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Byrd Institute Board Approves Plan To Affiliate With USF

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By ADAM EMERSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 21, 2008

Updated: 06/21/2008 12:16 am

TAMPA - The struggle over the independence of the Byrd Alzheimer's center eased Friday when the institute's board agreed to affiliate with the University of South Florida.

Directors of the Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center & Research Institute approved a plan to form a separate board of three Byrd and four USF representatives to take over the center's operations.

The plan also would install USF health sciences Vice President Stephen Klasko as the center's chief executive. Klasko would replace the current CEO, Huntington Potter.

The proposal, which is set to be finalized in August, was brought to the center's board of directors Friday by former House Speaker Johnnie B. Byrd Jr., who last spring fought against a legislative attempt to place control of the institute with USF.

How is this different? Byrd said the Legislature considered a proposal that would dissolve the Byrd Institute and put its money in USF's hands. The new agreement keeps the center intact as a nonprofit corporation.

"I don't want to be the tail that tries to wag the dog anymore," Byrd said. "I think we have to acknowledge that we're at USF. If we enter into an affiliation, we will be moving forward together."

Byrd agreed to the terms with Rhea Law, the chairwoman of USF's Board of Trustees. He said he contacted Law about a month ago to work on a plan, not long after the legislative session ended without any state money for the center.

The institute's board in February rejected USF's bid to take control and its leaders gave up a year of state funds to preserve the center's independence.

Since then, however, Byrd said that business consultants warned him that ill will with the university would only hurt the center as it sought private support.

"That, to me, was a showstopper," Byrd told the institute's board Friday.

Different Boards, Different Roles

Under the plan, the institute's current board would take on an advisory and advocacy role. The center's management will fall to Klasko, who has led USF's health sciences division - its medical, nursing and public health schools - since 2004.

"Our goal would be to take this forward and maintain the mission of the Byrd Institute, which is to focus on Alzheimer's research," Klasko told the center's board.

Byrd and Klasko agreed that USF's management would end up saving the institute money by consolidating some services, such as fundraising, lobbying and financial management.

Klasko won't say who he plans to keep at the institute, and he won't say whether Potter will have a role under his management.

"It would not be fair to say either way," Klasko said in an interview. "I'm not going to have the opportunity to make too many wrong decisions. I'll look closely at what's working and what's not working."

Potter told board members that such a wholesale change in management and governance of the institute would be a mistake.

"It will be very surprising to the scientific community if the head of the Byrd Institute is not chosen by an international search for an Alzheimer's expert," Potter said. "It should not be anybody but an Alzheimer's expert."

Klasko is an obstetrician, but holds a master's in business administration. Byrd has long praised Potter's work as a researcher - he's a Harvard-trained scientist - but criticized his efforts as a business manager. He unsuccessfully tried ousting Potter from the leadership post in late 2006.

'Too Much, Too Fast'

The new plan for the Alzheimer's center didn't pass easily. Some board members felt blindsided by the proposal, and wanted Potter to stay on as a research director.

"It's just too much, too fast," said Ruth Tappen, who voted against the plan.

Potter angrily noted some board members knew of the plan before the meeting started, at one point accusing Byrd and USF President Judy Genshaft of drafting the proposal behind the scenes.

Genshaft, who sits on the Alzheimer's center board, denied this. Byrd negotiated only with Rhea Law, Genshaft said, and Klasko was at Friday's meeting at Law's invitation.

Both sides will spend the next couple of months choosing representatives to the new board and wrapping up details to the agreement.

They also will have to figure out how to proceed with a hole in its operating budget.

The Alzheimer's center's board had expected to consider on Friday a business plan for the new fiscal year without any state support. Board members shelved that plan, however, after they approved the affiliation with USF.

They did pass a $7.6 million spending plan drawn mostly from reserves. The budget includes money for new scientists. Potter has made offers to four.

With new management, however, Potter says he will consult with Klasko before hiring them.

Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285 or aemerson@tampatrib.com.

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