IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The former CEO of Make-A-Wish Iowa has been arrested on felony charges alleging she stole thousands of dollars from the charity that supports sick children, the group confirmed Friday.
Jennifer Woodley, 40, was booked at the Polk County Jail in Des Moines on Thursday on charges of first-degree theft and the unauthorized use of a credit card. The criminal complaints against her weren’t immediately available, but first-degree theft involves property worth more than $10,000.
The organization announced last summer that it had discovered financial irregularities during a compliance review and that Woodley had been dismissed after serving as president and CEO for just over one year.
Based in the Des Moines suburb of Urbandale, the Iowa group is one of 60 chapters of Make-A-Wish America, which works to provide support and memorable experiences for children with critical illnesses and their families.
Dave Farmsworth, the board chairman for Make-A-Wish Iowa, said the organization swiftly dismissed Woodley and notified police after discovering the problems last July. He said the organization was “deeply saddened and disappointed by the events” that led to charges against Woodley.
“We thank the Urbandale Police Department for its investigation into this breach of Make-A-Wish’s ethical standards and policies, and we will continue to cooperate with law enforcement,” he said. “We know that we have an obligation to safeguard every dollar given to us.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how much Woodley allegedly misappropriated or whether she has an attorney.
Make-A-Wish Iowa has an annual budget of $4 million, a staff of 16 employees and is governed by a 17-member volunteer board.
During Woodley’s tenure, the 35-year-old chapter granted its 4,000th wish for a child and said it planned to grant about 170 wishes for children per year.
Jail records list Woodley’s new address as Winston Salem, North Carolina, where her husband, Matt Woodley, is an assistant basketball coach at Wake Forest.
The couple has had two daughters who have required brain surgery, and one of them received a trip to Walt Disney World through Make-A-Wish Iowa before Woodley was hired as CEO.
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