Chamber President Who Quit Wants to Start New Biz Group

Robert Love, who last week resigned as president from the Bernards Township Regional Chamber of Commerce after he contested payments made to the chamber's executive director, Al LiCata, this week said he and other area business leaders will start a new business advocacy group with lower dues and greater "transparency" showing how money is spent.

"There's a need for it," Love said of a proposed new business support group he said would be based in Bernards Township. He said he and others would like to set up the organization within the next few months.

Meanwhile, Tim Parlatore, an attorney whose firm represents LiCata, said Love's figures regarding payments to the chamber executive director are incorrect. Parlatore said Love has made "false and misleading" statements about LiCata.

Love last week issued an email letter to the Bernards Township regional chamber's approximately 300 members , saying he recently had discovered LiCata has been receiving about $20,000 per year in a combination of salary, expense payments, bonuses and other fees.

On Thursday, Love said in an interview he had been unable to obtain copies of the chamber's bylaws, despite repeated requests, during the two years he had served as president. Until some time around the beginning of this year, he said he had been unaware of the full amount he said has been paid to LiCata.

"He [LiCata] told me he was paid $5,000 a year," to serve as the chamber's executive director, according to Love, a Basking Ridge resident who said he owns a Valero gas station in Bernardsville.

Love, who said he served as president in a volunteer capacity, said in his initial letter, "Clearly, I can no longer act in any capacity associated with the BTRCC. I am sure you all understand."

Chamber president position still listed as open on Friday

As of Friday afternoon, the position of chamber president remained listed as open on the BTCC website.

"The accusations are quite false," LiCata said on Monday night, at an annual reorganization meeting for the BTCC. On that night, the handful of members present voted to move last year's chamber vice president of community events, Susan Schumann, into the position of president.

Schumann said by email on Friday that she is declining the position because of family responsibilities.

"This in no way should reflect on the circumstances that is going on in the media right now between Al & Rob," she wrote.

LiCata did not respond specifically to the accusations at the Monday meeting, or when contacted again on Thursday night, although he had answered some of the accusations in an email sent out to chamber members earlier that day.

Chamber members within Bernards Township pay annual dues of $125, while those in neighboring communities, such as Long Hill Township and Bernardsville, have been recently asked to pay dues of $150 for this year, LiCata said.

He said the chamber organizes several events each year, such as local parades and last year's National Night Out, as well as hosting networking get-together and providing opportunities for business-to-business cooperation.

Love's initial letter sent to chamber members last week said LiCata has been receiving annual pay of $400 per month as a salary; another $400 per month as a "communication allowance" for his cell phone, fax, and land line; another $3,000 bonus twice a year "as funds have allowed; and "appearance fees" for chamber-hosted events such as the former Taste of the Chamber and the Dewy Meadow carnival.

He said he has also fielded complaints about LiCata's practices and character. He asked where the transparency, full disclousure and voting by members has been for the chamber's procedures.

Beth Korkuch, who until last week was treasurer of the BTRCC, and remained as of Friday listed as vice president of communication and finance on the chamber's website, was replaced in that position on Monday night.

Korkuch said it was she who had provided Love with the figures quoted in his email, and she said on Thursday afternoon those figures are accurate. She also said she intends to be part of the new business organization being planned.

When asked directly on Monday and Thursday, LiCata declined to specify about the accusations, other than to refer questions to his attorney.

LiCata declined to answer whether he is considering a lawsuit as a result of the accusations, as indicated in one email, and he would not say directly whether Korkuch had resigned, or "had been resigned," as she described her departure from the BTCC.

On Friday, Parlatore said Korkuch was not at Monday's meeting, nor did she indicate a wish to be reappointed to her position. He said she merely had been replaced.

On Tuesday, LiCata sent an email to Korkuch thanking her for her time spent as treasurer and offered her a new position as "ambassador" for the chamber.

"Thank you for your consideration in the Ambassador position, but, I'll have to respectfully decline," Korkuch said in an email responding to the offer. "I find it rather insulting that you would go about forming a new board on your own, without calling an executive meeting for this, and I would like to no longer be involved with board activities."

Parlatore on Friday said that LiCata intends to sue Love for slander, based on statements made by his former friend and associate regarding the chamber. That friendship soured because of issues involving another organization, the local Knights of Columbus, Parlatore said.

Love on Thursday said he intends no legal action against LiCata, but simply wants to "move on" to form a new organization in which he said the dues would be based wholly on expenses incurred, such as setting up a web page.

LiCata responds to chamber members in email

Parlatore backed, and further explained, some figures that LiCata sent out to chamber members in an email on Thursday. 

"Al does a lot of running around," Parlatore said. He said that years previously, the board for the chamber decided to pay him a flat fee of $5,000 a year for expenses such as mileage, gas, printing and similar costs. Both he and LiCata said other chambers, including Bridgewater and Princeton, have full-time chamber directors who earn full-time salaries.

In his email, LiCata said, "I am not paid $400 per month as a 'salary.' I am paid $416 per month as a reimbursement for expenses. A long time ago, the Board decided that rather than deal with all the receipts for gas, mileage, printing, etc., that I would be paid $5,000 per year in monthly installments to reimburse me for all these expenses. That is permissible under Section 9 of the bylaws," LiCata said, attaching a copy of the bylaws to his email.

LiCata's email said other phone and fax bills are paid directly by the chamber, with none of that money going to him He added that the $3,000 semi-annual bonus approved by the board several years ago was based on meeting certain fundraising goals and had not been paid "for years" in the worsened economy.

LiCata said there have been no "appearance fees" paid to anyone, except sometimes a $100 fee paid to those who work an event, or being taken to dinner.

Parlatore contended Love had not asked for copies of the bylaw. Moreover, he pointed to an earlier, Jan. 5 resignation letter from Love, in which Love said he would resign as chamber president and member due to "ever increasing demands on my time at home and in my other endeavors." Parlatore said the second resignation letter had followed after the two mens' friendship had "soured."

Parlatore said LiCata intends to continue leading the chamber unless the membership wishes to remove him, as per the procedures within chamber bylaws.

In another email sent out to chamber members on Thursday, Love said he had been essentially called a liar in LiCata's reponse.

"I send this email in a form that will allow each of you a forum to 'reply to all,'" Love said in his email. "If any of you knew Mr. LiCata's compensation arrangement with the Chamber, saw a copy of the by laws, etc. please share with the rest of us," he said.

Chris Gallaway, another local chamber member, on Thursday said he had volunteered his time for many chamber events for 10 years.

"I really do feel betrayed," he said.