Acting U of L foundation CFO fired after shoplifting arrest at U of L Golf Club

Interim University of Louisville president Greg Postel’s efforts to re-shape the image of the U of L foundation aren’t exactly off to a rousing start.

Robert “Bob” Mims, who was recently hired on the recommendation of Postel as an independent contractor to serve as the acting CFO for the foundation, was fired following an arrest for theft and shoplifting in Simpsonville on Wednesday. Card Chronicle can confirm that the location of that theft was the clubhouse of the U of L Golf Club, where Mims was reportedly inquiring about a membership given his new position at the university. An employee at the golf club called the police once Mims had left. The police then pulled Mims car over, where he confessed to the crime.

Mims had worked for the foundation for only two weeks and was fired following the news of his arrest.

This apparently was not Mims’ first foray into this particular brand of theft. A source tells CC that another local country club recently discovered camera footage of Mims stealing more than $800 worth of merchandise from its clubhouse and circulated his picture to other golf clubs throughout the area.

According to The Courier-Journal, Mims was charged Wednesday with theft or shoplifting over $10,000 and under $1 million. His arraignment is scheduled for Sept. 19.

Soooo a guy with a strange affinity for stealing from golf clubhouses may have not been the best choice to handle the money of an entity that is trying to clean up its reputation. Good lord.

UPDATE: Multiple spokespersons from U of L have contacted me to say that Mims was not serving as the acting CFO and that he was not hired on the recommendation of Dr. Postel. My original sources for this post maintain that both of those things are true.

Here is a statement from the foundation’s executive director, Keith Sherman:

“Bob’s contract has been terminated. He was an independent contractor who worked with the Foundation for less than two weeks and had no access to financial accounts or confidential information. Bob’s alleged lapses in judgement were unrelated to his work for the Foundation. Based on his positive professional references and his work for us we could not have foreseen the alleged behavior.”