After nine months without an executive director, the Little Rock housing authority must begin a new search because the board's pick for the job turned it down, Chairwoman Leta Anthony said Thursday.
Florida housing administrator Nadine Jarmon declined the job offer from the Metropolitan Housing Alliance earlier this week, Anthony said.
The agency has been without a permanent leader since former director Rodney Forte resigned in November. The board conducted much of its search for a new director in closed meetings.
Jarmon is the executive director of the Deerfield Beach Housing Authority.
Anthony said in a previous interview that Jarmon was the best candidate because of "her experience, her education, her ability."
"She's just decided not [to] at this time," Anthony said in an interview Thursday.
Jarmon did not return a request for comment late Thursday. She was among three finalists whom board members selected in March. Anthony announced during a June meeting that the board was negotiating a contract with Jarmon.
Board members went into a 25-minute private session Thursday to discuss how to move forward with the search and did not announce any decisions afterward. State law allows closed meetings "for the purpose of considering employment, appointment, promotion, demotion, disciplining, or resignation of any public officer or employee."
"People want to think about it and take some time," Anthony said.
The board likely will make a decision on its next steps at its September meeting unless "something comes up," she added.
Forte, who had been with the agency for six years, resigned Nov. 7. He asked to stay until Jan. 31, but board members voted to push him out that day. Forte was paid $133,000 a year.
The board voted the same day to appoint Marshall Nash, director of administrative and legal services, to serve temporarily in Forte's stead but with the title of special adviser to the board.
Nash, who also ran the human-resources department, resigned April 12, after the second round of candidate interviews.
The board later appointed Anthony Snell, deputy director of real estate, to take his place.
Snell is working as interim executive director without a deputy executive director or a human-resources director.
"We know that Anthony's plate has been extremely full," Anthony said. "We've got some gaps."
Board members have said that no internal candidates were considered for the top job in the initial search.
The board chose its three finalists from among 22 applicants during a closed session in March, announcing its decision without taking a vote in public -- as required by law.
Board members interviewed two of the finalists -- Jarmon and Kimberly Adams, a former Little Rock city employee -- in April in private meetings that lasted for hours.
Experts said at the time that the meetings violated the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, which requires the governing bodies of agencies to meet in public with a few exceptions for private sessions.
The board did not interview finalist R.M. Jackson because she took another job before her interview in Little Rock.
Metro on 08/16/2019