Napa Valley tourism board CEO accused by employees of creating toxic workplace, mismanaging funds

A recent four-page letter from employees of Visit Napa Valley, the nonprofit organization tasked with promoting Napa County tourism, shows relations within the agency are awry.

Current and former employees, who remained anonymous, alleged the private nonprofit’s CEO Linsey Gallagher fostered a toxic workplace and mismanaged funds. The letter comes after an internal investigation of a prior complaint against Gallagher in May.

The San Francisco Chronicle first reported the employee allegations Thursday.

Gallagher didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Emma Swain, chair of the Visit Napa Valley executive board, said in an email to The Press Democrat that the letter came after employees in May contacted the board with allegations of policy violations.

The board took the claims seriously, she said, and hired a “neutral third party” to review the facts. The investigation included interviews of each complainant ranging between 90 minutes to three hours, she said.

“The report’s conclusion is that there is no evidence that in any way supports the workplace bullying or financial impropriety allegations,” Swain wrote. “Our board has complete faith in the team at Visit Napa Valley to carry out our mission and continue to build on Napa Valley’s reputation as a leader in the tourism industry.”

Gallagher joined the nonprofit in 2019, overseeing an annual budget of about $8 million, according to reports. In addition to grants and donors, the agency is also publicly funded via a 2% tax on lodging through the Napa County Tourism Improvement District. Though those dollars are earmarked for marketing.

The letter accuses Gallagher of making “disparaging and demeaning remarks” to employees and raises concerns about how Gallagher allocates funds from the improvement district. It alleged she had kept staff and board members in the dark about spending decisions and provided false information.

The letter says the investigation earlier this year was mishandled, and employee grievances weren’t properly addressed.

Swain noted that Gallagher led the organization through COVID-19, a time when the lack of local tourism — and related revenue — made the organization cut 28 positions.

The board won’t act on the letter since it’s unsigned, she said.

“I do want to note, however, we have addressed all these issues by providing each employee complainant with a detailed summary of the investigator’s findings in addition to an opportunity to meet with a board member to discuss; only a few of the employees took us up on the opportunity,” Swain wrote.

You can reach Staff Writer Edward Booth at 707-521-5281 or edward.booth@pressdemocrat.com .