Miss Americas to help find pageant leaders
■ State directors will also suggest names
Atlantic City, N. J.: Trashed by emails sent by pageant officials, former Miss Americas may help choose the new leaders of the Miss America Organisation.
The group said on Wednesday that it is seeking the help of former Miss Americas and state directors to recommend the next generation of leaders for the pageant.
In emails that were published last week by the Huffington Post, pageant officials ridiculed the appearance, intellect and sex lives of former Miss Americas.
The emails included one that used a vulgar term for female genitalia to refer to past Miss America winners, one that wished that a particular former Miss America had died and others that speculated about how many sex partners former Miss America Mallory Hagan has had.
The ensuing uproar led to the group’s executive director, Sam Haskell; its president, Josh Randle; board chairwoman Lynn Weidner, and one other board member to resign.
Dan Meyers, the group’s interim board chairman, said the group wants former Miss Americas and state directors to recommend members for a search committee that would determine the organization’s leadership structure, and choose individuals to fill those roles.
“The board wanted to have a process that was unprecedented in terms of openness, transparency and inclusion,” he said. “Given the turbulent nature of leadership transitions, asking all the stakeholders to be a part
of this process best way.”
Some past winners reacted negatively to the board’s statement, saying the board had not reached out to them about help in selecting new leaders. Others said they wanted no involvement whatsoever by any current board members in seeking new leadership.
“At this time all remaining members must step aside so we can take our beloved program back,” Miss America 1977 Dorothy Benham said.
“They have underestimated the strength, intelligence, and determination of the women who have worn the Miss America crown, as well as every young woman who is currently wearing, or has worn the local and state crown. We stand united.”
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