"Just so you know, emails are the worst way to communicate sensitive issues."
Mark Noss email to Steven Ingersoll, Kaye Mentley
November 17, 2013
Miss Fortune has another exclusive -- a series of emails sent among Steven Ingersoll, Mark Noss and Kaye Mentley.
The emails reveal a shocking, behind-the-scenes look at the machinations the three undertook in order to "provide Steve with a solid case moving forward", according to a November 17, 2013 email sent by then Grand Traverse Academy board president Mark Noss.
The contretemps erupted after Traverse City CPA firm Dennis, Gartland & Neirgarth issued the Grand Traverse Academy's official 2013 "financial statements and report of independent certified public accountants", referred to in the email series as the "audit".
Under Note 4, DGN detailed its findings on the school's massive prepaid expense balance, along with its assertion that Steven Ingersoll's Smart Schools Management, Inc. booked his management fee overpayments as "accounts receivable", but never repaid the advances.
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The series of emails was kicked off by Mark Noss on November 14, 2013 at 10:53am, asking Steven Ingersoll to "arrange with Kaye to put the Dec. 6 board meeting back on the schedule. I asked Brad to run the meeting." (Noss was referring to board member Brad Habermehl.)
As I revealed on this blog November 1, 2015, DGN presented the audit during the Grand Traverse Academy's November 8, 2013 meeting. Among the findings was a stunning assessment: a finding that implied an "abuse" of public funds by Ingersoll. DGN disputed Ingersoll's contention that he had transferred cash from his accounts to the Grand Traverse Academy to "service the FYE accounts receivable balance" during the fiscal year that ran from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012.
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Using what he described as a "bank statement", Ingersoll used falsified documents (with the help of Mark Noss) to demonstrate that he'd repaid $1,813,330 owed by Smart Schools to the Grand Traverse Academy.
But Ingersoll hadn't really repaid the money--he just made it look like he had. But more about that tomorrow.
Back to the full-court press of Mark Noss, Kaye Mentley and Steven Ingersoll, deliberate activity undertaken to help Ingersoll refute portions of the 2013 financial report at the Grand Traverse Academy board's December 6, 2013 meeting.
Here are the newly-released emails, which I've reformatted (with two exceptions) from the originals to make them easier to read and to improve this report's flow. The emails are exactly as written, so if you see what you consider a mistake or a typo, keep it to yourself.
Mentley responds to the November 14 email from Mark Noss. Note that Mentley reveals the group has already rejected "several of the auditor's recommendations in order to help Steve", clearly choosing self-interest over the public's.
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Ingersoll responds, combining corporate speak with the punch of a verbal bitch slap:
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In other words, just do what you're told! And, like a whipped puppy, Mentley does just that:
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The next day, November 15, 2013, Ingersoll answers (a screen capture of the original email message follows), recognizing "Steve problem fatigue" and the "egocentric nature" of his action plan:
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And finally, Grand Traverse Academy board president Mark Noss, clearly in the tank for Ingersoll, responds.
Much more tomorrow, January 5!
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The emails reveal a shocking, behind-the-scenes look at the machinations the three undertook in order to "provide Steve with a solid case moving forward", according to a November 17, 2013 email sent by then Grand Traverse Academy board president Mark Noss.
The contretemps erupted after Traverse City CPA firm Dennis, Gartland & Neirgarth issued the Grand Traverse Academy's official 2013 "financial statements and report of independent certified public accountants", referred to in the email series as the "audit".
Under Note 4, DGN detailed its findings on the school's massive prepaid expense balance, along with its assertion that Steven Ingersoll's Smart Schools Management, Inc. booked his management fee overpayments as "accounts receivable", but never repaid the advances.
As I revealed on this blog November 1, 2015, DGN presented the audit during the Grand Traverse Academy's November 8, 2013 meeting. Among the findings was a stunning assessment: a finding that implied an "abuse" of public funds by Ingersoll. DGN disputed Ingersoll's contention that he had transferred cash from his accounts to the Grand Traverse Academy to "service the FYE accounts receivable balance" during the fiscal year that ran from July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2012.
But Ingersoll hadn't really repaid the money--he just made it look like he had. But more about that tomorrow.
Back to the full-court press of Mark Noss, Kaye Mentley and Steven Ingersoll, deliberate activity undertaken to help Ingersoll refute portions of the 2013 financial report at the Grand Traverse Academy board's December 6, 2013 meeting.
Here are the newly-released emails, which I've reformatted (with two exceptions) from the originals to make them easier to read and to improve this report's flow. The emails are exactly as written, so if you see what you consider a mistake or a typo, keep it to yourself.
Mentley responds to the November 14 email from Mark Noss. Note that Mentley reveals the group has already rejected "several of the auditor's recommendations in order to help Steve", clearly choosing self-interest over the public's.
Much more tomorrow, January 5!
