by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The head of Jacksonville’s economic development efforts said the timing was right for his sudden resignation from the City Tuesday.
Kirk Wendland has served as executive director of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission for three years and his job was the only one secure when Mayor John Peyton put him in charge six months ago of a complete overhaul of the commission.
Since that time, Wendland has overseen the development of new economic development policies and has had the final say on hiring for 31 open positions at the commission.
Wendland’s priority, before he leaves office Feb. 25, will be to complete the City’s new incentive policies. Hiring decisions will be left up to his successor. Although his resignation comes in the middle of the JEDC’s most extensive makeover since its creation, Wendland said the timing was right for a switch to the private sector. Work on new incentive policies was substantially complete, he said.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a long time as far as when exactly is the right time. We’ve made a lot of the changes we talked about over the last year and I felt that we’re at a point where a transition could work well,” said Wendland.
Wendland told only Peyton and JEDC Chairman Ceree Harden of the decision he made last week. JEDC employees said they hadn’t heard about his decision until they saw it on Tuesday night’s evening news. Wendland said Peyton “understood. He was supportive.”
Wendland’s departure leaves 31 of 32 jobs open at the commission. The City has been interviewing for those positions for the past two months. The jobs were thrown open when Peyton called for a 20 percent staff cut at the commission and open interviews for every job. JEDC employees were given priority in interviewing for the jobs, but the only hire so far has been Jeanne Miller as deputy director.
Wendland thinks Miller’s job as the commission’s second-in-command is secure, but the final decision will be up to the new executive director.
“In my mind, she’s solid. Everyone I’ve talked to from commissioners to Council members to the mayor’s office unanimously feels like she’s a great asset. I can’t imagine anyone coming in that wouldn’t want to keep her in place,” said Wendland.
It will continue being a waiting game for the rest of the staff. Wendland said it wouldn’t be fair to make hiring decisions now that might be overturned by the new director.
Wendland hasn’t received any specific offers, but he said he’s been approached throughout his term as executive director with job possibilities from the private sector. He said he wanted to stay in Jacksonville.
“One of the pros of this job is you get to work with and meet a lot of business leaders in the community. If they’re impressed with you, sometimes they might talk to you about opportunities,” he said.
Wendland’s resignation comes about a week after he answered questions in front of a Duval County grand jury about the City’s $36 million deal with TriLegacy Group to develop the Shipyards, a Northbank luxury development. But that deal played no part in his decision to leave the City, said Wendland.