Top tennis center managers let go

By JOHN MUNFORD
jmunford@TheCitizenNews.com

The Peachtree City Tennis Center is without a director, as former interim director Sean Ferreira was let go Dec. 7 along with Mary Dillon, who was the center’s general manager and director of operations, said Linda McCarthy, executive director of the Peachtree City Tourism Association.

Dillon’s job was eliminated by the association in a reorganization of the tennis center, and she, like Ferreira, was originally passed over for the job of tennis center director, McCarthy said.

Because the association’s first choice for the position withdrew himself after initially accepting the job, that leaves the tennis center without a director. It also means Dillon and Ferreira, along with all other applicants for tennis center director, will be considered by the association, possibly at its first meeting in January, McCarthy said.

When the field of candidates was narrowed down, five were selected as potential hires, including two internal candidates, McCarthy said.

“We want to hire the most qualified person,” McCarthy said.

Ferreira didn’t apply for the head pro job, a position which he previously held in conjunction with the interim tennis center director job, or any other position on staff, McCarthy said. So when he wasn’t chosen as the association’s first choice for the full-fledged tennis center direction position, he was out of a job, McCarthy said.

In addition to applying for tennis center director, Dillon also applied for two other positions: member services coordinator and customer service lead, McCarthy said. But those two positions were filled before a decision was made on the tennis center director hire, and once Dillon was originally passed over for that position, she too was out of a job at the tennis center, McCarthy pointed out.

Some employees applied for multiple positions, and most were re-hired with the exception of Ferreira and Dillon, McCarthy said.

When they were notified they were passed over for the position last week, Ferreira and Dillon were given severance pay and full benefits until the end of the year, McCarthy said.

The duties of the tennis center director are being handled by McCarthy and head pro Ben Maes, McCarthy said.

Ferreira and Dillon aren’t the only departures from the association: part-time pro Beth Choate-Wortmann quit last week after Ferreira was notified he didn’t get the director position and amphitheater office manager Peggy Schnitzer has also resigned to take another job, McCarthy said.

Schnitzer said she chose to take another job opportunity but that decision had nothing to do with her being dissatisfied on the job.

The decision to pass over Ferreira for the director’s position was criticized by several tennis center members at Wednesday night’s meeting of the tourism association. Mike Fitzpatrick, whose son is a member of the performance program at the tennis center, urged the association to reconsider hiring Ferreira as the permanent director, “if that’s a viable opportunity.”

Fitzpatrick owns the Ford dealership in Newnan, said if Ferreira can’t be hired, current tennis pro Rick Davison would also be an excellent choice.

Sharon Greiner of the Souther Crescent Tennis Association, said she was concerned about the center’s ability to host tournaments being harmed by the absence of Ferreira. Association member Murray Weed said the board would be glad to meet with any SCTA staffers who have questions about the tennis center.

The tennis center also will be losing its restaurant, the privately-operated Ashland Grille, McCarthy said Thursday morning. Owner Gina Smith gave notice Wednesday that the restaurant will be shut down after 30 days, as allowed by the contract, due to financial and family illness reasons.

“I can no longer operate said business with hopes of profit to myself or the Peachtree City Tourism Association, or with peace of mind due to a serious illness of a family member,” Smith wrote.

Under the contract, the association received a monthly rental payment equal to 14 percent of the after-tax revenues for Ashland Grille, McCarthy said. McCarthy added that she wants to study the possibilities for otherwise using the space, but she isn’t optimistic that can be completed before the association’s next meeting.


		Friday, Dec. 17, 2004