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Editor's Note: This story was reported and written by contributing writer Dale Smith
Photo by Dale Smith.
Deposed Daytona State College President Kent Sharples gives the thumbs up Thursday after a separation-retirement agreement is announced by board Chairman John Tanner, shown here at left.
DAYTONA BEACH -- Two major events in an otherwise stellar career as president of Daytona State College, proved to be the undoing Thursday of Kent Sharples.
The college's board of trustees approved the forced retirement of the president at Thursday's board meeting after serving in that capacity for the past 11 years. The board has been at odds with Sharples since he approved funding for more than $1.25 million to the Community Cultural Foundation for the Labor Day music festival that saw major musical celebrities perform at different venues in Daytona Beach.
However, that amount is still owed to the college with another $350,000 owed to numerous vendors. A failed student housing project brought scrutiny to Sharples' involvement, or in the opinion of past chairwoman Forough Hosseini, the lack of involvement. She had questioned the contractor selection process and whether that contractor had met all financial requirements.
The housing controversy caught the attention of the state Department of Education and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
As for the American Music Festival, the board of trustees hired an accounting firm to review the college's financial involvement with the American Music Festival.
John Tanner, chairman of the board of trustees, promised that the vendors would be top priority when it came to paying bills.
"That's my position on that," Tanner said.
The chairman said that it was his belief that most of the pledges that haven't been collected yet "are solid and will come in."
Tanner ranked another $176,000 in uncollected money as "probable to good." He said that officials in both Volusia County and Daytona Beach told him they were going to try "to limit the impact of the costs" to Daytona State College as much as possible.
Since the trustees voted at their last meeting to not affiliate itself any longer with the Community Cultural Foundation, they gave a vote of confidence to them and voted to continue to have CCF be in charge of collecting money and paying the invoices to the vendors.
"They (CCF) certainly know what vendor did what," Hosseini said. "We don't." The board of trustees hired Stephen Kahn, an attorney from Tallahassee, to summarize the issues brought forward by the trustees and to investigate Sharples' actions. Kahn, who was asked not to attend Thursday's meeting by Tanner, said in his 14-page report that his preliminary opinion did not constitute a finding of probable cause and "certainly does not constitute a finding of guilt or innocence."
Tanner asked his colleagues to agree to have Kahn cease his investigation into the issues.
They did so on an 8-1 vote, with trustee Mary Ann Haas dissenting. Tanner did not address any of the points in Kahn's report. Instead of revisiting each allegation and the opinion of the attorney, Tanner offered what he called "a loving admonition" to the trustees.
"I just want this board to realize you are always being scrutinized," he said. "In this case it seems the concerns are about the inadvertent lack of attention to details that caused mistrust."
Kahn wrote that in his opinion the actions of the president and his administration for whose actions he is ultimately responsible for relating to the dorm and music projects, "raise questions that are legally sufficient to warrant the board progressing to the next step -- determining whether or not probable cause, as defined, exists."
Thursday's announcement that Sharples had agreed to step down brought both cheers and jeers from faculty and the student body in attendance. Some cheered at the news that Sharples was leaving while supporters seemed stunned at the announcement.
An impromptu rendition of "For He's A Jolly Good Fellow" filled the theater's auditorium by his friends and family, to which the outgoing president gave two thumbs up. Sharples' retirement is effective immediately with his last day in the office Friday.
His going-away package includes $1.2 million in salary and accrued benefits that amount to another $550,000. His contract was to have run through 2014. He was making $290,700 a year, plus housing and car allowances.
"No one has led a college any better than Dr. Sharples," Tanner said. "I will miss him very much."
Other trustees echoed those sentiments.
William Davison said the college will always be indebted to him for all he has done for the school and the community. "You've done the best job as a college president I've ever seen," he said.
Hosseini said that Sharples' hard work and integrity was never in doubt. But when it came to fiduciary responsibility, she said she had to take a stand.
"I take that very seriously," she said.
Sharples acknowledged there had been "some flashpoints recently" that he had to deal with and recognized dissension between him and the college community was too divisive.
"The best thing I can do is to leave and allow the college to move forward," Sharples said. "I'm doing this because it is in the best interest of everyone."
Sharples, who became emotional at times as he finished speaking to his supporters and board members, said, "It's time for me to leave and to pass the baton on to the next generation."
The trustees approved naming Frank Lombardo, a long-time faculty member, as the college's new interim president. Tanner said he would remain in that position until the board decides to seek a new president.
About the contributing writer:
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Dale Smith is a resident of New Smyrna Beach, who has reported on local news in Volusia County since October 2009. His writing background includes a mix of journalism and public relations in several community newspapers and a p.r. firm in northern Virginia. He attended Barton Academy in Barton, Vt., and the Cambridge (Mass.) School of Broadcasting for radio & TV broadcasting.