As activists divide, hiring process transparency becomes critical

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David Hucks
David Huckshttps://myrtlebeachsc.com
David Hucks is a 12th generation descendant of the area we now call Myrtle Beach, S.C. David attended Coastal Carolina University and like most of his family, has never left the area. David is the lead journalist at MyrtleBeachSC.com

On Wednesday at 1 p.m. Horry County Council will interview five candidates for the position of Horry County Administrator. It is the top executive job in the county.

The Horry County Administrator will make over $200,000.00 annually, manage one of the largest budgets in the state, and manage among the largest employee staff in Horry County.

However, local blogger Audrey Hudson stated the following on Sunday, June 23rd, “The rules announced by Horry County Chairman Johnny Gardner resemble a kangaroo court to embarrass some on council, shame particular job candidates, and pack the audience with Gardner supporters to cheer him on.

Residents we spoke with today, including HCGOP Ed Carey, informed MyrtleBeachSC that the councilmen are not hiring a field reporter for the local daily newspaper. He believes transparency is a must.

Any candidates who are not up to the tough questions that will be asked should not have applied.

As two other local activists have also squared off over this upcoming Wednesday event, the need for transparency only increases for having the event fully open to the public as planned.

County Administrator is the top level position in the county and one of the top positions in the state. Horry County Council has certainly screened each candidate. Councilmen are surely aware of the personality profile of each candidate which is a common practice in such high-level hires. MyrtleBeachSC news briefly discussed this issue here: https://myrtlebeachsc.com/leadership-vs-management-why-it-matters-in-admin-hire/ two days ago.

WELL KNOWN LOCALS

MyrtleBeachSC news has investigated the personality profile make up of leading candidates. Please note, emotional health and character are not included in personality profiles and must also be factored in, to get a full accounting of the total person applying for this position.

The field is made up of two well known City of Myrtle Beach locals.

Alan Clemmons has a long and public record representing the State of SC from the City of Myrtle Beach. Clemmons has historic ties to former Myrtle Beach County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus. He is a big proponent of I-73. Clemmons is also the author of legislation that birthed the City of Myrtle Beach TDF. This tourist tax brings in over $24 million annually to the City of Myrtle Beach. Eighty percent of those funds are sent to the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce to promote the area.

Clemmons recently applied for the City of Myrtle Beach Attorney job. He was one of several candidates applying for that job. He was not selected by Myrtle Beach City Council to fill that spot.

Clemmons’ Myers Briggs personality profile resembles closely to those of Bill Clinton, Elizabeth Taylor, and Elvis Pressly. He performs well on stage and is accustomed to public speaking. He has no prior history of leading a large staff of employees.

Wayne Gray is another well-known local. Gray’s personality type is a perfect fit for the job. He boarders on ENTJ and ESTJ. The best job fit for this personality type is:  Business Manager
For an in-charge ESTJ, combining a love of business with the discipline of management is a no-brainer. The business manager is in charge of the organization’s day-to-day operations. In this role, an ESTJ will manage employees, supervise work, and ensure all company policies are met, all work an ESTJ will find rewarding.

Gray’s ties to the coastal insiders will likely be questioned during the interview process. He also championed the TDF and does have close ties to key members of the tourism lobby.

Gray is an excellent strategist and polished speaker with an excellent mind. If he hopes to win the Admin job, however, he will likely need to persuade some Horry County Councilmen that he intends to work for the entire county at large, and not just a select, few along the coast.

Steve Gosnell is the current Horry County Interim Chairman. At first, Gosnell made it clear he did not want the job of County Administrator. Only after some coaxing from several County Councilmen did Gosnell choose to apply.

Gosnell is by nature a HIGH P (processor). This makes for a poor job fit for the top executive position. Gosnell’s high p, however, makes him an outstanding Assistant County Administrator. This is the position Gosnell held until his recent interim promotion.

Councilmen Al Allen informed MyrtleBeachSC news, that upon learning former County Assistant Joe Huffman was being pursued by the city of Pascagoula, Mississippi for mismanagement in the job Huffman previously held there, Gosnell wanted to help fight to save Huffman’s job. Allen stated, “Gosnel informed me that he told Joe, I [Gosnel] would help him fight to save his job if he asked me to.

Huffman was later terminated by County Council. Allen was involved in suggesting that such a termination was best for the county.

High P personalities, coupled with high sensory and high feeling traits can find issues relating to human resource challenging. Managing people efficiently can become an arduous task for this type.

Why this is of contention at this point in Horry County history has much to do with Horry County Attorney Arrigo Carroti.

Carroti was the attorney who created what the MBREDC director called a fictitious report concerning Chairman Johnny Gardner. Issues around this report are the very reason former Administrator Eldridge was forced to resign.

Many believe Carotti should be fired as well. Concerns are that Gosnell will be unable to make hard calls like this one. He is likely to be asked about his ability to make hard personnel calls when needed.

If hired, it is critical Gosnell work well with Horry County Chairman Johnny Gardner. The Chairman – Administrator relationship is key in the day to day operations of running a successful county. Chemistry and trust are a must in this key relationship.

Jon Caime is a Laurens County Administrator who has a Driver Detail personality type. He is the prototypical perfect fit candidate for the job. Caime also has a reputation for high integrity.

He comes with high praise from Laurens County State Representative Stewart Jones. Said Jones, “I served on Laurens County Council for years when Jon first took office. He is a game changer and willing to make the tough calls needed. We fought together to continue a budget review process which showed how the county had wasted monies for years. I highly recommend Jon for the job as Horry County Administrator.

Jones went on to say that Caime put an end to historic good ole boy, back door deals in the county. “He really shook things up in a positive wayHis character is above reproach.

Try as we may, MyrtleBeachSC news knows nothing about York County Manager William Shanahan. We look forward to hearing what he has to say Wednesday.

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