By By MARY-ALLISON LANCASTER – Managing editor
Local EMA Director David Jennings formally announced Monday morning that he will be leaving his post, effective April 21.
Jennings was new to the director position at a time when Escambia County experienced the worst hurricane season in September 2004.
Jennings said it was time for him to move into the private sector.
Jennings said he has taken a job with Milligan's Hurri-Clean, where he will be employed as an outside sales representative servicing existing accounts.
Jennings said he was not &#8220just gonna disappear” but would remain active in the training of the new director and help out during the upcoming hurricane season if needed.
Weather forecasters have predicted this upcoming hurricane season to be one of the worst storm seasons yet.
Jennings' announcement came before commissioners agreed to move the EMA director position from classified services. The position will be now be appointed, and a full job description will be advertised through the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, local employment office and general postings, County Administrator Tony Sanks said.
Based on the job criteria supplied by Sanks, the starting salary for the new director will be set at $30,000 to $40,000 depending upon qualifications.
White said the action of the EMA director, which involves coordinating disaster relief efforts among all the cities within the county, has caused the commission to re-evaluate the position due to the amount of training and responsibility involved, and it deserved to be declassified and made an appointed position.
According to Sanks, the position is currently classified, meaning the job is considered to be a merit type position with grievance appeal rights and is paid from the wage scale for a particular range. As an appointed position, the EMA director would serve at the pleasure of the commission, and the salary is more negotiable.
Before, during and since Hurricane Ivan, Jennings was responsible for coordinating local efforts to prepare for and recover from the storm. Since then, he has coordinated efforts for several more hurricanes that were near-hits for the county.
Resumes can be mailed to Escambia County Commission, Attn: Tony Sanks, P.O. Box 848, Brewton, AL. 36427, or e-mailed to tsanks@co.escambia.al.us. Applications will not be accepted after Friday, April 7.