Foster Ousted From Mount Sequoyah Retreat and Conference Center

Abby Foster has been terminated as CEO of Mount Sequoyah Retreat and Conference Center.

David Severe, a member of the Mount Sequoyah Board of Trustees and executive director of the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church, which owns the facility, said trustees terminated Foster on Thursday.

Until a new director is found, Mount Sequoyah will function under the current staff and an interim director who has not been named, Severe said.

Severe would not say why Foster was terminated, but he did say the terms under which she will vacate the mountain are currently being negotiated. Foster lives in the director’s house, which is located on the mountain’s grounds.

The Northwest Arkansas Business Journal reported in July that Foster had been on paid administrative leave as she awaited the ruling of the trustees. The incident that landed her in hot water was investigated by a panel of three retired bishops. Foster came on as CEO in summer 2012. Her tenure was plagued by high turnover in the staff.

Mount Sequoyah, a 40-acre site located just above the eastern terminus of Dickson Street in Fayetteville, was founded in 1922.