CVB BOARD DISCUSSES DIRECTOR'S RESIGNATION

Controversy over Mary Miller's resignation as director of Cape Girardeau's Convention and Visitors Bureau has given the CVB advisory board "the biggest black eye in the city," a board member said Thursday.

Dennis "Doc" Cain made the statement and said Miller was a "tremendous asset" for the city. He said he had been pleased with her job performance.

Miller submitted her resignation April 20. She had been on sick leave, and her resignation becomes effective today. She said she was resigning "to move onto other horizons."

Board members also announced they are tabling plans to pursue development of an interpretive center on the Mississippi River.

Concerns over high turnover at the CVB during Miller's tenure were cited when her resignation was announced.

Gary Bunting, chairman of the CVB board, said when Miller's resignation was announced that the high turnover rate made it difficult for the CVB to carry out its marketing mission.

Cain indicated pressure from some board members might have come into play in Miller's resignation.

"What it resulted in was the resignation of the director of our CVB that was totally unnecessary, and that was in my opinion, provoked," Cain said.

"I hope that the new director who comes in will be able to deal with this board in a fair and forthcoming manner. Otherwise, there will be a revolving door not only for our employees but for our directors as well," he said.

David Ross, a member of the CVB board and director of the Show Me Center, also spoke in Miller's defense. "I want to know what would have caused Mary to resign," Ross said.

He said it was "highly unfair" to emphasize the turnover at the CVB when it was possible that the 11 employees who left while Miller ran the CVB were unsuited for the agency.

"The numbers are immaterial," Ross said.

Patricia Wischmann, who resigned as CVB group sales director in March, wrote in a letter to the City Council that Miller harassed employees and lost track of grant files and projects.

Ross questioned why city officials put credence in what he called a "rambling and incoherent letter."

Bunting said at Thursday's meeting that the advisory board had earlier agreed that "personnel was not part of our tourism charge."

Walter Denton, administrative assistant to city manager Michael Miller and acting CVB director, said city officials are operating on a "fast track" to find Miller's replacement.

Application deadline is May 15, and city officials hope to have the vacancy filled within 60 days, Denton said.

Several city department heads will serve on a selection committee to choose the new director, he said.

Some board members urged the city not to move too fast.

Dan Drury suggested the city advertise nationally for a new CVB director instead of only in the region and asked that the board be represented on the selection team.

In other action, members of a committee announced plans to pursue establishment of an interpretive center on the Mississippi River have been tabled.

"It was such a large project that we felt we just couldn't handle it right now," said Brenda Colon, a member of the subcommittee.

A similar center is now in the works in Dubuque, Iowa, which has a much more developed riverfront area, committee members indicated.

"Cape just isn't there yet, but we talked about doing smaller things to get people to the downtown area," Colon said. "We felt that was something far bigger than us, and it was something that the city should handle."

"Our committee was interested in it, but we just don't have the means for it," said Shirley Talley, also a member of the committee. "We need to so something small first and be successful at it."