Smithsonian Purge Continues as Deputy Resigns

During a Board of Regents meeting full of self-criticism, the Smithsonian Institution accepted the resignation of Shelia P. Burke, its deputy secretary, reports The Washington Post.

The Smithsonian has faced numerous allegations about the extravagant pay of its executives, and Ms. Burke said she resigned because doing so “was in the best interest of the institution and the fine people who work here.”

In addition to the $400,000 she earned last year from the Smithsonian, Ms. Burke earned $1.2-million over the course of six years from outside duties, including nearly $400,000 last year from WellPoint, a health-care group, and almost $170,000, plus stock options, for sitting on the board of the Chubb Group, an insurance company that did work with the Smithsonian. (Ms. Burke sat on the Chubb board with ousted Smithsonian Secretary Lawrence M. Small, who resigned in March.)

The Board of Regents has since decided to bar all senior executives from sitting on the boards of for-profit businesses, beginning October 1. The new policy is one of a few dozen recommendations released by the board yesterday. An outside party will release another, similar report tomorrow.

Read The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s coverage of the recent changes at the Smithsonian, as well as an opinion piece arguing that scandals at the institution go far beyond executive pay.

(Free registration is required to view the Post article, and a paid subscription or short-term pass is required to view the Chronicle articles.)