Jeff Thompson was named the first CEO of Central Alabama Water effective immediately following a vote by the board on Thursday morning.
The vote, which gave Thompson a two-year contract with an annual salary of $446,000, was approved by four members of the board for the hire, two against and one member voting present.
“On behalf of my fellow board members, I welcome Jeff to Central Alabama Water (CAW),” said Tommy Hudson, chairman of the CAW Board and a member of the CEO Search Committee said in a statement. “We’re confident Jeff is the right person for the job and look forward to him hitting the ground running. This marks a milestone in our work to transform Central Alabama Water into a modern and efficient organization focused on its customers.”
“This is an incredible opportunity to work alongside the Central Alabama Water team to serve our customers,” said Thompson. “I’m grateful to the board members for placing their trust in me and look forward to what we will accomplish together. In the coming months, I plan to listen, visit with local stakeholders and customers and craft a plan to help the CAW become a world-class utility.”
The hire didn't come without controversy and questions. One member of the search committee, board vice-chairman Phillip Wiedmeyer, voted "Present" when called upon.
He told 1819 News in a call, "The reason I did that, I felt like we had a process lined out for how we were going to get to a CEO selection, and I didn't feel like we had followed that. And so I was concerned and felt like I needed to vote present." Wiedmeyer praised the firm that the board initially hired to conduct the search, saying, "I think they're a good firm," but declined to elaborate further.
The two members of the board, Jarvis Patton, Sr., representing the City of Birmingham, and Jefferson County Commissioner Sheila Tyson, appointed by the Birmingham City Council, both voted no and spoke out against the process of the pick, peppering the chair with questions. Both were critical of what they described as a lack of transparency in the process.
The meeting lasted twenty-four minutes and was live-streamed on the utility's Facebook page as part of their new efforts to increase transparency.
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