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Tampa Sports Agency May Fire Boss

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE

cwade@tampatrib.com

Published: March 13, 2009

TAMPA - When a former employee filed a lawsuit against the Tampa Sports Authority in 2008, executive director Henry Saavedra waited months before telling the authority's board.

The lawsuit eventually was settled, but it cost the authority more than $110,000 to defend.

Vin Marchetti, chairman of the TSA board's executive committee, said Saavedra's failure to inform the board of directors about that litigation and other serious issues has shaken his confidence in the longtime director. He wants to fire him.

On Monday, the TSA's 11-member board is expected to vote on Marchetti's motion, approved Thursday by the board's executive committee, to terminate Saavedra's contract.

"In essence, I have lost faith in Henry's ability to lead this organization in the future," Marchetti said. "It deeply troubles me that Saavedra has apparently taken the position that the TSA should be run as a private entity and not the public body that it is."

Saavedra's three-year contract expires next year and includes a provision that allows the full board to fire him without cause. Marchetti gave Saavedra the option of resigning to keep his six-month severance package and gave him until noon Monday to decide.

Saavedra said he would consider the offer but denied any wrongdoing.

"We're not doing anything differently than we've done here in the last 30 years," he said.

Marchetti cites several examples of how Saavedra has fallen short of his duties, including failing to inform the board about pending litigation and investment losses.

Still, Saavedra has supporters on the board, including former Tampa Councilman Bob Buckhorn, who called the move by the executive committee a "back alley mugging."

"It's a continuation of petty politics, and it's totally wrong," he said. "The sports authority is a very well-run organization, and there's absolutely no need for a change of leadership."

Saavedra came under fire from committee members in October for failing to disclose that a former board member had done consulting work for the authority's law firm.

The allegations involved Sue House, who did consulting work for GrayRobinson while serving on the authority board from 1995 to 2007, including a stint as chairwoman.

Saavedra and House denied any conflict of interest, but the authority's general counsel, John Van Voris of GrayRobinson, stepped down shortly after the allegations surfaced.

Saavedra, director since 1997, is paid $205,000 a year. The TSA manages Raymond James Stadium and three city golf courses. It is funded by tax revenue from the county and Tampa, and from proceeds from Raymond James Stadium.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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