Former Hailey Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jim Spinelli says that when he resigned in October, he did so in part because he was not included in discussions that would further shape his job duties.
As the chamber board of directors seeks a new director to fill the $42,000 per year position, no one on the board is saying if or how Spinelli might have transgressed in his role as front man for the organization.
Assistant Director Anna Svidgal has taken over Spinelli's duties until a new executive director is hired.
In an interview Friday, Spinelli said he was "flabbergasted" and "sad" about developments during a 48-hour period that led to his resignation in mid-October.
"I was not a cowboy out there. The Hailey Chamber wasn't broken. I think it was the best it had been in the 50 years of its existence," Spinelli said.
"The executive board wanted to implement major changes that included increasing control over the decision-making authority of the executive director."
Others in the community have pointed to "personality differences" between Spinelli and chamber board President Lisa Emerick as the cause for the trouble.
Emerick told the Idaho Mountain Express in October that she and Spinelli had "different visions" for the chamber, but would not elaborate on the matter further. She did not respond to calls this week.
Spinelli said he had been at odds with Emerick over a decision he made to spend $750 to attend a Mountain Home Air Force Base air show last year with Hailey Mayor Rick Davis and a representative of the Sweetwater housing development to promote Hailey as a tourist destination.
"I was written up for that," said Spinelli, who maintains that the decision was within his rights as executive director.
When the board decided in October to write a detailed, six-page job description to define Spinelli's role at the chamber, and not include him in the discussion, he decided to move on.
"That was the last straw," he said.
Krista Gehrke will take over from Lisa Emerick as board president on Jan. 13 at the next chamber board meeting.
Gehrke said the new executive director job description will create "more accountability" between the board and the executive director.
"I appreciate Jim Spinelli for his community efforts, for the partnerships he made. He was one of my mentors," Gerhke said.
The annual budget for the Hailey Chamber of Commerce is about $140,000. Half of the budget comes from membership dues and half from city funds.
There are about 300 Hailey Chamber members. Two hundred are from Hailey. The rest are from Sun Valley, Ketchum, Boise and the Magic Valley.
Tony Evans: tevans@mtexpress.com
Jim Spinelli poses in front of the Hailey Chamber of Commerce headquarters in 2008.
Photo by Mountain Express
