CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Economic Development Council board this week fumbled the process of hiring a new CEO, causing some concern among board members about a reversal vote, with one calling it “borderline unethical.”

On Monday morning, April 12, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council – the umbrella agency that oversees industrial development, tourism and related economic promotion activity – took a vote between two CEO candidates, referred to as Candidate A and Candidate B. Their identities have not been disclosed.

While board members seem agreed that both are good candidates, there were definite preferences, with Candidate A touted as “professionally trained and highly engaged with economic development associations” who would be new to the area, and the other, Candidate B, someone who already has “established relationships within the local community,” is retired military and is familiar with the local economic environment.

Monday’s vote

Board member Khandra Smalley made a motion that the board hire Candidate A, and the board voted 5-4 to do so, with 10 of the 13 board members present.

Voting yes were Smalley, Wally Crow, Kyle Luther, Mark Kelley and Matt Cunningham. Voting no were Ginna Holleman, Keith Bennett, County Mayor Jim Durrett and Paul Turner. Absent were Mayor Joe Pitts, Wallace Redd and James Lewis.

During the roll call, board Chairwoman Suzanne Langford’s name was called. Langford asked if she was supposed to vote, and amid some brief deliberation, she said no, she was not supposed to vote. Board Attorney Tim Harvey was not present.

After the meeting, Turner raised the concern with Langford that she could have voted, which might have created a tie.

“With such a big vote, she should have been given the option to vote or to abstain, and she had neither,” Turner said during a special-called EDC meeting on Thursday, scheduled to consider rescinding the vote and starting over.

The board got clarity Thursday that while there had been a tradition of the board chair not voting, the chair has always had the option to vote.

After hearing Turner’s concerns, Langford contacted the hiring firm, Affion Public, and told them there had been some confusion with the meeting and that the decision would be delayed.

Thursday’s vote

Thursday’s meeting, which was held with a virtual option when Monday’s meeting was not, had all 13 members present, some in person and some online.

Crow expressed concern about the board’s vote not being executed as was understood after the first meeting.

One board member objected to the second meeting, and forcefully.

“This can be spun however the board wants, but ultimately all we’re doing is a do-over,” Luther said. “It may be legal, but in my opinion it’s not right. This decision is going to come with a black cloud of shadiness and dare I say borderline unethical, so I can’t support it with a clear conscience, and truthfully I expect the decision to be met with heavy scrutiny because it’s diminished the integrity of this organization.”

Crow made a motion to delay action until the next meeting, which would be June 17. That motion died for lack of a second.

The board voted 8-4 to rescind the previous vote for Candidate A.

Pitts made a motion to instead hire Candidate B, and it passed 8-5.

Voting yes were Holleman, Bennett, Durrett, Turner, Langford, Pitts, Redd and Lewis. Voting no were Smalley, Crow, Luther, Kelley and Cunningham.

The CEO position came open in January 2020 with the departure of Jeff Truitt.