February, CAMP Rehoboth released a statement saying it first discovered āfinancial irregularitiesā within the organization on Sept. 7, 2021, āand took immediate action and notified state authorities.ā The statement says this resulted in the investigation of Seeley by the state Department of Justice as well as an internal investigation by CAMP Rehoboth to review its āfinancial control policiesā that led to an updating of those policies.
āAs we have communicated from day one, CAMP Rehoboth has fully cooperated with law enforcement,ā the statement continues. āAt its request, we did not speak publicly about the investigation while it was ongoing for fear it would jeopardize its integrity,ā according to the statement. āThis was extremely difficult given our commitment to transparency with the community about day-to-day operations during the recent leadership transition.ā
The statement was referring to Kim Leisey, who began her job as CAMP Rehobothās new executive director in July of 2023, while the Seeley investigation had yet to be completed, following the organizationās process of searching for a new director. It says Seeley left his job as Health and Wellness Director of CAMP Rehoboth in September of 2021 after working for the organization for more than 20 years.
āMr. Seeleyās actions are a deep betrayal to not only CAMP Rehoboth but also the entire community we serve,ā the statement says.
Rehoboth Beach
Former CAMP Rehoboth official pleads guilty to felony theft
Salvatore Seeley faces possible jail time, agrees to reimburse $176,000
Salvatore āSalā Seeley, who served as an official at the Rehoboth Beach, Del., CAMP Rehoboth LGBTQ community center for 20 years, has pleaded guilty to a felony charge of Theft In Excess of $50,000 for allegedly embezzling funds from the organization for at least a two-and-a-half-year period, according to a Sussex County, Del., Superior Court indictment and a spokesperson for the Delaware Office of the Attorney General.
The spokesperson, Mat Marshall, sent the Blade a copy of the indictment, which he said was handed down against Seeley on Feb. 27 and which provides the only specific court information that the Washington Blade could immediately obtain.
āSalvatore C. Seeley, between the 27th day of February 2019 and the 7th day of September 2021, in the County of Sussex, State of Delaware, did take property belonging to Camp Rehoboth, Inc., consisting of United States currency and other miscellaneous property valued at more than $50,000, intending to appropriate same,ā the indictment states.
āI can further confirm that the Defendant entered a guilty plea to one count of Theft in Excess of $50,000,ā spokesperson Marshall told the Blade in an email message. āMr. Seeley also agrees to make restitution of $176,199.78 to CAMP Rehoboth,ā Marshall said. āHe will be sentenced on April 5 and does face the possibility of prison time.ā
Marshall declined to provide additional information on the findings of the law enforcement investigation into Seeleyās alleged theft. The restitution figure of $176,199.79 suggests investigators believe Seeley embezzled at least that amount from CAMP Rehoboth during the time he worked for the organization.
Seeley couldnāt immediately be reached for comment
CAMP Rehoboth describes itself as a nonprofit LGBTQ community service organization and the largest organization of its type āserving the needs of LGBTQ+ people in Rehoboth, greater Sussex County, and throughout the state of Delaware.ā The statement adds that the organization āis dedicated to creating a positive environment inclusive of all sexual orientations and gender identities in Rehoboth and its related communities.ā
Kim Leisey, who began her job as executive director of CAMP Rehoboth in July of 2023, said it was her understanding that officials with the organization discovered funds were missing and opened an investigation in September of 2021, a short time before Seeley left the organization. Leisey said that at the time of his departure, Seeley served as CAMP Rehobothās director of health and wellness programs.
At that time, former D.C. Center for the LGBT Community director David Mariner was serving as CAMP Rehobothās executive director and reportedly took steps to open an investigation into missing funds. Wesley Combs, CAMP Rehobothās current board president, said Seeley resigned from his job around that time in 2021.
āI know that I took this job knowing there was a concern and a problem and an investigation,ā Leisey told the Blade. āAnd I also know that the board of CAMP Rehoboth has done everything it needs to do to ensure that we were compliant, cooperative and that things are going really well here at CAMP Rehoboth.ā
Leisey said CAMP Rehoboth currently has a staff of six full-time employees and several contract employees. She said the organization has a current annual budget of $1.4 million.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at: [email protected].
Congratulations to Jim Endean on his new position as Director of Design and Business Development at BSD in Rehoboth Beach, Del.
āI am joining the BSD team to cultivate and grow their cabinetry division creating kitchens, baths, mudrooms, and beyond,ā he said.
Prior to this he was with Atlantic Kitchen & Bath LLC, Lewes, Del., and was SVP New Business Development with Innomark Communications, New York. He has worked in corporate retail and brand design presentation for department stores, Nike, and Calvin Klein. He began his career with May Co. ā Kaufmannās, Hechtās and Strawbridges divisions. His focus was on creating and executing brand vision for experiential customer environments at retail. He then translated that experience into the retail technology arena where he sold and implemented state-of-the-art 3D visual design and merchandising software transforming the way retailers and brands presented their identities to mass markets. Endean then went into residential interior design. He grew up in New England and Western Pennsylvania. He spent 20 years in corporate positions in New York City. He has been a visitor to Rehoboth Beach for 26 years and moved to the beach permanently in 2020. He lives there with his husband John, an architect, and their dog Levi.
Endean earned his bachelorās degree in Communications and Marketing, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh.