The JEA Board of Directors convened a special meeting to review findings from a months-long investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace culture at the utility.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — JEA board members were briefed on the results of an inquiry launched after CEO Vickie Cavey faced accusations of racism and claims that she fostered a challenging workplace environment. The allegations led the Jacksonville City Council to form a special committee to examine the concerns.
Friday’s meeting began with results from an employee survey conducted by SelectionLink, LLC. Kristy Gavin, with the Office of General Counsel, said the survey was distributed to 167 employees, including two former employees. Of that group, 46 people were identified as having weekly interactions with Cavey.
The survey showed mixed feedback on issues involving trust, fairness and communication. According to the results, 55% of employees said they feel that “employees who disagrees with the CEO are treated fairly,” while 67% said “communication with the CEO is open and two-way.” Other responses found that 14% of employees said they “have observed the CEO speaking negatively about employees behind their backs,” 14% reported they have “observed behavior they would describe as intimidating or hostile,” and 32% confirmed a “fear of negative consequences for speaking up about CEO related concerns.”
Gavin also summarized the investigative report into the workplace allegations. The review was conducted by a Tampa-based attorney and focused on three central questions: whether Cavey created a difficult work environment, whether former chief of staff Kurt Wilson was fired because he raised concerns about her leadership, and whether employees were treated differently based on race.
The investigation found that Cavey has a “direct communication style” and displayed a pattern of “reactive, disruptive, and dismissive behavior” that made some employees hesitant to speak up. However, the report found that the behavior did not negatively affect employees’ work or lead to poor business outcomes.
Investigators were unable to substantiate Wilson’s claim that he was terminated for raising concerns about Cavey’s leadership. The report also found the racism allegations to be unsubstantiated.
Following the findings, board members agreed that leadership coaching would be beneficial for Cavey and the rest of JEA’s executive team.
“We’re going to arrange for counseling or coaching, not only for her but for the entire C-suite. Those reports that came back, there’s several major CEOs in town reviewed them and said a lot of CEOs would love to have that report. But I think you heard from the board and my feelings are as well to have 15 or 20% that are not happy. We’re going to try to improve on that,” MG Orender, Board Chair, explained.
On July 29, Cavey took a leave of absence and Jody Brooks stepped in as interim CEO. Board Chair, MG Orender, confirmed Cavey is dealing with personal health issues.
“In the coming weeks, she’ll let me know what her status is. And like I said, my sincere hope is that she feels better, she gets to the bottom of whatever she’s going through, and then she comes back. That’s my sincere hope,” Orender said.
