Did Nicole Poore Double Her Own Salary At Jobs For Delaware Graduates?

Filed in Delaware, Featured by on August 11, 2017

That’s one of only two possibilities. Neither of which paints her stewardship of this worthless organization in a positive light.

This rundown of JDG’s 501(c)(3) returns raises an obvious question.   Which one of these is not like the others?:

$112,485

$112,030

$116,940

$111,700

$110,610

$202,635.

(Cue music).

OK, you’re probably saying, El Som, you’ve lost me.  You were lost but now you’re found.  That list of dollar amounts reflects the  ‘Executive Compensation’ line for Jobs For Delaware Graduates from FY 2011 to FY 2016.

Nicole got the job as Executive Director of JDG in 2014, during the 2015 Fiscal Year.

Meaning that FY 2016 was the first year that she could have any impact on the remuneration for her position.  In that first year, the executive compensation figure jumped from $110,610 to $202,635.

There are only two possibilities: (a) She virtually doubled her salary; or (b) she had to bring someone on to do the job she’s supposed to be doing.  Either way, it’s a waste of taxpayers’ money. Oh, which reminds me.

Check out those 501(c)(3) returns again.  Do you see a line for what the state paid anywhere? No.  This annual rip-off of taxpayer $$’s falls under the heading of ‘contributions’.  In case you’ve forgotten, you contributed an obscene amount of money to this program again this year. Over $1.1 mill for Pete DuPont’s vanity project. And Nicole Poore’s gravy train.  Gee, maybe  future auditor Kathy McGuiness will investigate this.  Insert laugh track here.

 

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  1. Matt Smith says:

    I’m surprised that we have not seen more about the Kathy McGuiness campaign for two offices at the same time (Rehoboth City Council – election is tomorrow – and State Auditor). It’s got all of the things that El Som usually talks about – lack of transparency, Speaker Pete supporting a candidate (for both offices), a candidate that does not have the qualifications for the office, a candidate who was a long time Republican now running for office as a Democrat, someone who helped a Republican (Ernie Lopez) win the State Senate race against Democrat Andy Staton.

  2. Jason330 says:

    Isn’t the use of public office for private gain flatly illegal? I think it is. If this isn’t that…someone needs to let me know why it doesn’t qualify.

  3. RE Vanella says:

    See also the amazing increased revenue at Trump hotel DC. Grifters…

  4. Arthur says:

    “Isn’t the use of public office for private gain flatly illegal?”

    Hahahahaha

  5. Scuttlebutt302 says:

    Kathy McGinnis is not a Democrat. When she ran for Lt. Gov, she never could articulate why she was a Dem or why she became one so late in life. Probably has something to do with the state’s voter registration numbers – just ask her other pal and backer Jack Markell. He followed the same playbook. Nor does she appear to have the slightest grasp of basic public policy issues or the challenges facing our state. Hopefully she will never be promoted above her Rehoboth Beach fiefdom where she can continue her quest to dump sewage into the ocean near our beaches and ban fun/tourism over the provincial interests of the NIMBY crowd. Where is Ken Matlusky when you need him?

  6. SussexWatcher says:

    Ask them for their JDG Form 990s. They are public, and will have the exact amount she was paid. The FY15 ones are the most recent posted on Guidestar.org.

    One possibility is that category cited by ProPublica included a payout to the former president. No idea if true or not, just raising the question.

  7. Yikes says:

    Don’t see where I violated your comment policy, so I’m trying one more time and hoping that I’ve been filtered by mistake, and not to hide a fair criticism of an inaccurate headline:

    Dude, did you actually click the links or did you just skim? Go to page 8 on fiscal 16 and check your math. Poore’s salary didn’t double, they added an HR/finance person (heaven forbid). Go to the same page for fiscal 14 and she’s making $10k less than the last president. I’m no scientist but that’s not even close to “double.” I know you’re excited to play watchdog, but jeez, Sparky, down boy.

  8. Yikes: I screwed up. It was my first time working with this material since I discovered this treasure trove. Didn’t realize just how much treasure there was to review. My apologies.

    However, here’s what we also know: She added an HR/finance person, a position that was not present in FY’s 2011 through 2015. Which raises the question: Who was doing these tasks during those years? Were they performed by the person who preceded Nicole Poore in that position? Meaning that this new person was indeed hired to do things that Poore’s predecessor had been doing? Meaning that that was why the Executive Compensation figure almost doubled?

    I’m gonna dig around and see what I can find out.

  9. Arthur says:

    I wonder who the new position is (that gets paid the same as the director)? Who’s relation is that person? Because in reading the county council debacle (or is is SOP) it seems everyone in state, county and local government is related to someone else in government

  10. The person in the new position is Dianne C. Jones. Her base salary is about $75 K.

    BTW, according to the filing, Poore allegedly works 40 hours a week at this job. As well as serving as leadership in the Senate. Oh, and serving on the JFC. Just sayin’.

    BTWBTW, you oughta check out their Board of Directors. Lotsa Pete DuPont R’s, including J. Caleb Boggs III as chair and, of course, Mike Ratchford. Because nobody has more of an abiding commitment to developing HS students ‘soft job skills’ (their words, not mine) than Rethug insiders like those two.

    I’m gonna enjoy working with this new tool…

  11. OK, now it gets confusing. According to her own Linkedin profile, Jones has worked at JDG for over twenty two years:

    Finance & Operations Officer
    Jobs for Delaware Graduates, Inc.
    January 1995 – Present (22 years 8 months)

    So, this is not a new hire.

  12. Jon says:

    Pete and his side kick Val have been pushing Kathy on us for a while but my God for auditor? I get their reasoning … ensures auditing eyes won’t be looking at them but hopefully the democrats realize that showing up at leg hall all the time and getting in group pictures doesn’t qualify you for auditor! There aren’t any dems with an auditing or financial background out there that could run and are electable?

    If She’s our candidate in 2018 I may be forced to vote for old Tom…at least he has experience.

  13. Jon: I agree with you. She’s running for office b/c she wants to jump-start her political career, not b/c she wants to do anything as State Auditor.

    Like, for example, auditing the ‘civil forfeitures’ program that is just blatant theft by the cops. Or auditing Val’s ‘underwater city’ project at Fort DuPont.

    It’s too bad that Brenda Mayrack was such a lousy candidate. She was qualified and I think would have done a good job.

  14. Matt Smith says:

    Val Longhurst was holding a sign and standing with Kathy at the polling place today. Definitely no auditing of Val’s project if Kathy somehow wins Auditor.

    I also looked at the JDG 990s. Looks like they probably just reclassed the finance person’s pay into executive compensation for this filing. Not really a red flag about increased pay.

    I did notice too that Dennis Rochford is also a JDG board member. He is also a supporter of Kathy. Looks like he gave her $1,000 for her Lt. Governor campaign. (there were plenty of other republican contributors to that campaign as well.)

    I do know that there are one or two Dems who are qualified to be Auditor. I don’t know if they are looking at running though. It seems a little early. Of course that didn’t stop Kathy from starting her auditor campaign while she campaigned for Rehoboth Commissioner. Great transparency there. Wonder how the Rehoboth voters will feel when she announces?

  15. Oh, gawd…

    Must’ve missed Rochford, another Rethug wheeler-dealer. Are you sure it wasn’t Ratchford? I saw his name.

  16. Matt Smith says:

    Sorry, my mistake. Michael Ratchford is the JDG board member – I misread it. Republican Rochford is on Kathy’s contributor list for $1,000 though, along with some other well known Rs.

  17. Matt Smith says:

    She must have built up her Republican contact list when she was raising money for Lopez to run against Andy Staton.

  18. Jon says:

    Very disheartening … Val and Pete are complete sell outs. As for Nicole Poore – her salary is a total waste of tax payer dollars. What is the ROI for the state and taxpayers? Can they even show this investment has improved any labor stats for those involved? Increased salary for the head of JDG doesn’t count as an improved labor stat.