Residents urge Shelby County to hire Daughters of Zion for ethics and executive training, warning of legal risk

Multiple members of the public urged the Shelby County Commission on Monday to contract with a group called Daughters of Zion for ethics and executive training, arguing the investment would reduce legal exposure and improve county accountability.

"Every dollar spent on training will yield many more dollars saved in future legal costs," Santeria Johnson told commissioners, saying Daughters of Zion has trained "over 1,200 businesses" and can help prevent administrative errors that lead to lawsuits. Monique Wade said a lack of response from a county official — Dr. Veronica Brown — over a contract question "would be deemed negligence" and "opens the county up for potential lawsuits." Dr. Gerald Kiner said he had emailed Dr. Brown five times without reply and described the silence as "ghosting." These statements were offered as public comment and were not substantiated during the meeting.

The commenters framed the ask as both a fiscal and cultural measure: Diamond Johnson said the training would "build a culture of accountability and professionalism" that reduces costly legal settlements, while other speakers warned that inadequate internal communication and oversight can magnify legal risk. None of the speakers presented a formal contract or timeline; their remarks were appeals for the commission to consider the training program and to press county staff for responsiveness.

The commission did not take formal action on procurement during the meeting. The public comments occurred at the top of the agenda and were recorded for the official meeting record. The speakers who addressed the commission were Monique Wade, Santeria Johnson, Diamond Johnson and Dr. Gerald Kiner.