MONTEREY, Calif.- Two of the Naval Postgraduate School's top leaders are out. Former President Daniel Oliver resigned on Tuesday and former Vice President and Provost Doctor Leonard Ferrari was fired. This came after a year long investigation into alleged "waste and mismanagement."
On Wednesday, NPS went on the record for the first time to explain the investigation and how it plans to pick up the pieces. We've got the latest on the drama and the trouble it dug up.
Two reports released on Tuesday by the Naval Inspector General detail alleged mismanagement by the both top leaders. The reports describe evidence of mismanagement, and failure to comply with federal statutes and Navy regulations. The Under Secretary of the Navy spoke about what's next for the school and who will take over now, since the shake-up.
Even though the Navy said there aren't criminal charges right now, NPS plans to rebuild it's somewhat tarnished image. NPS said it was so important to discuss the school image on the record, that Navy Under Secretary Robert Work was flown out to Monterey all the way from the Pentagon to talk with the media in a press conference that lasted about 30 minutes. In that time he explained how the institution plans to move forward with Interim President Rear Admiral Jan Tighe.
"I look forward to working with the students, the faculty, the staff and the local community as we move forward in this critical and important time in NPS' history," said Rear Admiral Jan Tighe.
Tighe said NPS feels like home to her. This is her third assignment on the Monterey Peninsula and she went to NPS as a graduate student. Navy Under Secretary Robert Work said with the help of the school's board, Tighe is being asked to clean up the mess Oliver and Ferrari left behind. Work said the investigation will only strengthen NPS.
"The IG (Inspector General) is the conscious of the Navy. It visits every single command and every single post throughout the Navy and its job is to tell us, hey when are there problems?" said Work.
The reports claim Oliver didn't follow federal statutes for hiring practices, salary agreements and chain-of command regulations. They also describe a violation of the rules covering gifts between NPS and it's foundation. Work said over the next two months, NPS plans make a list of what needs to be done, making sure there's enough oversight from the top down. It plans to create new procedures to prevent "waste and mismanagement" in the future.
"If the relationship materially benefits the school and the students, we will do everything we can to keep it in tact," Work said.
Navy officials said this investigation is over. Work said Oliver's resignation and Ferrari's firing closes the book on this dramatic shift in leadership.
Courtesy: NPS
