Chavez Fired
by P.J. Tobia
It’s official. Robert Chavez—former head of the Tennessee Hispanic Chamber of Commerce who was suspended after a Nashville Scene investigation—has been fired by a unanimous vote by the board.“He is no longer part of the chamber in any way,” says the new Hispanic chamber president and CEO Ramon L. Cisneros.Cisneros says the chamber also has a new treasurer who is going over the organization's financial records and putting accounts in order. As first reported here, Chavez is also being sued for defaulting on a $25,000 loan that he admits he signed for but that, in court documents, he says he’s not responsible for paying back. Also among the Scene’s findings were that Chavez operated essentially as a housing agent for illegal immigrants, renting them apartments at above-market rates and pocketing the excess. Among other claims against him, sources say Chavez also was responsible for dismantling accountability within the chamber—taking on the roles of treasurer and vice president himself while serving as president and leaving other members in the dark.Cisneros promises those days are over for the chamber. “We’re putting things right,” says the new president.
