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Official: Board 'Misled' On Hire

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By MARILYN BROWN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 30, 2007

TAMPA - A $54,000 contract for a wellness consultant approved by Hillsborough County School Board members needs to be rescinded, one board member said Monday.

Another said she would consider it and others want more information on the $750-a-day contract they approved two weeks ago to hire former teacher Cindy Coney to 'provide a wellness program for all students districtwide.'

The district already has at least three broad-based committees addressing wellness issues.

'I'm outraged,' board member April Griffin said Monday. She and five other board members voted for the contract, although she and others questioned it. She said she was unaware that the bid was not advertised. 'It's lying by omission. I want it bid out.'

Griffin said she was so angered by the story in Friday's Tampa Tribune describing the contract that she called Superintendent MaryEllen Elia, who had recommended the contract, then blogged about her anger on her Web site.

'We were misled and this serves to validate my lack of trust of this administration,' Griffin wrote. She called the lack of a bid 'blatant disregard for the policy set by this board in the hiring of an outside consultant.'

District policy requires contracts of $25,000 or more be advertised for bids. Coney offered her consulting services to a former boss of hers, Gwen Luney, the district's assistant superintendent for student services and federal programs.

Luney said she took the request to Elia as an 'expert in field,' saying there was no one else qualified to do the work.

Coney has a master's degree in educational leadership from the University of South Florida. She was executive director of the Mendez Foundation, which helps schools create drug and violence prevention curriculum, and is a motivational speaker.

Just what work will be done remained a question for some board members Monday.

'I want to see what she put together to get this position,' said Jennifer Faliero, who helped put together wellness programs when she worked for St. Joseph's Hospital. 'This better be a really dynamic program. If it doesn't measure up, I will probably bring this back up to the board and rescind her contract.'
Faliero said that prior to the board vote, she had asked whether there was a bid, 'and I didn't get a really clear answer. I don't know why we don't do things more competitively.'

Other board members said Monday that they want more information.

'I don't think the board was aware exactly what her role was,' Doretha Edgecomb said. 'I want to be very specific what she's supposed to do and the expected outcomes. I think there is a need to pull all of our different organizations and groups and committees that focus on wellness together.'

Board Chairman Jack Lamb said he would 'like to get some more detail,' as did Carol Kurdell, who was not at the meeting to vote and said she knew nothing about the contract.

Kurdell said she does know Coney, however.

'The work I've known her to do is exceptional,' Kurdell said. Susan Valdes said she had not read the Tribune article.

Candy Olson, who also knows Coney, said she continues to support the contract because, despite three wellness committees, 'I haven't heard anyone say, 'I'll take responsibility for getting things done.''

She said she didn't know what the rule on requiring bids for contracts is, but asked, 'How would you write a bid for this? I don't want to wait that long.'

Had the board sought bids, at least one Odessa resident said she would have applied.

'My qualifications are way beyond her,' Eileen Cowart said. 'It really ticked me off. The people here are being taxed beyond belief because the schools need money. Why the hell are they paying somebody $750 a day to do something someone else can do?'

Cowart said she has a master of arts in education administration and supervision and a nursing degree. With 20 years' experience in secondary and health-related education and more than 40 years' experience in nursing, she has led child advocate programs in Miami and Houston.

'I'm 71, but I'm in excellent health,' Cowart said. 'If they want me to undertake this, I'll get all cleaned up and come on down there.'

The board meets Nov. 6 at 3 p.m.

Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at (813) 259-8069 or mbrown@tampatrib.com.

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