He lasted nine days! Richard Dare, New Jersey Symphony CEO, resigned yesterday amid disclosures that he had pleaded "no contest" in an underage sex case in 1996 and served 60 days in jail. My first thought was, here we go again; another stunning case of a Board and recruiter missing something of enormous consequence about a candidate's background.
No, it's worse than that. The Board actually knew. Dare had been honest with them about the case and actually married the woman when she turned 18. With a perplexing inability to see how serious their brand was about to be damaged and the distraction such a choice would cause, the Board nonetheless proceeded with the appointment. Yet another case underscoring the need for a Director of Common Sense in all organizations.