SUFFOLK
The city’s director of finance announced today that he is resigning after five months on the job, according to a news release.
John Wallingford is returning to his former employer, Prince William County Public Schools. He will be director of financial services.
Wallingford wrote in his letter of resignation to City Manager Selena Cuffee-Glenn that he is returning to Northern Virginia because of the poor housing market, the news release said. His family, including three children, had not yet moved to Suffolk.
“While I have enjoyed the challenge of my new position, my top priority is my family and I look forward to returning to them on a full-time basis,” he wrote, according to the release.
Wallingford is the latest in a number of department heads and high-ranking city officials to leave in the last two years.
Chosen after a national search, Wallingford started as finance director in March. He replaced Christine Ledford, who resigned in December 2006.
“John came at a very challenging time and we are disappointed that his tenure with the city was so short,” Cuffee-Glenn said in a prepared statement provided in the news release. “We hate to lose him, however, as a parent I can certainly understand his desire to reunify his family and I respect that decision.”
City spokeswoman Debbie George said Cuffee-Glenn will not talk with reporters about the departure.
Wallingford’s last day is Sept. 12. Assistant finance director Brian Stump will serve as interim finance director until the position is filled.
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It Could be Worse!
Correcting Sam_D: "It's NOT a good time to be in Portsmouth!"
Well, it could be worse, you could actually live in Suffolk!
Keep Portsmouth out of it...they apparently have plenty of their own political problems to deal with! Just like the rest of Hampton Roads. Portsmouth citizens are getting pretty fed up with the continuous barrage of irrelevant attacks from Pilot readers!
Wha...?
"City spokeswoman Debbie George said Cuffee-Glenn will not talk with reporters about the departure"
Why so sensitive if he's leaving for his own personal reasons? Unless there's something else.
Another one bites the dust...
Well, the revolving door is running at high RPM as Suffolk, as it spits-out good people left and right… The Kool-Aid drinkers that have supported the present regime are starting to look pretty bad as they embarrass the City again and again. The wheels really are coming off the cart as our leaderless Administration and Council loses control of our community... The Finance Director is perhaps the most significant loss to date, and on top of so many others. This position counterbalanced the aggressive Budget Officer that has cost us so much due to her: “REVENUE BASED BUDGETS” with higher taxes and spending.
The situation in City Hall is spiraling out of control as the inexperienced group in charge fails to grasp the nuances of Public Management, at even the basic level... We can only hope that the next one to leave is the head of this group, since she has failed as any kind of leader. We can only expect more to come forward as things unravel further, under the storm just forming... I am unsure if it will be nice stepping into this mess as the next Mayor...
Roger A. Leonard, MPA
Suffolk...
Finance Director vacancy
The City of Suffolk has had a vacancy for the Director of Finance for a few years now, so tell me, who is keeping an eye on the finances, office staff?... who is accountable for the disbursements and spending of the different departments........is anyone auditing anyone????????????
It seems that the issues that they try to blind us with are not the important ones, let us review the spending policies!!!
Revolving Door
It seems that the previous comments have summed it up. How in this time of economic hardship has the city of Suffolk been unable to keep
Director positions filled? Top level, knowledgeable personnel are leaving in droves........is this like the rats leaving a sinking ship?
Housing market?
Sounds like he couldn't sell the PWC house to buy a McMansion in Suffolk. Housing is off in Northern Virginia too. I've seen proof of price cuts of $300,000 on homes (using previous purchase price and current on the market price). That's how banks end up loosing $50 billion a quarter.
The Dilbert "pointy-haired boss" syndrome?
I'm from Virginia Beach, and all I know about the city of Suffolk's personnel exodus is what I read in Pilot online. I can't believe a senior professional would leave because of a "poor housing market". That's just laughable.
Usually, when a disproportionately large group of senior managers bail out, including recently hired or promoted people, it's more indicative of a judgement that they don't feel that their bosses are supporting them. Or...that while their senior bosses are supportive...they are incompetent. Or...that their senior bosses are both non-supportive and incompetent. The Dilbert "pointy-haired boss" syndrome, perhaps?
I'd love to hear responses from people that actually work there, to understand what the true causes are. Beyond the poor housing market, of course.
Puppet master
The puppet masters behind the curtain in Suffolk are having trouble finding people they can control. They have forced off all of the qualified locals so they have to look out of the area for candidates. Once the transplants see how things "work" in Suffolk, they run.
I'm sure this has nothing to
I'm sure this has nothing to do with the fact that Suffolk is run by a bunch of inept, crooked managers.
It could be worse
Quoting mose: "It's NOT a good time to be in Suffolk!"
Well, it could be worse, you could be in Portsmouth!
"Help Wanted"
"Help Wanted" this is the new slogan for the City of Suffolk. Suffolk is turning into a "Revolving Door". There is a obvious lack of qualified persons managing the City. Department of Human Resources should borrow portable electronic signs from VDOT and place them at the main highways leading into Suffolk. The signs should read: "HELP WANTED - NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED."
"It's NOT a good time to be in Suffolk!"