ASHLAND – Ashland County Commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to fire the county’s Job and Family Services director, Jim Williams.
“The board felt that it was time to part ways with Mr. Williams,” Mike Welch, president of the board of commissioners, read from a statement. “There was a concern that his management style was not appropriate and his relationships with the entities he needed to work with were not where they needed to be.”
Ashland Source reached out to Williams through the commissioners for comments but did not receive a response.
Welch elaborated by saying Williams’ relationships with city police, the county prosecutor and the juvenile court judge were problematic.
“There was an issue, and it just does not seem to be going away,” he said.
Williams was placed on paid leave Nov. 28, 2017. Welch said an internal investigation was conducted in Williams’ absence, and the decision to terminate him was made following an executive session at the end of Thursday’s regular meeting.
Williams was not at the meeting as he was on vacation, according to Welch.
“Our biggest concern was the relationships he had with the law enforcement agencies, the prosecutor and the judge,” said commissioner Denny Bittle. “One of the reasons we hired him was to improve those relationships.”
Wiliams was hired in July 2016 after former JFS director Cassandra Holtzmann was fired.
“Everybody was comfortable with Jim. We thought we had the right person, but we didn’t,” Bittle said. “We’re going to continue to move personnel, to change personnel, to get it right. We’re not going to wait four or five years.
“I think one thing Jim struggled with was he came from the Dayton area and they do things differently than the way we do things in a small town.”
Bittle said there were disagreements between Williams and other city and county officials about whether to remove children from their families’ homes.
The commissioners are beginning their search for the next JFS director immediately and will except resumes through Jan. 12.
Sarah Stika, a staff attorney and human resources professional in the JFS department, will serve as interim director.
Commissioners plan to involve community stakeholders, including heads of the agencies the director will be working with on the job, in the hiring process.
Both Welch and Bittle said they will be looking for someone with strong managerial skills who can work well with other people and heal damaged relationships.
