County Executive Chris Abele fired decorated parks director Sue Black today, offering few reasons for a dismissal that caught even high-ranking county officials by surprise.
“The county executive just decided to go in a different direction,” says Abele spokesman Brendan Conway. Black told the Journal Sentinel Abele fired her today during a “regular weekly meeting,” to her complete surprise.
Black’s exit has opened a rift between Abele’s office and longtime County Supervisor Gerry Broderick, chairman of the parks committee. He says he learned of Black’s departure sometime this afternoon from a member of the county executive’s office. “What does she stand accused of?” he says. “Not enough national prizes?”
Black’s dismissal is reverberating like a shock. Abele entrenched at a press conference this afternoon, telling reporters, “I don’t owe you gossip,” according to the JS. “Jobs change,” he said. “Nobody gets an appointment for life.” He told the BizTimes in an interview that the firing “was based on one thing. I can get better service.”
Until now, Abele has appeared as a supporter of Black, at least in public. In May 2011, shortly after his election, he said this upon announcing his decision to retain Black as parks director:
“Sue Black is one of the many fine employees already at home in Milwaukee County … She has demonstrated an ability time and again to creatively do more with less, helping the parks system to win a national gold medal for excellent management.” (Wisconsin Gazette)
Black, winner of several awards for her leadership at the city’s park service, won the 2009 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management. She’s been floated before as a potential candidate for county executive, with Broderick’s support, but has never run.
Abele’s office sent out a statement in June congratulating Black for winning the Norman G. Gill award from the Public Policy Forum think tank. In the same release, Black was quoted as saying, “I am very hopeful and excited to see what County Executive Abele, Chairwoman Dimitrijevic, and I, along with the rest of the community, can accomplish over the next several years.”
Dimitrijevic is out of town at the moment, according to Broderick, but she released a statement taking issue with the timing of Black’s firing; it comes as the board is preparing the 2013 county budget. “The absence of a Parks leader will certainly make it more difficult to respond to constituents who have voiced their support for Parks,” she says.
Otherwise, Dimitrijevic, who has recently clashed with Abele over other issues, seemed to bow out of an escalating fight between a number of supervisors and Abele. “While I am sorry to see Black go,” she says, “I recognize that such a personnel decision is solidly in the purview of County Executive Chris Abele.”
Conway declined to expound on this statement sent out by Abele’s office this afternoon:
Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele is announcing a national search for a new parks director to replace Sue Black. Black is no longer with Milwaukee County.
“Sue has been a strong steward for the Milwaukee County Parks system. Her leadership has helped put us on a solid path as we move forward. I thank her for her years of service and wish her well in her future endeavors,” Abele said. “Residents should know I remain committed to making sure we have the best parks for everyone.”
Early buzz on Twitter has been generally critical of Abele.
(Black photo by Adam Ryan Morris)
