WWP cofounder says he warned board about salary issue

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A cofounder of the Wounded Warrior Project told Action News Jax he warned board members about issues with salaries years ago.

On Thursday, the board of the charity reportedly fired former CEO Steven Nardizzi and former COO Al Giordano over high salaries and questionable lavish spending on parties.

Cofounder Jim Melia said he sent a letter to the board in December 2011 that said:

I am absolutely shocked about the compensation that a number of the execs are making."

He went on to write:

No one can tell me with a straight face that any exec at WWP should be making more than the Generals actually running the wars."

Action News Jax asked a Wounded Warrior Project spokesperson for an interview about this information Saturday but we were told no one was available.

Full statement:

I am shocked. I am absolutely shocked about the compensation that a number of the execs are making. Did you know that WWP has someone on the payroll called a Senior Fellow? No one can tell me with a straight face that any exec at WWP should be making more than the Generals actually running the wars.  I think that is insulting to both service members and donors. It is disgusting that  Nardizzi and Giordano and the rest of those guys are raking it in from donors who think they are donating to wounded men and women. 

I understand that WWP probably uses some sort of a non-profit revenue banding criteria to determine the salary for its execs.  I saw where WWP revenue is in the tens of millions of dollars. That has little to do with th performance of the execs at WWP. This has to do with the veterans like you, being worthy of the public's appreciation and help. Just because someone can make that kind of money, doesn't mean they should.  The Board of Directors of the organization I helped to found, should be ensuring the reasonableness of these salaries.  There are no stockholders in the WWP, so the Board is the only organization that can put a stop to such foolishness.  Everyone at WWP is a VP or a director. Most are making over $100,000. I really don't get it. ….. As sad as it makes me, I intend to cease recommending WWP as an organization worthy of the funds of my friends and associates.  I will not seek to publicly disparage WWP, but nor will I fail to truthfully comment on what I perceive to be an organization that has become too big for its own good.  I think my efforts and ideas are probably more suited to assisting a small energetic non-profit trying to reduce the number of active duty and veteran suicides."

Melia said he and his brother have sent multiple messages to the Board of Directors asking for an immediate meeting.

“As yet, our messages have not been acknowledged.  We believe it would be in the best interest of the Board to meet with us, and allow us to assist the WWP employees in Restoring Trust,” said Melia.

Cox Media Group