Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Appointments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission offers executive‑director appointment to James Etheridge amid amendment and split votes
Summary
The commission moved to fill the executive director vacancy by inserting the name James Etheridge into the offer; an amendment to add another name was proposed and debate included legal definitions of malfeasance; the motion carried with the transcript recording 6 yeas, 2 nays and 1 abstention.
The Plaquemines Port Harbor and Terminal District advanced a resolution to offer appointment of James Etheridge as executive director. The chair filled blanks in the draft resolution with the name James Etheridge and asked for a second; the motion was seconded and commissioners debated an amendment to add another name.
Commissioner Konovich moved to add a different name (Hernandez) and described concerns about rehiring decisions and prior allegations: “They worked their deal out and, hiring somebody for what y'all wanted to get rid of Charles for,” the commissioner said, referencing past personnel issues reported elsewhere. Legal counsel instructed the body on the criminal concept of malfeasance: “In Louisiana, malfeasance is actually a criminal statute,” counsel said, outlining behavior that can constitute the offense.
After the amendment process and discussion, the transcript records the item passing with six yeas, two nays and one abstention. The commission recorded the filling of the resolution with James Etheridge’s name and moved forward with the appointment process.
Why this matters: appointing an executive director determines who administers port operations and represents the port to staff and external partners; the exchange also showed lingering concerns among some commissioners about past personnel matters and about formal standards for misconduct.
Next steps: the resolution's insertion of a name advances the selection process; the commission did not record subsequent onboarding steps in the transcript and retained the option to follow civil‑service onboarding and contingent offer processes as appropriate.
