Originally airing on WHCP 91.7fm on Thursday 8/9/2024
Listen to the interview:
Read the transcript:
Matt Leonard, the contentious executive director of Cambridge Waterfront Development Incorporated, was suddenly terminated Thursday in what the organization called a “mutual decision.”
Sources told WHCP that Leonard was forced out by state officials following months of hostilities between CWDI and Cambridge city officials and Leonard’s refusal to cooperate under the city oversight of the multi-million dollar Cambridge Harbor Project.
Angie Hanks, president of the volunteer board of directors for CWDI said The decision to remove Leonard from the $117,000 position happened suddenly Thursday, but didn’t offer any reason why Leonard was terminated.
“The board and Matt all decided together,” Hengst said. “So it was a mutual decision between both parties.” “Leonard did not reply to our request for an interview, but in a press release that CWDI issued Thursday, he expressed good wishes for the organization.
“I answered the call to help my chosen forever home by joining CWDI’S team,” Leonard said. “All of the CWDI board members I worked with are talented professionals dedicated to C W’s community-first mission. I’m proud of what we accomplished together. I wish them all the best going forward and look forward to enjoying the fruits of their efforts for a long time to come.”
With Leonard’s ouster city officials who have been locking horns with Leonard in meetings court and mediation see, hope for a breakthrough to get Cambridge Harbor on track.
“Yeah, I certainly see something more hopeful with his departure because it gives an open door to new opportunities,” said LaJan Cephas, president of the Cambridge City Council. “I just hope everyone that’s following, I hope they understand that this is actually great news for the waterfront development. It’s great news for the city, it’s great news for the county, and I’m pretty sure the state is excited as well, that this is a new path forward towards this development.”
Mayor Steve Rideout said he has faith in the project, Irrespective of Leonard’s involvement.
Leonard’s ouster does leave CWDI without any staff to handle many open issues. Hengst said “Change is always difficult, but since it was mutual, we don’t have any kind of animosity towards each other going forward, remaining friends, all those things. It will be a little challenging right now, not having an executive director to handle those day-to-day things. So we’re all just going to have to put in a little bit more time than we have been. We’re all volunteers. We’re very passionate about the project, so we don’t mind putting in a little bit of extra work to make sure that everything’s still moving forward.”
Work on the Cambridge Harbor Promenade is expected to continue, Hengst said, but the organization’s operating budget was wiped out by legal bills over $200,000. That was for attorneys Leonard ordered to work on several occasions, most recently a grievance-laden response to Cambridge City’s lawsuit against CWDI.
In May, Richard Zeidman, who the city council sought to remove from CWDI’s board, resigned, and has yet to be replaced. Cephas said this is an opportunity.
“With regards to CWDI. we face challenges because we didn’t provide expectations to the city appointees, and now moving forward, since we have to replace a person, we’re ensuring that that’s the standard, that they understand what the expectation is, which is, when they’re at that table, we expect them to be a representative of the city, and of course our member of the board, but the priority is they’re representative of
the city.”
CWDI will not be replacing Leonard soon, Hengst said. “We don’t have much operating funds, so we’ll not be immediately hiring a new executive director, and so we’ll just have to see how things look going forward in terms of getting operating funds in and what that looks like.”
For Mid-shore Midday, I’m Jim Brady.
