The timing is suspect, but since I went to Iroquois High School with Jane Driskell, I’m going to believe the content of the Mayor’s statement below about why the city’s chief financial officer is retiring from her job at the ripe old age of 48 while the city’s largest financial crisis in history is in progress.
In fact, I saw Jane at the Light Up Louisville the other night. She’s a great person, well-liked by everyone, who was calm and informative even when the Metro Council hit her with unkind and accusatory questions in several appearances in the chamber. She even showed up at the Iroquois reunion last summer. Now she wins the pot in the “first person from the Class of 1978 to retire” contest.
Driskell would stand to lose thousands of dollars in retirement benefits if she were to stay on, the same quirk in the public employment system that has motivated several judges to retire early. On the positive side, it’s one job and six-figure salary the Mayor doesn’t have to worry about cutting. And Jane told the Mayor she’d stick around and help out in the transition to a new CFO.
After the Jump, Read the Mayor’s Statement on Driskell’s retirement…
Our Chief Financial Officer, Jane Driskell, told me several weeks ago that she planned to retire effective Nov. 30 because of the change in the state retirement program that will effectively penalize many of those eligible to retire who don’t leave before Dec. 31.
Jane is a talented, dedicated public servant who has spent two-and-half decades working in state and local government.
She has made it clear that she’s not leaving town and not taking another job immediately. She will be available to offer advice and help as we work through this difficult economic time.
One of the biggest contributions that she’s made over the last six years is to develop a top-notch team of finance professionals who have made our government more efficient and businesslike. And they will continue to do their jobs well.
I’ve selected Kevin Moore, one of the Finance Department’s leaders, as Interim Chief Financial Officer. He will work closely with Budget Director Daniel Frockt and the entire Finance team.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Lunchbox: Jane goes bye-bye - FatLip // Dec 2, 2008 at 11:54 am
[…] city facing its worst economic crisis in nearly three decades, you have to question the timing of Jane Driskell’s retirement. The city’s chief financial officer says her decision was based on changes in the state […]
2 Steve Magruder (I, not D or R) // Dec 2, 2008 at 12:00 pm
This isn’t to question the timing of her departure, but it sure is interesting that the city’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report is likely to be released this month, and it may be a doozy!
3 voteoutthemetro // Dec 3, 2008 at 6:14 am
Interesting that someone leaves their office after the biggest financial crisis hits the city in decades. Its pretty obvious that this so called Possibility City needs a major shakeup in its political and economic structure. Its no wonder why a lot of people and myself included are looking for other pastures to partake of. The shame is that this could be a rather decent city but the citizens have left the same incompetent goons running things for years.
Which is why Louisville will always be a second tier city behind Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Charlotte, St. Louis, etc. Its a shame too because this place does have potential but leaving cronies and hicks running things isnt the way forward
4 KRS // Feb 13, 2009 at 4:05 pm
SHE RETIRED TO MARRY HER LONG-TIME LOVE OF NEARLY A DECADE, DERRICK SISTRUNK (WHO SHE MET WHEN HE WAS SECURITY FOR MAYOR ARMSTRONG.) HE NOW WORKS SECURITY AT KROGER.
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