Gerry Logan could hardly contain his emotions when the board of aldermen completed its vote to name him the city’s new Parks and Recreation Department director.
Logan sat, head in hands and on the verge of tears, before exiting the municipal courtroom to collect himself. He got a hug and congratulations from Starkville Police Chief Frank Nichols on the way out.
Aldermen voted 6-1, with Ward 3 Alderman David Little opposed, to name Logan the parks director. Logan has served as the department’s interim director since December when aldermen suspended former director Herman Peters, who was later fired in January and then arrested for allegedly embezzling more than $21,000 in his capacity as parks director. Three other parks department employees were fired for embezzling in the same time period.
Logan’s appointment to the permanent position is effective immediately, and his salary has been set at $66,000. Aldermen chose him from among four finalists they interviewed last week. He was the only finalist who was an internal candidate.
Speaking to The Dispatch after his hire, Logan said he was thrilled with the selection and thankful to aldermen for selecting him. Logan has worked with Starkville Parks since May 2017. Before that, he worked as special event coordinator in College Station, Texas.
“It’s just a dream come true,” Logan said. “I’ve been in this field for almost nine years and wanted to get to the top sooner, rather than later. I’m speechless. It’s hard to describe, but I’m excited.
“We’ve been working for months now, but now it’s time to kick it up a notch and show them that I’m worth it and that they made the right pick,” he added.
Split vote
Logan was not the first candidate aldermen voted on Tuesday evening. Ward 1 Ben Carver initially moved to hire Ed Smith, of Jackson, Tennessee, for the position, at a $70,000 salary. However, that vote failed on a 4-3 vote. Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk joined in supporting Smith, as did Ward 5’s Patrick Miller. Ward 3 Alderman David Little, Ward 4 Alderman Jason Walker, Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins and Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn opposed Smith’s hire.
After that, Carver moved to hire Logan, with the same salary. Sistrunk said she supported Logan but thought the initial salary offer was high for his experience compared to Smith, who has nearly 20 years of experience.
“I’m going to say that I can absolutely be supportive of Mr. Logan as our parks director,” she said. “I think that salary does not necessarily reflect his current experience or where we need that position to be with him as our appointment.”
Little, who joined the meeting by phone, said he agreed with Sistrunk in that he would support Logan, but at a salary range of $62,000 to $65,000.
Aldermen eventually settled on setting Logan’s salary at $66,000.
Little said he supported Logan as director but voted in opposition due to the salary.
“He was my pick,” he told The Dispatch Wednesday. “I still got who I wanted as far as picks go. I just wasn’t going to get my arm twisted as far as salary at the table.”
Sistrunk also hinted that that may change in the future, noting that aldermen still have decisions to make about a potential recreation complex at Cornerstone Park.
“Right now, we are hiring a position that has been vacant since the end of the year,” she said. “If we add additional responsibilities and if there are other things that will be factored into that position, we’ll revisit that position at that point in time.”
‘High ceiling, high expectations’
Carver, who said Starkville’s Parks are at a “fulcrum point” as the city prepares to make a major push for investments in its recreation facilities, praised Logan’s work as an interim. He said he believes Logan will do well and will help however he can.
“There’s great comfort in hiring you tonight, just because we’ve got that opportunity to hire internally,” Carver said. “At this point in your career you’ve earned yourself a golden opportunity, and you deserve it. Take it and run with it. Anything we can do to help you, please keep us in the loop.”
Mayor Lynn Spruill said she felt Logan has shown “enormous initiative” and energy in his work as interim director.
“I think he’s going to do a great job and I’m looking forward to seeing the heights to which he can take us,” she said.
Walker also complimented Logan’s energy as the interim director.
“He inherited a tough position in the parks department as an interim and I think he has done a really good job — good enough that I’m willing to give him a shot as the director,” he said. “Gerry has a high ceiling and high expectations, and I fully believe that he’s gonna work very hard to make our parks the best they can be.”
For now, Logan said, he wants to focus on determining what improvements can be made to Starkville’s parks system.
“We obviously want to improve what we can, and we will,” he said. “We’ve got projects that we’re working on to see the feasibility of. I discussed in my interview process that we’ve got some definite needs — I’d like to see us have some more parks. But you can’t just up and do that. It takes a lot of different things.
“Most importantly, what I’m looking forward to is that we also have the support from above,” Logan continued. “That’s invaluable and means we can do anything.”
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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