FARMINGTON -- Nancy Morgan, the executive director of the Tri-Valley United Way for five years, said she was told Tuesday that she was out of a job.

"I was in total shock," Morgan said Thursday. "They said I could either resign or I would be terminated. I told them I believed in the United Way and had done the best I could and that I would not resign."

She said no one has told her why she was dismissed. Morgan said her annual salary was $45,000.

Members of the agency's board of directors confirmed that Morgan had been fired, but declined to discuss the reasons for her dismissal.

Morgan said the board called an emergency meeting Monday night and after a few minor business issues, held an executive session to discuss the director's job. Morgan, thinking it was about her employee review, was not included in the discussion and went home.

The interim president of the board, Tom Taylor, called later that evening and asked to meet Morgan at the agency's Broadway office at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. Morgan said she arrived early and found her computer and her phone had been disconnected.

Taylor and board members Peggy Willihan from Verso Paper Co. in Jay and Alison Hagerstrom, director of Greater Franklin Development Corp., broke the news to her, Morgan said.

"I thought they wanted to talk about my employee evaluation but Tom said the board voted to terminate me, effective immediately," she said.

She was asked to hand in her office keys and was not allowed access to her computer or her e-mail address book, she said.

Tom Saviello, a state representative from Wilton, is on the United Way board. He said Thursday that he attended Monday's meeting, but left before the discussion started when he realized Morgan's job was on the table.

"I felt there was a conflict of interest and that I could not be impartial," Saviello said. "Nancy is a very dear friend. She is the one who asked me to be on the board and if I would be the campaign chairman in two years. So I left."

He also said he could not discuss a personnel issue.

Before coming to United Way, Morgan worked at Forster Manufacturing Co. in Wilton for 25 years. She lost her job as human-resources director when the company was sold and went to work at United Way.

The organization raises money to support about 25 social service agencies in the Franklin County area. In the past three years, the United Way's goal was met or surpassed, and in the 2007-08 campaign, the agency exceeded its $395,000 goal by $10,000, she said.

"Over the years, I never thought about the 60 hours a week I would put in because I was working for the people," Morgan said. "I wanted to make sure that so many things were taken care of. I loved what I did and I have compassion for the people struggling economically because I've been there."

Betty Jespersen -- 778-6991

bjespersen@centralmaine.com