Workers at Sunstone Way have sent 200 letters calling on the nonprofit shelter provider’s board to remove chief executive director Andy Goebels and two other leaders amid accusations of financial mismanagement, according to the union representing employees there.
As first reported by WW, Kate Fulton, Sunstone Way’s former director of finance, filed a whistleblower complaint in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Feb. 12. She describes profligate spending on office space, employee retreats and bar tabs; overpayment to Sunstone Way contractors; and sexual relationships among top executives.
“While all allegations reflect poorly on Sunstone Way as an organization, of most concern to us is the misuse of funding, attempted coverup for said misuse, and retaliation against personnel who raised concerns about it,” the letter to Sunstone Way’s board says.
The letter writing campaign was organized by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents 130 workers at Sunstone Way. Some 40 workers have sent separate letters to all six board members, AFSCME said. The union is putting additional pressure on Sunstone Way by holding a rally to “save” the organization on Feb. 24.
The union’s action is the latest challenge to Sunstone Way, which was Multnomah County’s 11th-largest contractor in the 2024 fiscal year. Last April, it lost the contract to manage the city’s 100-bed pod village in Southwest Portland. Its Market Street Shelter, run for the county, is...
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