by Bradley Parsons
Staff Writer
The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission will move another step closer to new leadership this week when Chairman Ceree Harden gives the mayor his recommendation for the commission’s new executive director.
Mayor John Peyton’s office has been actively involved in the recruiting process and he will make the final decision. Peyton’s Chief Operating Officer Dan Kleman sat in on interviews with the original eight finalists and helped develop the current four-name short list.
That list includes interim executive director Jeanne Miller; Richard Reinhard, the head of Niagara Consulting Group in Buffalo, N.Y.; Joan Goodrich, the executive vice president of Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Alliance Inc.; and Ronald Barton, director of St. Petersburg’s economic development and property management.
Harden finished second interviews with the finalists last week. He will finish reference checks and due diligence this week prior to presenting his ranking of the candidates to Peyton.
Once Peyton makes his choice, the City will make an official offer. Harden doesn’t anticipate problems negotiating the job’s salary, no matter who Peyton chooses. The City advertised the job as paying between $101,700 and $152,550 annually.
“We’ve posted the salary range for the job, and certainly all the candidates are aware of that,” said Harden. “I wouldn’t anticipate that money would be a problem with the candidates involved now.”
Harden wouldn’t speculate on how quickly Peyton would make his decision. But he said that cementing a leader at the top of the JEDC was a priority for the
mayor.
Finding an executive director would complete most of the heavy lifting surrounding a complete overhaul of the JEDC and the way it does business. Peyton ordered the commission in May to cut staff and develop new policies for encouraging economic development in Duval
County.
The JEDC has approved new policies directing how and where public money can be spent to encourage development and has cut its staff from 40 to 32. The JEDC’s budget proposal for next year calls for two more jobs to be cut. The new incentive policies are also waiting for mayoral approval.
Putting permanent leadership in place would bring the commission close to the end of its year-long transition period and allow the staff to focus on implementing the new strategies, said Harden.
“All of the staff have been under the cloud of this reorganization,” said Harden. “What I mean by that is, they haven’t known what changes are coming. Giving them some permanency in leadership should provide some stability and morale.
“It will allow all of us to improve our focus on the broader policy decisions and strategic direction of the commission.”