FORT SMITH -- The Fort Smith Advertising and Promotions Commission has had a change in leadership as it tries to find someone to assume the role of its executive director.
After going into executive session during a special called meeting Saturday, the commission approved a motion to sign an independent contract with former Fort Smith Mayor Sandy Sanders, 76, to serve as its interim executive director retroactive to Oct. 19. This is in consideration for payment of $3,461.54 biweekly or $90,000 annually.
"I think what the commission is looking for is just some guidance and leadership to make sure we stay on track to do the right things until a new full-time executive director is on board," Sanders said.
Sanders said current Fort Smith Mayor George McGill, who is also chairman of the commission, asked him to fill in as executive director on an interim basis on Oct. 16. Sanders is currently retired. McGill said the executive director is a commission employee.
As per the motion approved by the commission, which was made by member Debra Presson, the agreement with Sanders will be in effect until a new executive director is hired or the agreement is terminated at the option of either party.
The previous executive director, Claude Legris, announced his retirement on June 23 after serving in the position since Feb. 19, 2001. His last day was July 10.
Sanders being brought on comes after Carolyn Joyce, group sales manager for the Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau who had taken on the role of interim director, herself retired effective Oct. 23. In her retirement letter, which was dated Oct. 13, Joyce explained that she had determined the time had come for her to retire and spend more time with her children and grandchildren.
Joyce began serving as interim executive director on July 13, according to Fort Smith Human Resources Director Rick Lolley in an Oct. 27 email.
The Advertising and Promotions Commission held another executive session on Saturday to interview three candidates in person for the executive director position. No action was taken after the executive session ended.
Lolley said in a Nov. 2 email that the candidates will have received a tour of Fort Smith and had the opportunity to explore the area by themselves before their interviews. In addition, a panel of residents the commissioners selected was due to spend time with each candidate on Friday.
"Two of the candidates are currently out of the state of Arkansas and one candidate is in Arkansas," Lolley said. "All candidates have experience with conventions and visitors bureaus. Other key experience includes sales, management, operational leadership, tourism, marketing, economic and development.
"The advertising and promotions and conventions and visitors bureau industry is a relatively small industry. In order not to jeopardize either of the candidate's current employment, we have been asked to respect their privacy by not sharing their names or current employer. Sharing the candidates' names could also result in some of the candidates withdrawing from the process potentially resulting in the A&P Commission's inability to hire the most suitable candidate for this important position for the City of Fort Smith and the River Valley region."
Last week, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette submitted a Freedom of Information Act request seeking application materials for these three candidates. The request was made to three parties: Lolley, Fort Smith City Administrator Geffken and "Custodian of the Records."
Geffken said via email that neither he nor Lolley are the custodian of these records, relaying a message from City Attorney Jerry Canfield that "there is a long history of the city and the commission as separate entities and the commission having its own employees." McGill declined to release the names of the three candidates as well on Saturday.
Job application materials are generally subject to disclosure, according to various opinions by several Arkansas attorneys general. They have said some material in those job application materials, such as a Social Security number, are exempt. Attorney general opinions are nonbinding. Job application materials are not listed under the specific exemptions of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
The Advertising and Promotions Commission voted to allow the Fort Smith Human Resources Department to move forward with a search for an executive director with the St. Paul, Minn.-based firm SearchWide Global "at a reasonable rate" during its July 28 meeting, Lolley said. According to Lolley, SearchWide Global is to perform an executive search for a candidate to fill the position, which includes candidate DiSC assessments for in-person interviews and two background checks. Conducting this search comes with a flat professional fee of $30,000.
SearchWide Global's website describes the company as a "full service executive search firm primarily for companies in the travel, tourism, hospitality, convention, trade association, venue management, experiential marketing, sports and entertainment industries."
Lolley said previously that the salary range for the Fort Smith Advertising and Promotions Commission executive director position is about $84,500 to $127,000.