By Dalton Stokes
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
The Woodford County Tourist Commission has announced its choice for its first executive director. After interviewing six candidates, five of the commission members unanimously recommended Emily Kay Downey, according to Chair Maria Bohanan.
A press release from Bohanan identified Downey as the North American marketing manager for Alltech, a developer of agricultural products based in Nicholasville, and said she has “extensive experience with the World Equestrian Games” in 2010 and 2014. She is married to William Downey, a magistrate on the Fiscal Court, and is the sister of James Kay, the county judge-executive.
The judge-executive appoints some commission members. Downey's family ties created “perception issues,” Bohanan said in an interview. In a written statement that she said was made on behalf of the commission, she said:
“The tourism commission board followed a meticulous process to individually score each interviewee. Emily Downey had the highest score of all. Her educational background and extensive international marketing experience with Alltech made her the best candidate for the job. Regardless of optics, it would be a disservice not only to the citizens of Woodford County but to all the participants who applied to not pick the best-qualified person. We had the pleasure of interviewing a group of high caliber candidates and feel Ms. Downey will do great things promoting Woodford County.”
A quorum of the commission met to discuss and act on the personnel matter, which constitutes a meeting under the Kentucky Open Meetings Act. However, the commission did not announce any meeting for that purpose, despite receiving a written request from the Midway Messenger to be informed of all its meetings.
The open-meetings law allows public agencies to discuss hiring in private, but requires them to do it in a closed session called during an open meeting. It prohibits taking any final action in private.
Bohanan’s initial press release said that following a “unanimous recommendation from an interview panel, and pending board approval, WCTC recommends Emily Downey as the Woodford County tourism director.” She said five of the six commission members served on the “interview panel,” and agreed on Downey and the press release.
The commission has planned to hire an executive director since it received a large increase in revenue, allowing it to stop using the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce as operational staff.
The county imposes a 3 percent tax on all overnight stays in the county; until the first modern hotel in the county opened last September, the only revenue generated by the tax came from bed-and-breakfasts. Now, with the new Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Versailles, the commission has about $100,000 available to spend.
Eleven people applied for the job of executive director, including Elisha Holt, an events promoter and online contractor who serves as an unofficial member of the commission. She was among the six interviewees, Bohanan said.
The last interviews were held last Friday, and a decision was made by the five members immediately afterward, Bohanan said. They then agreed to issue a press release without holding a public meeting.
Bohanan said, “The whole commission was on the panel if they could make it,” and when the decision was made Friday, she and members Lee Howard, Cortney Niekirk, Ken Kerkhoff, and Aaron Smither were in attendance. She said Neil Vasilakes couldn’t make either interview session.
At the last commission meeting, Vasilakes said, “There are some rumors going around that we’re not following a process and we have a shoo-in person.” Bohanon replied by noting the plan to score candidates and said, “Whatever we do we want it above board.”
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media
The Woodford County Tourist Commission has announced its choice for its first executive director. After interviewing six candidates, five of the commission members unanimously recommended Emily Kay Downey, according to Chair Maria Bohanan.
A press release from Bohanan identified Downey as the North American marketing manager for Alltech, a developer of agricultural products based in Nicholasville, and said she has “extensive experience with the World Equestrian Games” in 2010 and 2014. She is married to William Downey, a magistrate on the Fiscal Court, and is the sister of James Kay, the county judge-executive.
 |
| Emily Kay Downey and her brother, County Judge-Executive James Kay (Twitter photo) |
“The tourism commission board followed a meticulous process to individually score each interviewee. Emily Downey had the highest score of all. Her educational background and extensive international marketing experience with Alltech made her the best candidate for the job. Regardless of optics, it would be a disservice not only to the citizens of Woodford County but to all the participants who applied to not pick the best-qualified person. We had the pleasure of interviewing a group of high caliber candidates and feel Ms. Downey will do great things promoting Woodford County.”
A quorum of the commission met to discuss and act on the personnel matter, which constitutes a meeting under the Kentucky Open Meetings Act. However, the commission did not announce any meeting for that purpose, despite receiving a written request from the Midway Messenger to be informed of all its meetings.
The open-meetings law allows public agencies to discuss hiring in private, but requires them to do it in a closed session called during an open meeting. It prohibits taking any final action in private.
Bohanan’s initial press release said that following a “unanimous recommendation from an interview panel, and pending board approval, WCTC recommends Emily Downey as the Woodford County tourism director.” She said five of the six commission members served on the “interview panel,” and agreed on Downey and the press release.
The commission has planned to hire an executive director since it received a large increase in revenue, allowing it to stop using the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce as operational staff.
The county imposes a 3 percent tax on all overnight stays in the county; until the first modern hotel in the county opened last September, the only revenue generated by the tax came from bed-and-breakfasts. Now, with the new Holiday Inn Express and Suites in Versailles, the commission has about $100,000 available to spend.
Eleven people applied for the job of executive director, including Elisha Holt, an events promoter and online contractor who serves as an unofficial member of the commission. She was among the six interviewees, Bohanan said.
The last interviews were held last Friday, and a decision was made by the five members immediately afterward, Bohanan said. They then agreed to issue a press release without holding a public meeting.
Bohanan said, “The whole commission was on the panel if they could make it,” and when the decision was made Friday, she and members Lee Howard, Cortney Niekirk, Ken Kerkhoff, and Aaron Smither were in attendance. She said Neil Vasilakes couldn’t make either interview session.
At the last commission meeting, Vasilakes said, “There are some rumors going around that we’re not following a process and we have a shoo-in person.” Bohanon replied by noting the plan to score candidates and said, “Whatever we do we want it above board.”
She reiterated that point in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “It’s not confirmed yet; we’ve got to confirm it on Friday,” at the commission’s regular monthly meeting, she said. “That’s why it says it’s a recommendation. It’s not an appointment.”
Asked if she would release the scoring of the candidates, Bohanan said she would prefer not to, and would have to consult attorneys about that.
“I think there could have been perception issues with a few of the candidates we interviewed,” she said. “We put a lot of things in place to ensure that everything was done right. We went above board.”
She added, “Coming out of the gate, we wanted to come our strong. We interviewed six highly talented people, but Emily had the highest scores. . . . She’s amazing . . I’m beyond thrilled.”
Downey holds an executive MBA and completed Alltech’s mini-MBA program through the University of Dublin, according to the press release. The Woodford Sun reported that she plans to keep working for Alltech because the tourism job will be part-time.
Asked if she would release the scoring of the candidates, Bohanan said she would prefer not to, and would have to consult attorneys about that.
“I think there could have been perception issues with a few of the candidates we interviewed,” she said. “We put a lot of things in place to ensure that everything was done right. We went above board.”
She added, “Coming out of the gate, we wanted to come our strong. We interviewed six highly talented people, but Emily had the highest scores. . . . She’s amazing . . I’m beyond thrilled.”
Downey holds an executive MBA and completed Alltech’s mini-MBA program through the University of Dublin, according to the press release. The Woodford Sun reported that she plans to keep working for Alltech because the tourism job will be part-time.
No comments:
Post a Comment