St. Pete Catalyst, Published By: Mark Parker
The local CareerSource affiliate held its first board meeting since state leadership voted to consolidate Pinellas and Hillsborough County’s workforce development agencies in February.
Adrienne Johnston, president and CEO of CareerSource Florida, participated in Wednesday’s discussion virtually. Several board members offered a laundry list of concerns over the merger.
No one spoke in the initiative’s favor, which now needs the governor’s approval. Despite Johnston’s best attempts to alleviate some of the trepidation, the CareerSource Pinellas Board of Directors unanimously voted to issue a formal letter opposing the consolidation.
“We recognize that change can be difficult,” Johnston told attendees. “And changes of this magnitude will result in challenges, as well as opportunities. We are committed at the state to ensuring that local workforce development boards have the information, technical assistance, tools, and resources to transition and transform.”
The once-conjoined agencies split in September 2018, a few months after CareerSource Hillsborough’s board fired Ed Peachey, the former joint CEO. Reports that he inflated job placement numbers to receive significant bonuses emerged that summer.
The regional CareerSource previously featured two separate boards and one administration governing a singular entity. Johnston explained a newly merged agency would feature a combined board of directors.
“One of those key goals that we are really pushing here is that there is equal representation among all partners, all counties,” Johnston added. “I know a fear among many is that this will be a takeover over one board over the other, and that is not the intention.” Read more
