JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The JTA Board of Directors has less than 90 days to find a new CEO to replace outgoing CEO Nat Ford or be left without a top leader.
The board agreed to convene a search committee that will be comprised of all seven board members, but that’s where the agreement ended.
Board Chair Aundra Wallace pushed for the agency to hire a search firm to help find a new CEO, arguing it would make potential candidates more likely to apply.
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“It basically shields us in making sure that the evaluation process has been done in a de-political process,” said Wallace.
But other members like Max Glober argued the agency shouldn’t spend an estimated $150,000 to $200,000 on a search firm given JTA’s recent financial struggles.
“I would not be inclined to support that in a year where we’re furloughing our people,” said Glober. ”I’m in close contact with the Governor’s Office that have expressed they don’t support a national search firm due to the costs.”
Board members also had varying opinions on whether to simply pick a search firm or engage in a competitive process, which could add extra time to the overall search.
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Board member Johnathan Vallencourt took issue with the list of firms presented to the board as possible quick hire options, pointing to language they used touting their success in hiring diverse candidates.
“I don’t want a search firm that’s gonna tip the scales one way or the other because something else other than the character of the person,” said Vallencourt.
Members also disagreed on whether to name an interim CEO, and whether an interim CEO should be selected from within or outside the agency.
Some members argued hiring externally could take longer and would require getting a new employee up to speed.
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But Wallace argued against hiring internally.
“So that way anyone internally is on the same playing field as anyone that is going to be applying for the job that is not within the actual organization itself,” said Wallace.
As far as a preliminary timeline goes, JTA’s General Counsel suggested the board make a decision on hiring a search firm by the end of next month, with an aspirational goal of selecting a new CEO before the end of the year.
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