Foundation announces retirement of president

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John Kim Bell, the founder of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, has taken yet another step away from the organization he has led for the past decade.

Former chairman of the board Bill Shead made the announcement in a letter to stakeholders on June 11. The letter states that effect May 31, Bell retired as president.

This announcement comes on the heels of a statement in February that Bell was relinquishing some of his duties at the foundation, keeping his job as executive producer of the annual National Aboriginal Achievement Awards show and maintaining his work in government relations.

At the time, Shead told Birchbark that Bell was "still going to be carrying a high profile" with the foundation. Shed said the work of the foundation had just become too big for one person.

"I think that he came to the realization that the foundation is large and somebody else is going to have to help him."

When asked if Bell and the board were having differences of opinion about the future direction of the foundation, Shead was terse and adamant.

"Nope," he said. "I don't think that he's not prepared to continue on. It's we need more horses to drive this dream forward."

Shead told Birchbark that Bell was expected to have input into the strategic direction of the foundation and continue to fund-raise for it.

"John Kim Bell has been very successful in raising funds and getting sponsors in support for the foundation and for the show. It's something that he does extremely well and the board wants him to continue that involvement."

With Bell's retirement, it's not clear what the implications are for the foundation or its fundraising efforts. Last year the foundation's revenues totaled $8.3 million. Birchbark made attempts to interview new foundation chair Len Flett, but he declined. Flett was made chair at the foundation's annual general meeting in mid-June. He said he was too new to the job and needed more time than our deadline would allow to consider his public response. While new to the chair, Flett has been a member of the board for a number of years.

While retired as president, Shead's letter to the stakeholders indicates Bell is not completely out of the foundation picture.

"We look forward to an ongoing relationship with him in the production of the 2005 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards," Shead wrote.