Jackson Jambalaya

Tulane University recently named Sherry Murphy Chance as the Director of its Madison campus. The Madison campus will be the second one the esteemed New Orleans university has opened in Mississippi.

What is interesting is Ms. Chance is the former wife of FAIM's Bill Murphy and a board member of FAIM. The screenshot posted nearby was taken this week from the website of the Fine Arts Institute of Mississippi. Her name was removed from the site very recently. Ms. Chance was not listed as a board member on the 2008 or 2007 form 990's so the appointment must have been made in 2009.

As previously posted, FAIM has been denied a renewal of their gaming license by the Gaming Commission, and is also awaiting the final word from the Secretary of State's office after a hearing last month. The state ruled much of the charity's money was not used for the stated charitable purpose and and the charity improperly used funds for personal expenses and undocumented expenses by Murphy, including a salary of over $140,000, while giving very little to "the arts". The state also ruled FAIM violated the law in hiring Tim Johnson as a lobbyist. FAIM still kept Tim Johnson retained as a "marketing specialist" for $3,000 a month after the state voiced its concerns about FAIM hiring a lobbyist. The state also found that the Tim Johnson's wife operated another charity that funneled $25,000 to FAIM while FAIM lied to the state about the source of said income.

It should be pointed out Ms. Chance was not named in any of the shenanigans that went on at FAIM and she has an excellent reputation as an educator. However, it is interesting Ms. Chance was first a board member, then she wasn't at about the same time a prestigious university announces she will be the director of its Madison campus