Lesley Tamura, Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers board chairwoman, said her organization is tightening its financial processes after discovering alleged theft and firing its executive director. (Kyle Odegard/ Capital Press)

Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers fired its executive director, Mike Doke, in March after it discovered alleged theft that spanned multiple years and amounted to tens of thousands of dollars of lost revenue, according to the organization.

The Hood River County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon continues to investigate Doke, said Sgt. Joel Ives, public information officer.

Limited information was available from the agency because of the active and ongoing work of detectives.

Doke confirmed the accusations to the Good Fruit Grower and vowed to pay the organization back, saying that he abused the association’s credit card.

He told the publication the loss was $50,000 or more.

Doke was unable to be contacted for this article.

Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers will advertise for its executive director position in the next few weeks, said Lesley Tamura, board chairwoman.

The nonprofit association plans to hire a new leader in the summer or fall, depending on how schedules work out during the harvest season, said Tamura, president of Tamura Orchards, a pear farm in Odell, Ore.

Growers become victims

According to a Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers news release, in March, a board member became aware of possible improprieties involving association funds.

The board took immediate action to investigate and it became clear members had become “victims of significant theft perpetuated by staff,” the news release stated.

Doke has been with the organization for almost nine years and was its only full-time employee.

A search of Oregon’s online court database found no significant criminal history for Doke in the state.

Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers represents more than 200 growers as well as shippers.

Commercial pear, cherry and apple growers in the Mid-Columbia region of Oregon and Washington are eligible to join the organization

Its assessments go toward advocacy, research, training, labor support, scholarships and other programs that support the industry and communities.

Preventing theft

Tamura said agricultural businesses and other organizations can become very large, but many, like Columbia Gorge Fruit Growers, have limited staffing and resources.

“I don’t believe that has to equal limited oversight. That’s a conversation the board is having, obviously. … We’re in the process of tightening our systems,” she added.

Ives recommended redundancies for every financial transaction as a basic safeguard.

“We really recommend that there always be multiple eyes on everything, especially when finances are involved,” he added.

For small organizations, board members can become involved in business processes and oversight.

For those businesses and others with enough resources, and especially those with shareholders or public entities, an audit can provide an additional layer of security, Ives said.