Post by yihunt on Jul 16, 2009 8:29:42 GMT -4
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commissioners finally got their man — or more specifically, got rid of their man.
Eighteen months after unsuccessfully trying to fire Doug Austen as executive director of the agency, commissioners demoted him during their quarterly meeting Tuesday in Harrisburg.
Austen's new job — which didn't exist before this week and doesn't even have a name — limits his responsibilities "exclusively to pursuing and securing federal conservation program initiatives that are essential and important to the already established goals and objectives that comprise the mission of the Fish and Boat Commission," according to a prepared statement released by the agency.
That means he'll represent the commission on issues such as climate change, the National Fish Habitat Initiative and federal legislation, said commissioner Len Lichvar of Somerset County, who was designated to speak for the board.
Austen will retain the title of executive director. But a new person, as yet unidentified, will take over as an "interim point of contact who will be the overseer or face of the agency," Lichvar said.
Lichvar labeled the change in Austen's status a "reassignment, and that's all it is — a reassignment."
Austen was at the commission's headquarters this week but did not attend any public meetings with commissioners. He also declined to comment on his reassignment.
He was hired as the agency's ninth executive director by a 5-4 vote on Dec. 8, 2003.
Commissioners began to clash with him over agency priorities and voted unanimously to fire him in January 2008 before backing down under pressure from Gov. Ed Rendell's administration.
Commissioners spent parts of Monday and yesterday at the Capital debating the issue with Rendell's representatives.
No one from the governor's office was available to comment by press time on the meetings.
Lichvar would not divulge what was said either. He did add, though, that commissioners — who have the sole authority to hire and fire a director — "felt those were discussions we needed to have."
And in the end, after hours of executive sessions spread over two days, commissioners agreed to remove Austen as head of the agency.
"He will now deal exclusively with federal programs," said commission president Tom Shetterly of Charleroi.
Eighteen months after unsuccessfully trying to fire Doug Austen as executive director of the agency, commissioners demoted him during their quarterly meeting Tuesday in Harrisburg.
Austen's new job — which didn't exist before this week and doesn't even have a name — limits his responsibilities "exclusively to pursuing and securing federal conservation program initiatives that are essential and important to the already established goals and objectives that comprise the mission of the Fish and Boat Commission," according to a prepared statement released by the agency.
That means he'll represent the commission on issues such as climate change, the National Fish Habitat Initiative and federal legislation, said commissioner Len Lichvar of Somerset County, who was designated to speak for the board.
Austen will retain the title of executive director. But a new person, as yet unidentified, will take over as an "interim point of contact who will be the overseer or face of the agency," Lichvar said.
Lichvar labeled the change in Austen's status a "reassignment, and that's all it is — a reassignment."
Austen was at the commission's headquarters this week but did not attend any public meetings with commissioners. He also declined to comment on his reassignment.
He was hired as the agency's ninth executive director by a 5-4 vote on Dec. 8, 2003.
Commissioners began to clash with him over agency priorities and voted unanimously to fire him in January 2008 before backing down under pressure from Gov. Ed Rendell's administration.
Commissioners spent parts of Monday and yesterday at the Capital debating the issue with Rendell's representatives.
No one from the governor's office was available to comment by press time on the meetings.
Lichvar would not divulge what was said either. He did add, though, that commissioners — who have the sole authority to hire and fire a director — "felt those were discussions we needed to have."
And in the end, after hours of executive sessions spread over two days, commissioners agreed to remove Austen as head of the agency.
"He will now deal exclusively with federal programs," said commission president Tom Shetterly of Charleroi.