CareerSource Tampa Bay fires CEO Ed Peachey

By Mark Douglas

Published: February 26, 2018, 11:10 am

Updated: February 26, 2018, 5:43 pm

The central question is how much, if anything, taxpayers will have to pay to get rid of him.

At a workshop last week of CareerSource board members from Pinellas and Hillsborough, there was general agreement that Peachey has to go due to the ongoing investigations over CareerSource claims of job placements that the organization had nothing to do with securing. They were also upset by Peachey’s unilateral decision to suddenly end that practice without consulting the boards that oversee him.

Layered on those problems are the anonymous but detailed allegations received by public officials that Peachey was having an affair with his business manager, had given her a number of promotions and lavish raises and that Peachey had hired several of that woman’s relatives.

The CareerSource Tampa Bay Executive Committee held a meeting at 2 p.m. Monday where board members discussed the terms of Peachey’s departure. At least one board member, Sandra Murman, is adamantly opposed to giving Peachey any severance. The board’s lawyer advised last week that it will be risky to deny Peachy severance even if the board fires him “with cause.”

On Friday, Peachey’s attorney Marion Hale sent CareerSource board members a letter objecting to bullying by press and public officials and saying the time to remain silent has ended.

She also offered settlement terms for Peachey’s voluntary resignation. The letter says, “He (Peachey) will accept a payment of severance equal to five months of his pay from each CareerSource board plus $125 an hour for cooperating with all investigations after the expiration of those ten months.He would also be entitled to all the benefits associated with being a CareerSource employee during those 10 months. In return, he would be willing to execute a mutual general release with both CareerSource boards”.