The eleven-member board of trustees of the New York City-based James Beard Foundation, the culinary nonprofit whose former president, Leonard F. Pickell, Jr., was recently indicted on charges of grand larceny and forgery, has agreed to resign on January 6 to make way for a new governing body, the New York Times reports.

Chef Charlie Trotter, who informed the Times of the board's decision, is a leader of a committee of chefs, journalists, and sponsors of the organization's awards program that stepped in to stabilize the organization after Pickell's mismanagement was revealed. The group had been operating on an ad hoc basis but was given formal recognition by the current board on Monday.

Trotter said the committee would resign once a new board and an executive director were in place. The last act of the old board will be to appoint three members as replacements from the ranks of the committee to keep the organization functioning.