Assemblywoman Meg Zaletel announced last week that she would be taking sick leave from the Assembly from May 24 until July 11, as she needs time to heal from the turbulent times in the city; she also announced she would not return to her day job running Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness until Aug. 1, for the same reason.
“I’ll be using this time to heal and connect with my family and loved ones,” said Zaletel in the statement. “I believe it’s important to acknowledge when it’s time for a break, especially after the turbulent times our community has seen over these last couple of years.”
Zaletel requested privacy: “Zaletel and her family request privacy during these weeks. Community members in Midtown who need immediate assistance can contact her counterpart, Felix Rivera,” the press release read.
But at Tuesday night’s Assembly meeting it slipped out that she is actually going out of town. A couple of her colleagues wished her well on her “trip.” And it’s not just any trip — it’s an extended stay in Europe.
Also, Must Read Alaska received a confidential report from someone associated with Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness, which said that the mass exodus from the leadership of the organization was due to Zaletel’s behavior. Four of the five people who have left the organization in the past five months have taken their concerns to the organization’s board about Zaletel’s “yelling,” “demeaning of staff,” and engaging in “unethical behaviors.”
The Anchorage Coalition to End Homelessness has used millions of dollars of public money but has had no measurable impact on the homelessness problem in Anchorage, and many feel the organization is purely a political entity masked as a social service coalition.
Senior managers who left the organization in the past five months include Celia MacLeod, Julie Frizzell, Tahanee Conte-Seccareccia, Helen Renfrew, and one other person who MRAK has not been able to positively identify.
Do you have a tip about Meg Zaletel’s behavior? Send it confidentially to suzanne @ mustreadalaska . com.
