by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
When the mayor ordered the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission to suspend its normal duties and undergo a two-month self-evaluation, one of his primary charges was that the commission create more jobs.
After just two days back in business, the JEDC has already created 31 jobs — its own. And they are already listed on the City’s website.
Before last Friday, those jobs were filled by the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission’s current staff. Now the positions have been thrown open as part of the commission’s ongoing reorganization. Following a month and a half of interviews, the JEDC will unveil Oct. 1 a streamlined structure staffed by eight less employees.
The cuts follow Mayor John Peyton’s instruction that the JEDC trim its 40-person staff by 20 percent.
The cuts will be accomplished mostly by not filling vacancies and allowing contracted employees’ terms to expire. For instance, the City won’t hire a new chief of site development, a job left open since Ray Newton left. Only three current staff members’ jobs have been eliminated, although job titles and descriptions of other positions have changed to fit the JEDC’s streamlined mission.
The JEDC will cut the International Development Commission, eliminating the Chief’s position previously held by George Banks and a senior manager job. JEDC Executive Director Kirk Wendland said the IDC’s mission will be assumed by the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The JEDC’s new structure will resemble the flatter corporate structure put in place by Peyton shortly after he took office last July. Wendland - whose job as executive director is secure - will report only to the board and Peyton. A chief operating officer will be created to oversee routine operations, freeing up Wendland to concentrate on strategic planning.
“I think, in the past, there’s probably been more time spent supervising day-to-day activities,” said Wendland. “The COO will allow me to be more accountable to the board and more involved in strategic planning.”
The new structure is tighter with the jobs more focused on nuts-and-bolts economic development
The commission will also cut two project manager jobs in the Sports and Entertainment Board currently held by Mike Bouda and Chris Sutton. Wendland said all staff members were invited to apply for new positions and said the elimination of a job doesn’t necessarily mean the personnel won’t find new employment with the commission. JEDC staffers who apply for similar jobs in the new structure will automatically be considered as finalists for the new position.
“There’s no preconceived notion about who stays on and who doesn’t,” said Wendland. “The only discussions that I’ve had (with the mayor) is to put together the best possible team together that we can, whether that’s all current people or not.”
The remaining three cuts will come next March when terms of employment run out for Super Bowl Host Committee employees Kandi Begue, Shelly Marino and Heather Surface. All formerly worked in the JEDC offices at the City Hall Annex before being assigned to the Host Committee.
Surface, who helped bring the game to Jacksonville as JEDC communications chief, said she assumed she would still have a City job once the game ended.
“We thought we would come over and help put on a successful Super Bowl and then be reassigned to the City,” said Surface. “I didn’t think we’d be scrambling for a job after the Super Bowl, but it looks like that might be the case.”
Surface said she hadn’t decided whether to apply for a new JEDC job.
Wendland said he and JEDC board chairman Ceree Harden would make the hiring decisions. Wendland will fill high-level jobs first, then include his new managers on decisions about subordinates.