To the Editor:
When Ming-Ming Tung-Edelman asked me to assemble a shipment of sewing machines at Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) last year, I enlisted a talented engineer friend, and we hauled our tool bags to the RAI shop. I was delighted to volunteer at RAI because of Ming-Ming’s reputation and past accomplishments. My friend and I assembled a roomful of sewing machines, repaired doors and took care of miscellaneous fixes.
We were dismayed to learn this winter that, after its investigation, the RAI board had stripped Ming-Ming of her managerial role.
Ousting the founder? If, indeed, her behavior was flawed, why wasn’t she given a chance to rectify it? Why was there no performance improvement plan for Ming-Ming? Why wasn’t the founder offered management coaching? Why were there no new expectations set or additional training provided?
I hope for a positive resolution for RAI and Ming-Ming, at which point I would gladly gather my tools and return to volunteer again.
Sincerely,
Warner Lew
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