WHO’S IN CHARGE OF THE HISPANIC CHAMBER?

This year was a tremendous success for the Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce-until all hell broke loose. Becky Olind, president of the chamber for the 1982-83 fiscal year, was preparing to give up her seat to President-elect Michael Gon-zales, who had been elected the previous year to succeed her.

In June, the chamber’s regular election for the remaining board members was held. There followed a confusing conflict over the legality of the voting procedures. Some people say that the problem is simply a personality clash between Olind and Gonzales; others claim that the problem is more complex.

After the election, Ralph Martinez (a defeated candidate for the board) claimed that illegal votes had been cast and bylaws had been violated during the election. At the next meeting of the board of directors-before the new officers were installed -some board members also raised questions regarding the fairness of the vote. That board voted to hire legal counsel to compile a report on the validity of the election. Ex-City Council-member Lee Simpson was retained.

While Simpson was compiling the report, the date for the annual installation dinner rolled around. Olind says that Gonzales and another board member sent dinner invitations to the 450 chamber members, even though there were no agreed-upon officers to install. Olind says that Gonzales had been suspended from the board of directors at the previous board meeting. Even without new officers to install, the banquet took place as scheduled.

As a result of Simpson’s report, which stated that bylaws were violated in the election proceedings, the board voted to hold a new election at the end of September.

About a week before the election, Gonzales sent invitations to a large group of chamber members for a complimentary lunch at the Ben E. Keith Co., stating that the confusion about the legal counsel’s report would be cleared up. Simpson was not invited.

Gonzales’ attorney, Marcos Ronquillo, assembled a synopsis of Simpson’s report for the luncheon. Later, in a newsletter to members, Gonzales reported that members decided not to hold a second election and that the “legal counsel’s report showed that no fraud or illegalities oc-

curred at the election.” Olind, who was at the luncheon, says that a number of non-members voted and, furthermore, that a number of members who were present abstained.

The week of the scheduled second election, Olind sent out election reminder notices to all chamber members. Later that week, Gonzales sent out notices stating that the election had been cancelled. Only 50 members of the chamber voted, Olind says.

Questions still remain, but the overriding one is, who is in charge?

Olind says that a personality conflict between her and Gonzales is not the problem. “The real problem is that no president has the right to overrule a board’s decision,” she says.

Simpson, Gonzales and Ron-quillo chose not to comment.