The Santiam Teen Center is still recovering after learning last summer that former Executive Director Steven Reed allegedly embezzled roughly $34,000 from the non-profit.
While service days have been normal since the start of the school year, they were cut by a third over the summer and Reed’s former position has yet to be filled.
Reed has been charged in Marion County Circuit Court with aggravated first-degree theft and six counts of first-degree forgery. He was arraigned Dec. 12 and is due back Feb. 11 to enter a plea to the charges.
The amount allegedly stolen equals six months worth of operating expenses, according to Tricia Frizzell, chair of the board that oversees the center. She said this was a significant blow they will be recovering from for the foreseeable future, but at the same time volunteers and staff are rallying to show their support.
“We want the community to know that we are wounded but not broken, we are strong and moving forward,” said Frizzell. “…The youth are still showing up with smiles on their faces, and that overshadows the intense anger and frustration.”
A pattern of alleged theft
Reed, 49, of Salem, was hired as executive director in November of 2023. He had a background working with students including school administration and youth sports.
He held the position until July of 2024 when he left the teen center to become athletic director for Santiam Christian Schools. According to reporting by the Statesman Journal, he was placed on administrative leave Dec. 31 after the school learned of his charges.
Reed allegedly embezzled from the teen center throughout his time in the position, according to charging documents. This included six separate alleged instances of fraudulent checks written between January and August of 2024.
While charging documents did not describe a potential motive, Reed was struggling to repay large debts during the time of the alleged thefts, according to civil court records. These included a $16,573 judgment in October of 2023 for an unpaid credit card, and a $37,751 judgment in November of 2023 for unpaid rent on a commercial lease.
Frizzell said there were a number of “red flags” during Reed’s time with the teen center, such as operational expenses ballooning as revenue fell. According to federal tax filings, revenue between 2023 and 2024 fell 25.3 percent from $146,122 to $107,334, while building and office expenses rose 2,248% from $1,763 to $41,400.
After Reed left last summer and the board took a closer look at the books, there was “obvious evidence” of alleged fraud, said Frizzell, and warning signs suddenly became clear.
If convicted as charged, Reed faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on his highest count. He remains released on his own recognizance pending the outcome of the case.
Re-shaping operations
While the court may order restitution upon a conviction, Frizzell said the board is not counting on this to make the teen center whole. She said such an outcome would likely not occur in the near future and, if restitution was granted, it would likely come in installments.
She said they are focusing instead on working with the resources, staff and volunteers they have, and on strengthening public support. She said the teen center may officially be owned by a private non-profit, New Growth Ministries, but ultimately belongs to the community and they want to increase that sense of ownership and buy-in.
This includes accepting input on the future of teen center services and programs. While the board wishes to maintain and strengthen existing services, they also hope to search for new ways to engage local youth.
The center is open to students in 7th to 12th grades and provides afterschool programs including social activities and homework support. Practical needs are also met such as on-site meals, food to take home, and laundry facilities, all for free.
Frizzell said, between July of 2024 and June of 2025, the center served 162 individual teenagers who made a total of 2,500 visits to the center. She said the organization may be small but is seeing a broad impact on the community.
Setting a better example
Because the teen center specializes in serving vulnerable youth, Frizzell said she struggles to understand why Reed would allegedly steal from the program.
“This is a small non-profit for youth that need to build trust with adults and not have that broken again,” she said.
Whatever life circumstances may have led to Reed’s alleged actions, Frizzell said she has a message for him that may seem counter-intuitive: “You are forgiven.”
She said this viewpoint is central to the faith-based goals of the teen center and comes before personal feelings of frustration. She said the frustration is still real, but at the same time presents an opportunity to display a gracious attitude for teens who may be more accustomed to hostility from adults.
“I wish [Reed] well in life in general,” said Frizzell.
She said “gratitude” was also an unexpected outcome of the thefts, particularly for community support and the fact that program participation remains strong despite needing to do more with less. Frizzell said community members can check santiamteencenter.org for opportunities to be involved, including as a volunteer, a regular donor, and a source of input for what comes next.
