by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission’s staff has been waiting for months to find out if they still have jobs, and those making the decisions know the troops are getting restless. But the commission’s chair said the deliberate pace is necessary to make sure the right people are in place to lead the City’s evolving approach to economic development.
Shortly after addressing the Downtown Council Friday morning at River City Brewing Co., JEDC board chair Ceree Harden said it’s not just a matter of hiring the right people. Some of the 31 open positions are new, and many of them have been restructured, redefined and relocated. Before personnel decisions can be made, it must first be determined what the jobs call for, said Harden.
“Certainly we’re aware that there’s anxiety among the staff and we’d like to diminish that anxiety as soon as possible,” said Harden. “But we have one opportunity to do this and we want to make sure we get it right.”
The hires will ultimately be decided by JEDC executive director Kirk Wendland, likely with a nod from the mayor. Wendland was the only person guaranteed a job when Mayor John Peyton ordered staff cuts from 38 positions to 32.
Once the commission’s top three jobs under Wendland have been filled, Harden said he expects the rest to follow “fairly quickly.” Wendland has made it his priority to put his leadership team in place first. He then expects the deputy director, business development director and administration director to help fill the remaining positions and set the course for the City’s economic development.
Harden said the business development position would be one of Wendland’s most important hires. That position will be charged with overhauling a development approach that Harden said had been largely reactive in the past.
“We want to clarify our priorities for economic development, so we can be more proactive in going after desired outcomes, rather than being reactive to opportunities as they present themselves,” said Harden.
The business development job existed under the previous structure, but Harden said the its responsibilities had changed to the point where it could be considered a new position. But a new approach to the job doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t be filled from the current staff, he said.
“I wouldn’t go that far. But there are competencies needed for that job that tend not to exist on our current staff,” said
Harden.