FOX5 Vegas - KVVUNevada nonprofit addresses controversy to donors

The nonprofit organization under scrutiny for mishandling funds said it is taking steps toward "transparency" and to "rectify any past issues."

The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth released a statement Wednesday regarding accusations of former chief operating officer Kathleen Vermillion's mishandling funds.

In the statement, the organization aimed to address the issues "head-on."

"The Board of Directors and executive management of the agency are working vigilantly to ensure that any and all issues raised are thoroughly examined and corrected, that every dollar of our donors' money is properly and judiciously spent, and that the agency remains a healthy, transparent, and high-quality provider of vital services to Southern Nevada's most vulnerable population," the organization said in Wednesday's statement.

The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth said it was making high-level leadership changes, working with outside consultants and instituting changes to how it controls its finances.

The organization said operations and services will not be interrupted as these changes are being made.

Vermillion, who also helped found the organization, was ousted from her role Jan. 27 amid claims she misappropriated funds.

The accusations rose last month during a heated legal exchange between she and Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak. Vermillion and Sisolak had been dating for five years before breaking up late last year.

The statement from Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth also comes a day after reports arose that Vermillion, who also served on Henderson City Council, was hospitalized after an attempted suicide. A 911 call revealed she had been placed on "protective custody" following the episode.

Stay tuned to FOX5 and FOX5Vegas.com for the latest developments on this ongoing story.

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