What has happened to the Walt Harris Community Resource Center? No one will say.

Harris and his wife, Trina, opened the center on Union Street in May 2008 to provide education and job skill training for adults. Harris, a LaGrange native, is an NFL football player with the San Francisco 49ers. He and his family live in California, but frequently visit LaGrange.

Harris was recognized at the center’s opening with a proclamation from the city of LaGrange honoring him for his commitment to the community.

The center was funded through his nonprofit foundation, Walt’s World. The foundation helps sponsors a children’s football camp and raises funds through charity events such as golf tournaments.

In the past year, staff and volunteers held three series of 10-week work readiness classes, as well as other classes.

However, director Renee Adams was fired in the spring and a new director from Atlanta was hired. The building has not been open for several weeks.

In the last two weeks, six of the eight board members have resigned, including chairman Learwinson “Jack” Jackson, Mike Meredith, Debbie Burdette, Elia Baltes, Patty Youngblood and Wanda Scarborough. Most of the board members were also active volunteers at the center, including Jackson, Meredith and Scarborough, who taught work readiness classes.

Board member Tod Tentler has not resigned, but said he thought he was no longer on the board.

“I haven’t heard from anyone in so long, I just figured they had removed me,” Tentler said.

Harris and Loreal Vaughn, the current director, have not responded to repeated telephone messages.

Atlanta businessman Bernard Anderson served as the center’s treasurer, but said he was “no longer involved with the center, although I am still involved with Walt and Trina Harris.”

A Web site for Walt’s World Foundation exists, but there is no information on it.

Maxine Maddox, director of the Maidee Smith Daycare Center next door to the center, said she has not seen anyone in the building in “three or four weeks.” The Harris center is housed in a building owned by day-care center, but Maddox has not received any word that the center has closed.

Gary Newman, chairman of the Maidee Smith board, also has not received any word from Harris.

None of the board members chose to speak for the record. However, people close to the situation blamed the resignations on a lack of communication and an unclear vision for the center. They said while Harris’ intentions were good, implementing his vision proved problematic, including the fact that most of the offerings at the center duplicated services already available in the city.

Sherri Brown can be reached at sbrown@ lagrangenews.com or at (706) 884-7311, Ext. 240.