Search for new recruiter still in early stages
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Thus far, five people have applied, but one has already withdrawn after reportedly finding a job elsewhere. That leaves four people vying for a position which has been open for one month since the resignation of Jim Gray.
“To be honest with you, I don’t even know the names myself,” said Joe Hamby, chairman of the Industrial Development Board, when asked who had applied for the job. “It’s premature to release any of the names now. We’re still not in the official job application process. We’re still looking at the position seeing where we should go.”
Both Hamby and Chamber board chairman Jeff McKinley said it’s still early in the selection process. In fact, the position has yet to be posted. The people who have applied thus far heard about the opening through the Standard or word of mouth.
Joyce Lawson, who is acting as interim industrial recruiter, said the job was posted on the Internet two years ago when Gray was eventually hired. Lawson said the Internet ad drew interest from two candidates outside the U.S.
The new industrial recruiter will be selected by the six-member Joint Operating Committee. That committee is composed of three members from the Industrial Development Board – Neal Cox, Jeff Golden and Hamby – and three members from the Chamber – John Jackson, Phil Whisenhunt and McKinley.
As for when interviews might begin, that has not been determined.
“We’re still early in the ball game, maybe the first or second inning,” said McKinley. “We don’t have a timetable yet. Maybe in this first group we’ll have two or three good candidates. Maybe we won’t. There’s nothing that says we have to go with one of these four.”
In Gray’s capacity as industrial recruiter, he also served as executive director of the Chamber of Commerce. His job description indicated he was supposed to devote 80 percent of his time to Industrial Development Board duties and 20 percent to Chamber activities.
Whether job duties for the new recruiter will share that same breakdown also has not been determined. Hamby said there have been talks about changing the industrial recruiter’s responsibilities.
“We want to improve economic development, not just industrial development,” said Hamby. “Do we want to leave the job the way it was, or do we want to improve on what we had? The process of industrial recruitment has changed dramatically over the last three years. It becomes more like a business everyday.”
Possible changes Hamby mentioned include absolving the industrial recruiter from any Chamber responsibilities. McKinley didn’t seem as receptive to modifying the industrial recruiter’s duties, saying he doesn’t foresee any changes.