Exodus’ New $1M Headquarters, Incognito
Image: Google Maps
In 2008, Exodus moved from a modest office that they leased for $2000+ a month to the building above at 190 N Westmonte Dr, Altamonte Springs, Florida, which they purchased at the height of the real estate market bubble for over $1.1 million. Exodus has an estimated eleven employees working in this two-story office complex, assuming they haven’t quitely let anyone else go. Presumably this also houses the oft referenced phone that allegedly receives 400,000 calls a year (roughly 45 calls an hour 24/7/365) from people begging to hear about “freedom from homosexuality.”
Image: Google Maps
Unlike NARTH, Focus on the Family, et al, Exodus seems reluctant to let their neighbors know who they are as the only sign marking the building bears the rather nondescript name of the non-profit they created at the time of the purchase, The Worthen Legacy Group (TWLG). Frank Worthen could be considered one of the founding father’s of the ex-gay movement and was the founder of the infamous Love In Action ex-gay conversion facility.
The Worthen Legacy Group’s 2008 form 990 lists Don Schmierer and his wife as directors, and is actually the only public document we could find which lists Exodus’ new address (though it finally seems to be appearing in searches). When asked in 2008, Exodus President Alan Chambers refused to provide the location of the new building and all their literature lists their PO Box. The mission of TWLG is:
To operate for the benefit of, to perform the functions of, or to carry out the purpose of Exodus International North America, Inc.
According to the tax document above, TWLG is a 501(c)(2) Title Holding Company. While we are not tax experts, the literature indicates that these are used primarily to shield the assets of a 501(c)(3) from liability. It is possible Exodus was simply following the prudent advice of their tax attorney, or they may consider a future claim of harm by a client a real possibility. Perhaps others can make more sense of this and comment below.
His position as director of TWLG may partially explain why Exodus was so intent on shielding Schmierer from blame or consequence for his participation in the Uganda “Anti-Homosexuality Conference” of 2009. Additionally, Schmierer’s LinkedIn profile still has him working as program officer at Fieldstead & Company. According to their website, “Fieldstead is a private company that manages the assets of the Howard F. Ahmanson, Jr. family.” Could this be one of Exodus’ funding sources?
The sign does say that space is available — anyone need to lease office space?
David, thank you for cracking the closet door open a bit wider. One day perhaps we’ll be able to bring Exodus completely out.
If it were upright, it would not have to be secretive …and they know it!!!
Appropriately, it looks a bit of a soulless place, doesn’t it?
@Dave Rattigan
I was thinking the same thing, Nuvo Soviet with some Eastern Bloc influence.
wow, that’s pretty underwhelming for a group that is supposed to be the largest ex-gay umbrella org in the world.
Hey, maybe XGW could open an office in the building!
I pointed out his Fieldstead connection back at the time of the Uganda conference. And then I found the following comment posted on an Australian skiers forum in March of 2009. If my memory serves I found that about August of 2009, when Exodus was starting to play nice over Uganda and came up with the letter (oh, the joys of Google!). And I posted in three places (maybe four, if I posted here). The three I remember were BTB, Warren Throckmorton, and the Exodus Blog, where I asked what it meant. Of course, it never saw the light of day at Exodus. BTB tried to get a comment from the poster but he decline. It read (and included a picture of Schmierer from the book he gave the poster):
You’re **** right they were shielding Schmierer. He is quoted there as supporting Scott Lively’s lies in The Pink Swastika. And Schmierer implicates Exodus in the conference in Uganda, despite what Alan Chambers said about Schmierer being his own man with his own ministry.
…
That top pic smacks of a morgue, an organ donor storage site or small mausoleum. It looks eerily creepy. I look forward to it shuffling off page.
And in 2008, Exodus International advanced Worthen Legacy $240,000 and it is still owed to Exodus as of December 31, 2010. I assume the advance was to buy the building.
Here is a link to the property appraiser’s website:
http://www.scpafl.org/ParcelDetails.aspx?PID=14-21-29-510-0A00-0090
It shows they paid 1,050,000 for the place, and it is now valued at 592,000. The 592K number is probably about 20% high, because the localities want to value property as high as they can (to extract tax dollars–although this property is tax exempt) without getting so greedy as to invite a tax challenge. A decrease of 60% is in line with the drop in the Central Florida area over that time.