In surprise, PenMet’s project manager resigns, alleging wrongdoing by leadership

The senior project manager for PenMet Parks resigned last week, citing unspecified wrongdoing by park commissioners and district leadership.

Glenn Akramoff, a consultant who was working on a contract as interim senior project manager, sent a resignation letter to PenMet Executive Director Doug Nelson on Thursday, Sept. 17.

“I can no longer work in an environment where certain members of the district continue to make decisions in the background without the transparency of the public process,” Akramoff wrote in the letter, a copy of which was sent anonymously to The Gateway.

Akramoff gave no specifics, but cited “continued interference in daily operations and a total disregard for professional recommendations, ongoing roles, previous agreements, standard business practices, ethics and state law.”

“In addition, the continued intimidation of staff members and regular accusations of incompetence has led to constant fear of losing their jobs and has impacted productivity and morale,” the letter added.

Efforts to reach Akramoff were unsuccessful. Nelson declined to comment.

Maryellen (Missy) Hill, president of the Peninsula Metropolitan Park Board, said in an email Saturday, “We are trying to make sense of Mr. Akramoff’s letter as well.”

“Mr. Akramoff was a consultant PenMet Parks retained through DeMarche Consulting Group and his services were to conclude in a few weeks, but were terminated early,” she said.

Bad timing

The parks district is in the middle of its largest capital project ever, the design and construction of a $26 million community recreation center near Gig Harbor.

The planned PenMet facility is to have 190,000 square feet of recreation space, including a soccer field, flag football field, pickle ball and tennis courts, a walking track and an indoor playground.

The park district paid $4.3 million in December, 2019, for the former Performance Golf Center at 2416 14th Ave. NW, adjoining Highway 16 just west of the Narrows Bridge.

In July, PenMet chose the architectural and engineering firm BLRB Architects of Tacoma to design the complex. It allocated $3,146,381 toward design costs.

Akramoff, who had been the district’s acting executive director since March, 2019, was retained as senior project manager after Nelson was hired in November of that year. Nelson had been recreation manager for the City of Federal Way.

There is only one hint in past district actions of any disagreement between Akramoff and other district leaders. In a memo included in the commissioner’s agenda packets in July, Nelson said Akramoff, who had been expected to help with the district’s process of choosing an architect “would not be able to do so.” It gave no further explanation.

BLRB Architects of Portland, the firm ultimately chosen to design the rec center, specializes in civic, educational and recreational structures. With offices in Tacoma and Bend, Ore., it concentrates on projects in Washington and Oregon.

Among many other northwest projects, BLRB designed the Gig Harbor Civic Center, completed in 2002.

A contract between BLRB and the Peninsula Metropolitan Park District was approved by the park district board on July 21.

This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 5:30 AM.