Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers has fired longtime executive director Mike Doke for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars over multiple years.
The total amount has not been determined, yet, said Leslie Tamura, chair of the group’s board of directors. She has turned information over to the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office.
“We want to express how devastated we are to share this news,” Tamura said in a news release.
When reached by Good Fruit Grower, Doke confirmed the accusations and promised to pay the association back with his personal retirement savings.
“I admitted to them on Friday (March 14) I abused the company credit card and will make full repayment of that,” said Doke, who grew up on a tree fruit orchard in the Hood River Valley.
He estimates the total theft at $50,000 or more.
“I feel awful about it,” Doke said. “It was just really bad decisions on my part.”
Doke was the association’s sole employee.
Doke has been the executive director for about nine years. During his time, the group has helped operate an online, unmanaged tree reporting program, advocated for disaster relief after the 2023 crop and helped steer the industry through the pandemic.
The association was already preparing for a transition, because Doke had been discussing with the board his pending retirement later this year. The group may hire a temporary office manager before launching a search for a new executive director, Tamura said.
The Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers represents about 440 Oregon tree fruit growers and contributes between $40,000 and $80,000 per year toward research at Oregon State University’s Mid-Columbia Research and Extension Center in Hood River, Tamura said. The association also donated $100,000 toward the center’s laboratory remodeling.
—by Ross Courtney
Leave A Comment