SSCVA revamps separation agreement approval process

The executive board of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority Thursday was granted authority to negotiate separation agreements for executive positions.

The resolution approved by the SSCVA board gives the executive board the authority to negotiate separation and release agreements with executive employees for up to one month of severance for each year of employment at the SSCVA up to seven years without additional board approval.

Executive employees are limited to the chief operating officer, chief financial officer, chief marketing officer and chief of sports and leisure officer, according to the ordinance.

The resolution does not apply to the position of president and chief executive officer, who is the only executive employee under an individual contract.

Board member John Bushemi asked for a revision to include a requirement the executive board report back to the full board any action taken under the resolution.

“The board in my opinion in all cases, especially regarding important positions, the board should be informed of the outcome,” Bushemi said.

Scott McClure, attorney for the board, said there was no intention to keep the full board unaware of any action taken by the executive board and said the resolution would include language requiring a report of action be made to the full board.

Andy Qunell, board chairman said, the reason for the resolution is they are going through severance packages right now and there is no policy in place.

He said it is hard to negotiate with somebody and then have to come back to the board at the next meeting up to 30 days later for approval of that agreement.

The resolution would give the executive board guardrails in which to negotiate an agreement, make an offer and so long as the offer is accepted, come back to the board and provide it with the information.

The resolution comes approximately two weeks after a posting for the bureau’s chief financial officer was posted on several job sites including Indeed, Glassdoor and ZipRecruiter. The job is also posted on the SSCVA website, but it is unclear when it appeared on the site.

Earlier this month, officials with the SSCVA including Qunell and President and CEO David Uran would not comment on whether Cathy Sventanoff was still employed as the authority’s CFO, citing personnel matters. Sventanoff, at the time, also would not comment whether she was still employed by the bureau or if she was leaving to take a position elsewhere. She declined to comment on whether she retained an attorney.

Sventanoff gathered information for a public records request made by the Post-Tribune through SSCVA attorney Scott McClure. The records were provided April 19.Uran last week said the change in executive leadership was unrelated to the public records request.

Sventanoff was tapped in 2015 to replace former CFO Janis Flutka and served as CFO until July 2021 when she was named interim president and CEO after the SSCVA board removed the agency’s former leader, Speros Batistatos, from the post.

Sventanoff served as president and CEO until May 2022, when former Crown Point Mayor David Uran was hired as the permanent president and CEO after a nationwide search that drew 146 candidates.

She has been with the tourism bureau in executive capacity for about seven years.

Sventanoff, when reached Thursday, declined to comment on the matter.