The McMinnville-Warren County Industrial Development Board approved the resignation of IDB director Don Alexander at a public IDB meeting on Thursday. Jeff Golden and Brent McCay were the only votes against the acceptance, but it passed the board 8-2.
IDB chair Jenny Nafrada issued a statement on the resignation following the meeting, saying, “The Warren County Industrial Development Board extends its sincere appreciation to Mr. Alexander for his dedication to Warren County and wishes him continued success in all of his future endeavors.”
Nafrada, Justin Walling, Trevor Galligan, Carrie Huckeby, Ryan Lorance, Andy Knowles, Greg Smartt and Scot MacDonald all approved Alexander’s resignation.
IDB attorney Mike Corley also issued his resignation. Nafrada says she was informed of Corley's decision in a phone conversation with Corley. "He said that it was because a new director coming in will need to pick their own legal counsel and so he would just go ahead and resign," Nafrada said.
While there was some conversation about whether Alexander’s tenure ending was coerced, his resignation rendered it moot. Nafrada offered an overview of where the board is now in the wake of Alexander’s decision, particularly in light of some county commissioners working to have input on the direction of the board.
“We are in an environment where we all have a job to do. (Alexander) has a job to do, this board has a job to do, the county commissioners have a job to do, the city has a job to do. Right now, none of us are able to do our job effectively because of the environment that we’re in,” said Nafrada when asked about conversations with Alexander prior to his resignation, including the possibility of calling for a vote for his replacement. “(There is) The resolution that the county has drawn up to oversee everything that we do, the problem that we’ve had with the communication with the Bridgestone contract (and) the problem we are currently having with the steel company out at Morrison. And I felt that we couldn’t be effective as a board, and we’d have a longer, tougher road ahead of us.”
IDB members also discussed severance packages for Alexander, with most in agreement it was appropriate. Ideas discussed included giving him a month salary per year served, six month’s pay, and one year’s pay, but the board decided by the end of the night that there was no clear answer.
IDB member Trevor Galligan said, “I want to offer something as well. I do think we have to remember, this isn’t a private company. This is public funds and I think we have to be cognizant of that.”
Nafrada suggested that they send this issue to the compensation committee, and the committee can propose something at the following regular board meeting. The IDB members unanimously approved having the compensation committee propose a severance package for Alexander.
