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Coffee County Ambulance Authority director to retire; board weighs committee screening and public interviews
Summary
Director Bonner told the Ambulance Authority he intends to retire at the end of July; the board debated whether to form a small screening committee, involve HR and local chiefs, or conduct public interviews and asked HR to provide the current job description for review before posting.
Director Bonner told the Coffee County Ambulance Authority on June 18 that he intends to retire at the end of July, prompting a discussion among board members about how the authority should recruit and select his successor.
"It is my intent to retire end of July," Bonner said, initiating discussion about whether the authority should form a small screening committee, conduct public interviews before the full board, or involve outside stakeholders such as HR, city or county chiefs and elected officials.
Board members reviewed how the director was hired in 2013—through public posting and board interviews—and debated the trade-offs between a smaller screening committee (which could avoid creating a quorum and reduce repeated full-board interviews) and the optics of holding public interviews for a high-profile, public-facing position. Several members favored including HR in the process and suggested inviting local chiefs or other partners to participate in a screening role to ensure operational perspectives.
Members asked HR (Heather) to supply the current job description and minimum-qualification language for review at the next meeting. The board discussed various candidate criteria—including whether a bachelor's or master's degree should be required versus a paramedic credential, and how to balance leadership, budget and field experience—and agreed to revisit a proposed job description and a decision on whether to create a committee at the July meeting.
The board also discussed staff representation during the screening process to help the existing workforce evaluate candidates and to reduce risk of turnover after a leadership change. Several members emphasized that committee recommendations would come back to the full Ambulance Authority for final selection if a subcommittee is used.
The board set its next meeting for July 16 and adjourned. No formal motion to create a screening committee was adopted at the June 18 meeting; the discussion was recorded as preliminary direction to explore options and to prepare a proposed job description.
