The Board of the American Irish Historical Society (AIHS) in New York City said this week it has 'transitioned' its Executive Director role, held by Dr. Elizabeth Stack, to a part-time position, reportedly prompting the resignation of several board members.
"The Board of the American Irish Historical Society remains dedicated to ensuring the organization’s long-term financial stability, growth, and sustainability," the AIHS said in a statement to IrishCentral on Wednesday, March 19.
"As part of this ongoing effort, and following a comprehensive review, the Board has made the difficult but necessary decision to transition the Executive Director role [held by Dr. Elizabeth Stack] to a part-time position while implementing additional cost-saving measures.
"These strategic steps reflect our responsibility to safeguard the Society’s future and uphold its mission.
"We recognize the financial challenges inherited from previous leadership and remain fully committed to prudent financial management to prevent similar difficulties in the future."
The AIHS said it has "experienced an impressive increase in cultural and event programming, bringing renewed energy and engagement to our community" ever since Stack became the Executive Director last year.
"We extend our sincere gratitude to Elizabeth for her dedication and contributions and wish her the very best in her future endeavors," the statement continued.
"Ensuring continuity in our programming, events, and community engagement remains a top priority for the Board. We are steadfast in our commitment to preserving and advancing the Society’s mission, fostering its continued growth, and celebrating Irish heritage and culture for generations to come."
The news comes after a rocky few years for the AIHS, which has been located at 991 Fifth Avenue in New York City for decades.
In January 2021, the Society's headquarters was placed on the market for $52 million. Already facing financial and operational difficulties, it had been shuttered for some time due to the pandemic.
The effort to sell the property was met with concern from not only the Irish American community - more than 41,000 people signed an online petition calling for the sale to be halted - but also Irish politicians.
In March 2021, on the foot of the online petition, the Office of New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that it was monitoring the potential sale of the property, noting that "under state law, the sale of property by a nonprofit organization is contingent on approval by OAG or the New York State Supreme Court."
The following year, four board members resigned after it emerged that the AIHS intended to abandon New York City for a small town in upstate New York. That same month, the AIHS listing dropped $8 million to $44 million.
Later, in December 2022, AG James announced that the AIHS board would be replaced and an interim board was being appointed to manage the organization's affairs. Among the interim board members was Stack. By the time James announced the interim board, all previous board members had resigned and were no longer affiliated with the AIHS.
In November 2023, the AIHS announced that Stack accepted an offer to become the society's new Executive Director. She began the role in February 2024.
The Society is delighted to announce that Dr. Elizabeth Stack has accepted our offer to become the Society's new executive director. She will start on Feb. 1. Welcome, Dr. Stack!
We'll have more good news to report shortly.
— American Irish Historical Society (@AIHSNYC) November 21, 2023
Speaking with IrishCentral in February 2024, Stack, a native of Co Kerry who previously served as the Executive Director at the Irish American Heritage Museum in Albany, was optimistic about the new chapter for the AIHS.
Stack promised transparency, and had ambitions to "widen the circle of who we attract." She also said one of her first priorities was to restore the AIHS website which, at the time, was inaccessible. It is now regularly updated.
She further aimed to digitize the AIHS's extensive collection, though admitted the undertaking would be costly. Additionally, she sought to make the AIHS open to the public again, including making it a "landing point for tourists."
Just over a year later, however, Stack's position has been 'transitioned' to a part-time role.
The statement from the AIHS was sent to IrishCentral unprompted on Wednesday, the day after the Irish Echo published a story entitled "Firing and Resignations Rock the AIHS."
According to the Irish Echo, Dr. Stack was fired from her role as Executive Director at the AIHS, and three board members - Danny Leavy, Terry Golway, and former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn - subsequently resigned.
A statement issued to the Irish Echo on behalf of the board members who resigned says in part: "Three members of the board of the beleaguered American Irish Historical Society resigned in protest on Tuesday, March 18, after the full board voted to eliminate the position of fulltime executive director.
"The current executive director, Dr. Elizabeth Stack, was honored for her contributions to Irish-American life by state Attorney General Letitia James just hours before the board voted to eliminate her position.
"Dr. Stack is the only employee of the Society."
The Irish Echo added that the trio said that the board’s decision was "a catastrophic setback for an organization that is struggling to put past discord and scandals behind it."
The statement to the Irish Echo continued: “Dr. Stack has done a remarkable job reviving an organization that was dormant for years.
"Just yesterday, on St. Patrick’s Day, many people told us that they have enjoyed the programming that Elizabeth has put together over the last year.
"Now, however, all of the programs she has organized in the coming months are likely to be cancelled because of the board’s unfair and short-sighted decision.”
The statement continued: “There is no way the Society can fulfill its mission with a part-time person.
“But we question whether the board’s majority, especially the board chairman, are interested in that mission.”
The statement noted that a fourth board member, Charles John O’Byrne, resigned several months ago after expressing dissatisfaction with the board’s direction. It said that two other board members resigned several weeks after their appointment in late 2023.
"Of the original nine members appointed to the revived Society board in 2023, only four are left," the statement concluded.
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