The new CEO of the Jacksonville-based Wounded Warrior Project knows the image of the organization was tarnished by reports on lavish spending.
But Mike Linnington is ready to turn that image around, fast.
"We may not in the short term be able to do for them as we have in the past. That's unfortunate", said Linnington during a wide-ranging interview with WOKV's Rich Jones.
LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW HERE
Linnington pushed back against the reports from this winter, saying much of it was inaccurate. An independent audit conducted months after the reports found that WWP spends 80.6 of donations on programming. Of the approximately $26 million that was spent on conferences and events between Oct. 1, 2013 and Sept. 30, 2014, approximately 94 percent was associated with program services delivered to Wounded Warriors and their families.
But the audit also found that some policies, procedures, and controls at WWP have not kept pace with the organization's rapid growth in recent years and are in need of strengthening.
The WWP board ousted CEO Steve Nardizzi and COO Al Giordano as a result of the investigation.
Linnington was appointed to the position of CEO, effective July 18th. Linnington comes to Jacksonville as the most recent Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. His 35-year military career includes three tours in combat operations and key command positions in numerous assignments around the world.
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