Whitley County Health Department Director Martha Steele terminated

The Whitley County Health Department is looking for a new public health director following a special called meeting Thursday evening where the current director was terminated.

Whitley County Health Department Public Health Director Martha Steele was let go from the health department Thursday.

The Whitley County Board of Health met in executive session for over an hour during Thursday’s special meeting to discuss personnel matters, said Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison, who is a board of health member.

“It was lengthy. We discussed quite a bit of things then we came out of executive session and voted in such a manner that our collective statement as a board is the Whitley County Health Department Board has decided to go in a different direction and that Martha Steele is no longer the director of the Whitley County Health Department,” Harrison said.

Harrison said that he couldn’t say why the board decided to go in a different direction.

“It is one of those things we just decided would be best moving in a different direction,” he added.

Tamara Phelps will serve as acting or interim director until a permanent replacement is named.

Harrison said that all the department heads were notified about the decision Friday morning.

According to the minutes of the meeting, it began at 7 p.m. at the Whitley County Health Department in Williamsburg.

About 7:25 p.m., the board went into executive session, and returned to regular session about 8:53 p.m.

“Upon return from executive session, the following actions were taken: Martha Steele is no longer the Director of the Whitley County Health Department. The Board is moving in a different direction,” the minutes stated.

Board members present for the meeting, included: Chairman Dr. David Williams, Vice-Chair Don Creech, Jill West, Harrison, Doug Karr, Ramona Davis, Whitley County Judge-Executive Pat White Jr. and Candice Troxell.

Members not present at the meeting were Paul Rains, Dr. Aaron House, veterinarian Dr. Michael Culver and DDM Shera Newcomb, according to the minutes of the meeting.

Harrison said that all the board members, who were in attendance at the meeting, were in favor of the change.

During the board of health’s Oct. 29 quarterly meeting, the board of health also met in executive session about “personnel” for 90 minutes, but took no formal action, according to minutes from the meeting.

The minutes don’t indicate which personnel were discussed in executive session.

New director sought

Cynthia Rice, administrative services manager at the health department, has been authorized to begin advertising for Steele’s permanent replacement, Harrison said.

Harrison noted that the board also agreed Thursday to begin the process of seeking applications and resumes for the public health director’s position.

Harrison is unsure how long the hiring process will take.

The entire board will serve as the interview committee for the finalists.

Both internal and external candidates have been discussed, but Harrison said the board doesn’t have any specific candidates in mind.

“There is not any one person or set standards we are looking for as a board,” Harrison said. “Right now there have been no names mentioned.”

Steele was hired as public health director in November 2014, and replaced Gail Timperio, who retired from the position.

Steele did not respond to two requests for comment about the situation Friday afternoon.

Williams also could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon. A message was left at his home seeking comment.

Previous issues

Steele’s tenure as director hasn’t been without some issues.

In March 2017, the board of health conducted two special called meetings regarding personnel matters over a three-week period.

At the end of the March 2, 2017, three and one-half hour board meeting, which included three hours of meeting in executive session to discuss “personnel” issues, the board ended the meeting taking “no action” regarding Steele’s resignation.

Williams noted after the meeting that Steele was still the director and would be for the foreseeable future.

About 10 employees spoke out during that meeting on Steele’s behalf some of whom noted that Steele upset some other employees by asking them to do their jobs rather than just sitting there drawing a paycheck and doing very little else.

On March 20, 2017, the board of health held a second special called meeting that lasted for two hours to discuss “personnel matters,” but again took no formal action.

At the time Williams declined to say if the executive session of the March 20, 2017, meeting pertained to the executive session at the March 2, 2017, meeting.