STAR Team

[starkiller]

STAR Team Manager Resigns

On May 14 MUFON lost another STAR Team manager when Larry Gessner resigned after serving in the position for only a few short months. Larry was also the State Director for South Dakota, as well as one of the administrators of the new MUFON forum. Larry is a good man and a good investigator...this is the type of person that MUFON needs if it is going to have any hope for a better future.

Here is Larry's farewell message...

Good Morning All

Today's Topic from Me

Changes



You will soon learn that I have resigned from MUFON. I want all to know that this was my decision and mine alone. Many things happen in a person’s life and whatever they are they have to be viewed for what they are. That being said I would like to address why I have resigned.

When I joined MUFON I was very excited about solving the mysteries of the UFO phenomenon and the more involved I got the more responsibility I took on. This is no different than any other job that I have had. When I worked on this forum I did the best I could. When I took on the role of Mact Con Administrator I did the best I could. When I became assistant Star Team Manager I did the best I could. Finally I was The Star Team Manager. This position was a real challenge for me and I felt that I met that challenge head on.

The whole concept of having Star Team is so that we as investigators have the capability of being ready to provide rapid response to any Cat 3 or above case. When you look at the logistics of this, it is a lot of planning and coordination and preparation in order to carry out this function. Fortunately for me the person who was in charge of Star Team before had done an amazing job of detailing this out so that it worked well. My only real task was to make sure that things went as planned. That is an understatement, and I will tell you why. MUFON is fluid; there are changes going on all of the time and every time something changes it has an effect on how Star Team operates. So it is very difficult to write anything in stone and have it hold true every time. What Star Team is lacking is 1.The funding to support the travel and equipment issues. 2. The total and undivided support of the State Directors. The reason that these two issues are the top two priorities is that, without either one of these the Team cannot function properly.

1. It costs money to travel no matter what mode of transportation is used. In order to get there in a rapid time frame, you must have the funds to take care of the costs. It has become harder and harder to do this with out of pocket expenses. Funding is crucial to keeping this going.

2. The way that the Star Team Manual is set up, the State Director is responsible for activating Star Team. I was responsible for contacting the State Director, and working with them to determine if the Star Team would be activated. It was very disconcerting to me when I would contact a state Director and hear "No thank you we don't need Star Team we have plenty of experienced investigators to handle this. So without the State Director activating Star Team the case was left to the investigator assigned, with no Star Team involvement. I realized that this was a problem when, it started happening more often than it should. I forwarded my concern up to the assistant DOI and The DOI and the ID. This has been set for discussion at the State Directors meeting at the symposium. It is my opinion that this should have been addressed with all State Directors immediately because I have seen the work that star team produces and it is phenomenal. When you read 68 and 72 page reports concerning Star team reports you know that every aspect of that case has been addressed. I would really like to see the reports of the investigators who handled the cases on their own without Star Team. I would bet that they don't hold a candle to a Star Team report. So for what it is worth. I was not happy that this issue has been put on the back burner. How many more cat 3 & above cases will not be investigated to the full potential that Star Team would accomplish?

The next issue I would like to address is training. I have stated this over and over again all training must be standardized in order for it to be effective. All field investigators must be trained the same way and to established levels of competency. I have been many places and trained many people and it is not only imperative that you have standard training policies, but the interpretation and implementation of the tasks must be the same as well as having the training requirements. I have tried to get help with this and the wheels of progress turn very slowly. I want all of you to please support this endeavor to establish better training requirements, and volunteer to help with production of on line training videos. Contact Dave MacDonald or Marie Malzahn and ask what you can do to help get this done. The faster that we have this established, the faster you will excel at what you do.

I tried very hard to make the above things happen and when I was told
that I was not doing my job properly, I felt that it was no longer
something that I wanted to spend my time trying to accomplish. MUFON
needs to be united in these issues. Either fully support it, or lose
it. Losing Star team would be a terrible thing. Don't let that happen

As I have left my positions in MUFON and moved on to other opportunities I leave you with a challenge. Be better than what you currently are. Not only fully support Star Team but make it the crown jewel of MUFON. It is that important.

I have enjoyed working with all of you and please feel free to contact me anytime you want. Larry Gessner

[starkiller]

The following analysis has been conducted by the Committee to Reform MUFON for the benefit of the Members of MUFON. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and sound judgment in this analysis.

MUFON Star Team member fired for asking questions

In February of this year, for reasons not disclosed, the much heralded Chase Kloetzke resigned as manager of the MUFON Star Team. Her replacement, Larry Gessner, resigned two weeks ago. Barry Gaunt of Kentucky was then appointed to replace Mr. Gessner. For undisclosed reasons, Mr. Gaunt resigned after 3 days in the job of Star Team manager.



“I have no idea why Chase quit”

Last week Star Team investigator Gary Hart asked ID Clifford Clift questions and made statements to Cliff about these resignations, and he was fired for doing that. When Gary was fired, another dedicated MUFON worker, Sandy Gonzalez, CMS Administrator from Florida , quit in support of Gary . It is not surprising. Any members of a team would be upset if 3 team leaders quit in succession without explanation, but the MUFON hierarchy won’t tolerate anyone from the Star Team trying to find out what happened. ‘I have no idea why Chase quit,’ ID Clifford Clift told Gary Hart in an email. Cliff expected the Star Team investigators to be satisfied with that non-explanation and simply go back to work. To his credit, Gary Hart was unable to do that.



Gary also asked about the 3rd party paragraph located on the witness intake form (“Report a UFO”) on MUFON’s website. The paragraph (for witnesses to check yes or no) was added to permit the transmission of witness’s names, addresses and phone numbers to Robert Bigelow during the 2009 contract period—and the paragraph has never been removed. The 3rd party paragraph raises the spectre MUFON is continuing to deal behind the scenes with Robert Bigelow, and that might have something to do with why Chase quit.



In connection with these and other controversial matters, Clifford Clift has provided either no explanation or implausible explanations, and that is naturally going to increase misgivings in the mind of any thinking person on the MUFON Star Team, and beyond. Clifford Clift and Board Member Marie Malzahn are attempting to control this situation by making frank discussion taboo, and this week Cliff and Marie proved they will fire anyone on the Star Team who presses for the truth.



Bye-bye to Gary

Six-year MUFON member and Star Team investigator Gary Hart of Illinois violated the taboo by asking: Why did Chase resign? Why did Larry resign? And what is the meaning of the 3rd party paragraph? He also suggested Chase might have resigned because the MUFON Board expected her to be discrete about “outside interference” in Star Team cases. Gary would have asked about Barry Gaunt resigning, except that he was not aware of the appointment of Barry, or Barry’s resignation.



Retribution was swift. Gary was dismissed from the Star Team and stripped of his FI badge. He was notified in a brutal letter written by Marie Malzahn in which she referred to Gary Hart as “seditious.”



Seditious?

Seditious means stirring up discontent against the government in power. It is a heavy political word usually used in connection with wars, revolutions and other matters of state security. Seditious is not a word you expect to be used in a 2800 member, non-profit, volunteer, charitable organization such as MUFON, but there it was.



The Committee to Reform MUFON believes all Members of MUFON should be informed of this matter, and so we are providing below the texts of the relevant emails preceding the firing. Ellipses (. . .) indicate editing for brevity. The emails were circulated to Star Team investigators, as well as Clifford Clift and Marie Malzahn.




--- On Sun, 5/15/11, at 2:01 PM, Gary Hart <[e-mail]> wrote:


Friends,
I just received notice Larry Gessner has resigned as Star Team Manager. . .Read his statement here: mufonnd.webs.com/apps/blog/entries/show/7042821-changes. A rather specific remark, which I will not repeat here, was made regarding this development that would suggest this was a result of one or more specific ideological conflicts between MUFON management (the Board of Directors) and Mr. Gessner.

As a result, I now request MUFON management answer these three questions:
1) Why specifically did Chase Kloetzke resign her Star Team Manager post?
2) Why has Larry resigned as Star Team Manager?
3) I was told by one source that Chase resigned because she was asked to either de-emphasize or cover up situations regarding third-party interference in case investigations. Is this true?

These are easy questions to answer and I think that as members of the Star Team we have a need and right to know what the answers are. If there is conflict, it needs to be brought out into the open and in some way resolved because this affects all Star Team investigators and the continuity of our investigat[ions]. . . .

I have not seen the revised At Will, Background Check and Confidentiality Agreement forms that Cliff was going to send out. . .Are these still the sole issues of conflict or are there other [issues]?

Cliff has justified keeping the third-party contact information disclosure selection on the headquarters website case reporting form by saying that analytical labs and other third party entities need to be able to contact witnesses directly. I am firmly against this. In my opinion, all contact with witnesses should be made through the original investigator, the State or International Director only, and with the original investigator's knowledge.

Of course this would prevent entities such as Bigelow's organization from gaining unfettered access to witnesses as has happened in the past which is likely the overwhelming reason why the [3rd party] selection is there and should be removed. In Chase's words, referring to Bigelow, "We (MUFON, the Star Team) don't need him." . . . third parties do not need direct access to witnesses' name or contact information without going through a FI, SD, ID.

Gary Hart

The following day, May 16, Gary Hart received a response from Clifford Clift, addressed to the same distribution list:



From: Clifford Clift <[e-mail]>

Subject: RE: Notice and questions



Hi Gary and All,

I will answer your questions and concerns the best I can. (See red print below.) Your email seems to somewhat antagonistic and filled with conspiracy theories. Let me assure you there is no conspiracy. I and MUFON are attempting to fulfill our Mission Statement. That is all.





Clifford’s responses were inserted into the email Gary had sent May 15 (above). Portions of Cliff’s responses are excerpted below:



1) Why specifically did Chase Kleotzke resign her Star Team Manager post?

Chase sent me an email resigning from her position. No reason given. What more can I say? I will not make up a story.

2) Why has Larry resigned as Star Team Manager?

From his email to me. He resigned for personal reasons. I am sure you appreciate I will not disclose his personal reasons. No one else's business.

3) I was told by one source that Chase resigned because she was asked to either de-emphasize or cover up situations regarding third-party interference in case investigations. Is this true?

Absolutely false. Your statement is straight from the conspiracy book.


I have not seen the revised At Will, Background Check and Confidentiality Agreement forms that Cliff was going to send out. . .Are these still the sole issues of conflict or are there other [issues]?

Your SD has the new forms. They will also be included in the FI manual and the new SD manual. . .Other than concerns over the old "Confidentiality Agreement", I do not know of any other concerns about the Star Team. Do you?

Cliff has justified keeping the [3rd party paragraph] on the website case reporting form by saying that analytical labs and other third party entities need to be able to contact witnesses directly. I am firmly against this. . .all contact with witnesses should be made through the original investigator, the State or ID only and with the original investigator's knowledge. I don't see any reason why it should be otherwise.

You are very wrong in the paragraph above. I have never justified anything including the third-party contact. I nor MUFON needs to justify what is done. . .We don't justify.

I am sorry you do not have the correct information. . .the third party contact information is for Consultants or analyst to use when they are needed for an event. The witness(s), FI, the SD, or the Chief Field Investigator of the state of the event will check that box. It is not arbitrarily checked by someone else. That is plain silly. The consultant will check with the appropriate person before they make contact with a witness. That is part of the agreement with consultants/analysts. . .[/color]



The reader will note that Cliff’s discussion of the 3rd party paragraph is incoherent. The witness, and only the witness, has a chance to check the box as the witness fills out an initial UFO sighting report. Cliff’s statement, “The witness(s), FI, the SD, or the Chief Field Investigator of the state. . .will check that box,” makes no sense. Cliff’s responses to Gary Hart ’s letter continue below:



Of course this would prevent entities such as Bigelow's organization from gaining unfettered access to witnesses as has happened in the past which is likely the overwhelming reason why the selection is there and should be removed. In Chase's words, referring to Bigelow, "We (MUFON, the Star Team) don't need him.". . . third parties do not need direct access to witnesses' name or contact information without going through a FI, SD, ID.

I am very frustrated you feel BAASS is still getting information from MUFON. MUFON has not had any contact with BAASS in over a year. Why on earth would we be giving Mr. Bigelow any information. We owe Mr. Bigelow nothing and he owes us nothing. Our contract ended 1-30-10. Again, the sole reason for the box is allow consultants/ analyst to have access to the CMS report, WHEN AND IF NEEDED. Again the Witness(s), FI , SD , or CFI may check this box and the consultant will be making contact with the appropriate person (the one who checked the box, as a rule.) Who would check this box other than those mentioned? . . .

Clifford Clift, ID MUFON[/color]



On the 20th this exchange took place between Gary Hart and Steve Firmani, state director for New England . Gary ’s statements are in blue.



Gary...
Frankly I have to agree with Cliff. To make it simple your statements and questions are very much conspitorial and insulting to Cliff, the MUFON BOD and the MUFON membership. I don't agree but find your response to be suspiciously extreme. I never mentioned a conspiracy angle. The several SD respondents to my messages are the only ones pumping this view. Rather bizarre for what I had hoped would be a "respectful" response. The reasons why anyone resigns or hired into a MUFON position is not your business as a MUFON FI. Then just say it is confidential without ranting like you are doing here. Give it a break. You are not a part of MUFON administration and as it seems, don't have any idea of the inner workings of an organization. I have been a member of several. . .and MUFON is the most uncharacteristicly disfunctional group I have ever been connected with. Your message here is an example.


I support Cliff and the board 100 percent. Furthermore, ypour demands, yes I said demands, because that is how you come across in your statements are absolutely condescending. And your raving here is not? Release of such information is not released as a courtesy for the privacy of all involved. Just say no. Cliff did not have to add any editorial comment. None was necessary. Even Larry, in his statement did not go in to detail for the same reasons. Also, I have spoken with Chase on many occasions and I'm sure she will never trust you again with personal information about her. I'm sure whatever she told you was in confidence. You are jumping to conclusions and have no right to speak for Chase. Hers was not a confidential communication . . .Try to calm down a bit Steve.

I feel that Cliff gave you a fair offer to discuss the issues privately, but you were relentless and unprofessional. If I were a UFO witness, I would find it difficult to trust you keeping their anoninimity after reading your messages as posted here. I don't get your point. This last statement doesn't even make sense. I find it impossible to trust MUFON with persons like yourself in positions of power.


You are a MUFON IF [sic] and that's it. You are not in administration and releasing that personal information to you would be a breach of confidentiality. Again, Cliff could just say no. Knowing these reasons have nothing to do with your duties as an IF [sic]. Your response shows a loss of composure. I seem to really have struck a nerve here. It is obvious to me that you are deflecting the conversation from the most basic issue of whether Bigelow is still operating behind the scenes in MUFON and none of you will answer that question directly. B.A.S.S. was just a false front.

You also claim that your emails have not caused a problem? Since when was disrespect and conspiratorial comments ever caused any good? When evil is embedded in MUFON, Steve. Please re-read your e-mails and do the right thing. Which is, my friend? My place is right here as your conscience.

Steve Firmani



On May 22, MUFON Board Member Marie Malzahn, Director of Investigations, wrote this letter of dismissal to Gary Hart :

Dear Mr. Hart:

The STAR Team distribution list is not a forum for anyone to attack another member of the team. I am appalled at your lack of tact and disgraceful behavior. Cliff has put his heart and soul into this organization and the STAR Team. You have no right or authority to engage in a disruptive verbal assault on the International Director, the Board of Directors, or any current or former MUFON volunteer. When you insult one member of the STAR Team, you insult the whole team. Along with that sentiment, when you insult one member of the Board of Directors, you insult the whole Board. It is quite apparent that you do not have the concept of teamwork and loyalty. I understand you have been in MUFON for several years, and as a senior Field Investigator you absolutely should know better than to behave in the manner in which you have conducted yourself here. There is no place in MUFON for malice and distractive rhetoric. We are Team MUFON, and we are proud of this motto for our investigative staff. The STAR Team members have worked diligently and tirelessly to get on the team. This type of rant is certainly not appreciated and is fatal to the mission of MUFON. I am gravely disappointed with your disrespectful attitude, seditious interest and dissident discourse.

Mr. Hart . . .this diatribe you provide is a hindrance to [MUFON’s] mission. You have divulged confidential information provided to you by other volunteers and that is not acceptable. A MUFON Field Investigator is expected to be a person of integrity and good character who can be trusted not only by his/her peers, but by the public as well.

You are hereby removed from the STAR Team. You are suspended as a MUFON Field Investigator pending a review by your State Director and the Office of the Director of Investigations.

Marie C. Malzahn
Director of Investigations/MUFON Board of Directors
David MacDonald
Assistant Director of Investigations/STAR Team Administrator

On May 26, CMS Administrator Sandy Gonzalez of Florida , 5-year MUFON member, wrote the following letter with his reaction to the firing of Gary Hart :



Ms. Malzahn,

. . .In your email to Gary Hart you wrote. . , "I am appalled at your lack of tact and disgraceful behavior," and "A MUFON FI is expected to be a person of integrity and good character who can be trusted not only by his/her peers, but by the public as well."

Those words are rather insulting. . .for you are suggesting, without proof, that Mr. Hart lacks integrity and good character, and cannot be trusted. Your use of the word "disgraceful" is particularly inappropriate for Mr. Hart said nothing that can be considered shameful or dishonorable. . .it can be argued that the person exhibiting a lack of tact and inappropriate behavior may very well be you.

In my opinion your rhetoric and the suspension of Mr. Hart are out of line, and anyone with a sense of fairness should be shocked, as I am. . .

In. . .the [emails] I did not see anything resembling attacks, verbal assaults or insults on the part of Mr. Hart, but your email [and] a couple of others may fall into those categories.

The ID skirted the issue in his own email by [saying], "your statement is straight from the conspiracy book" and "Elaine or others [make] false statements." What I've seen are questions that MUFON for whatever reason(s) has apparently chosen not to answer.

During a 32 year law enforcement career, from which I retired as a federal executive-level manager, I fought these same attitudes constantly. My experience was that time and again whenever managers were put on the spot by employees or whistle blowers (as MUFON was in this case), these employees were often labeled "not-team-players," "troublemakers" or "conspiracy theorists". . . The labeling was usually followed by the proverbial killing of the messenger, which you have now done in this case.

It is wrong for MUFON members to label Mr. Hart, or anyone else, a conspiracy theorist for simply asking questions. . .

What we have is hardly a conspiracy theory. There are real issues. . .a number of unexplained resignations from key positions. . .the smoke from "where there's smoke there's fire" fame. We also have the. . .matter of the FOI request, and public comments from some. . .who have resigned, including a Star Team manager and the former ID. Is that something the rest of us should not be aware of and discuss openly with management?

I find it ironic that at the same time we're told we are a "team" we also get a statement by a MUFON member telling Mr. Hart that Star Team issues are "not your business," which is nothing short of ludicrous, . . .and detrimental to the morale of ANY organization, especially an organization run by. . .volunteers. . .the members of such an organization have a right to know how their organization is being managed, or mismanaged.

That you and others have become so defensive as a result of valid questions is indicative of a problem that should be dealt with forthwith. As a veteran police investigator, let me suggest that anyone who is against answering questions and disagrees with an independent review of the issues must step aside for the good of the organization.

Frankly, and regretfully, the bottom line for me is I don't like what I've seen from MUFON management so far, and I understand the consequences of making that statement and sending this message. Therefore I'll save you the trouble and suspend myself as a CMS Administrator. . .

S.Gonzalez

A missed opportunity to tell the truth

At the Committee to Reform MUFON, we see Gary Hart ’s initial letter as a cry for help. Despite the letter’s confrontational tone, it seems to us the letter was Gary’s attempt to throw open the door and give Clifford Clift and Marie Malzahn an opportunity to tell the truth and restore the Star Team’s faith in MUFON’s leadership.

Instead of taking that opportunity, Cliff escalates with his accusations of “conspiracy theories” and it is all downhill from there, leading inevitably to the firing of Gary Hart . We predict the MUFON hierarchy will be unsuccessful in its effort to stifle the doubts and bludgeon into submission the members of the Star Team, and numerous others in MUFON. Sandy Gonzalez quit in protest, and there will be more Gary Hart s and Sandy Gonzalezs because the leadership of MUFON is so far unable to do what is necessary to restore the faith and trust of the Membership.

This is what we are expected to believe

What would be necessary? Telling the truth is absolutely necessary, but it is obvious the leadership of MUFON is unable to do that. Asked, ‘Why did Chase resign?’ Clifford Clift tells Gary Hart , ‘I don’t know.’ Are we expected to believe that? Are we to believe that when a key member of his management team, Chase Kloetzke, resigned, CEO Clifford Clift did not pick up the phone and ask her why?

A similar moment can be found in the Feb. 8, 2011 Angelia Joiner radio program where Cliff was interviewed. The topic was whether MUFON Board member John Schuessler received a security clearance in connection with MUFON’s 2009 contract with Robert Bigelow.

In the first hour of the program former ID James Carrion stated that John told the Board he would be getting a clearance, and that he, James, was later interviewed by the government for a clearance for John. Angelia stated John Schuessler told her “No comment” when she asked him about the clearance, so she put the question to Cliff. Cliff’s answer is, essentially, ‘I don’t know.’ See: www.angeliajoiner.com/multimedia/audiolibrary

Not a credible performance

So here we have the CEO of a major organization (MUFON) doing a media interview. Controversy is swirling around the organization and the CEO is asked about an allegation of wrongdoing by a member of his Board. And this CEO is so oblivious to the requirements of leadership and his public position that he feels safe in blandly answering ‘I don’t know’ to a very important question he most definitely should know the answer to. In the meantime, the Board Member, John Schuessler, feels safe in telling the media, “No comment.” This is preposterous—just as preposterous as for Cliff to say, ‘I don’t know why Chase resigned.’

Very well. Let’s take Cliff at his word. He doesn’t know why his Star Team manager resigned. And he doesn’t know if a member of the Board he heads received a security clearance. Apparently he does not know what is going on around him. And he cannot figure out who checks a box designated for the witness on the witness intake form. In that event, how can Cliff say “Absolutely not!” Chase did not resign because she was asked to ignore “outside interference” in Star Team cases? How would he know?

There doesn’t seem to be any point in asking Cliff further questions since by his own admission he doesn’t know what is going on in MUFON—either that or he is lying. Whichever, the situation is disturbing, and in such a situation who wouldn’t ask questions and generate “conspiracy theories”? We thank Gary Hart and Sandy Gonzalez for their courageous stands.

Submitted by the Committee to Reform MUFON—

Steven Bass

Marilyn Carlson

Elaine Douglass

Bill McNeff

Marlee Spendlove

Ron Spicer