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February 14, 2006
The talented Mr. Munitz's gal from Jammin' Salmon
As is often the case with tales of intrigue from California, this LA Times article reports that the final straw in the Getty Trust board's decision last week to require embattled Barry J. Munitz's resignation as Getty Trust president was the unauthorized $350,000 "severance payment" to his former chief of staff, Jill Murphy. As the LA Times story notes, Murphy became Munitz's protege' after Munitz hired her out of a Sacramento restaurant called Jammin' Salmon in the early 1990's when he was chancellor of the California State University system:
Munitz met Murphy while eating at the Jammin' Salmon, a Sacramento restaurant where she worked in the mid-1990s. Soon after, he hired her to work for him when he served as chancellor of the California State University system.He brought her to the Getty shortly after he arrived, creating the position of chief of staff, a title more common in political circles. As the gatekeeper for Munitz, Murphy quickly became a powerful and feared figure among staff.
In her early 30s and with no background in the arts, she was perceived to have the power to make or break people's careers at the Getty. That power increased as Munitz spent more time away from Los Angeles on trust business.
Munitz has acknowledged Murphy has "sharp elbows" but defended her as brilliant and effective.
Three years ago on a board retreat in London, Getty trustees confronted Munitz about Murphy's increasingly divisive presence, [Getty trustee Ramon] Cortines said. Munitz promised to do something about it, but little changed, the trustee added.
Murphy announced in August she would leave the trust by the end of the year, saying she had been inspired by a book she had read about ending world poverty by 2025. "It is an inspiring goal, and I hope to find some way to contribute toward making it a reality," she said in a statement.
During far less glamorous times, Munitz was the president of the University of Houston.
Posted by Tom at February 14, 2006 1:55 PM
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