TUSCUMBIA, Ala. — The board of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame has fired Executive Director Sandra Killen Burroughs after a state audit uncovered more than two dozen significant issues at the museum, including nearly $65,000 in misspent funds and widespread deficiencies in financial documentation.
Burroughs, who became executive director in 2018, was placed on unpaid administrative leave in March when the board learned of findings by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts. The audit, covering museum operations from late 2018 through September 2024, found $76,731 in unsupported bank transactions and $36,706 in undocumented credit card expenditures. The report also cited thousands spent on restaurants, payments to individuals without adequate documentation, and purchases of retail items such as seasonal decorations, candy and a Yeti cooler.
State auditors ordered Burroughs to repay $64,719 to the state after some disputed charges were partially justified in meetings with auditors. She was also identified as receiving $1,200 in “longevity” payments for which she was not eligible.
Other audit findings included failure to protect museum artifacts with proper insurance, not remitting sales taxes, and repeated violations of Alabama’s open meetings law by the board itself.
According to state records, Burroughs was one of eight employees at the museum in 2024. The museum receives more than $200,000 annually from the state Education Trust Fund, plus supplemental funding.
In a statement, board chairwoman Judy Hood said the board is “committed to addressing all issues identified in the audit” and pledged to find new leadership for the museum. The board has begun a search for a new executive director.