Interim 450th director hired

Interim 450th director hired

Some commissioners 'stunned' about sudden choice

By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 03/11/09


St. Augustine City Manager Bill Harriss this week picked heritage tourist specialist Dana Ste. Claire to serve as interim executive director of the city's 450th birthday celebration effort.

The City Commission didn't vote on this appointment, which was not on Monday night's agenda. But several commissioners did extol Ste. Claire's qualifications as being exactly suited for the job.

Harriss said Ste. Claire will officially be on board about April 1 and is called "interim" until a 450th Anniversary Commission receives federal dollars.

"This is a unique opportunity," Harriss said. "He's the perfect person for us."

Ste. Claire said he's already working on a list of his duties.

"They asked me if I'd be interested in the job," he said. "I was. My experience will lend itself well to it."

Mayor Joe Boles had spoken about the city's need for an official "point person" to organize the anniversary effort, and Ste. Claire said he approached Harriss to discuss it.

Harriss said, "A state and federal commission is being formed. But we felt we needed to get started now."

Celebrations begin in 2012, when the Spanish celebrate the 200th anniversary of their constitution. Those celebrations will affect St. Augustine.

For example, Boles said, they are constructing a wooden ship using the exact specifications of Ponce de Leon's vessel and then they'll sail it to St. Augustine to become part of the celebration of the conquistador's 500th anniversary of landing in Florida in 2013.

Two years later, in 2015, St. Augustine celebrates the 450th anniversary of its founding.

Not everyone knew

Vice Mayor Errol Jones said Harriss approached individual commissioners and discussed the idea of hiring Ste. Claire.

"(The city manager) presented to us his intention to hire this person. Anybody he hires is his call," Jones said.

Ste. Claire's annual salary wasn't announced with his hiring, but two commissioners said they understood it to be just over $83,000.

Jones said Harriss assured him there was money enough in the budget to cover the expense, and Harriss said as much Monday night to the entire commission.

But one commissioner said she wasn't told.

Leanna Freeman said Tuesday that she was "stunned" when the announcement was made at Monday's meeting. She asked at the time, "What are we doing?"

Freeman said she got no answers and no other commissioner asked questions about it.

"I was baffled. It all seemed like a done deal," she said. "The commission doesn't do hiring, but this (position) is not in our budget. I expect commissioners to ask questions about what is happening."

Freeman said Boles was holding a copy of Ste. Claire's resume Monday night.

"Dana Ste. Claire might be the perfect person for this job," Freeman said. "But this needs to come before the commission. I have a problem with the way this was handled."

Harriss said Mayor Boles made the announcement much quicker than he expected.

"I hadn't had a chance to talk to her," Harriss said.

The right guy

Ste. Claire is national director of museum services for Historic Tours of America, which operates the Old Jail and Old Town Trolleys in St. Augustine, plus tourist attractions throughout the U.S.

He plans to resign and accept the city post.

One of his duties, he said, will be to work closely with Mayor Jeanne Zeidler of Williamsburg, hired by the city for $20,000 as a consultant to the county's Master Development Plan and the celebration steering committee.

Essentially Ste. Claire's job is to create a "blueprint" for the event with Zeidler's help.

"Over a three-year period, significant events will happen quarterly," Ste. Claire said. "To make a world-class festival, we have to do much -- find economic partnerships and corporate sponsorships, do strategic planning, work with the Spanish city of Aviles and Seminole Indian nation, make infrastructure improvements, build bathrooms, exhibit pavilions and (many) other things.

"We'll have a new audience and the economic impact here will be in the millions of dollars. Our job is to bring the community together. But we have a lot to do and little time to do it in."


Sidebar

Dana Ste. Claire

* Master of Arts in public archaeology and cultural resources management, University of South Florida.

Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and English, USF.

Post-graduate work in management, museums and archaeology.

* Working for Historic Tours of America, he designs and develops history museums, historic attractions, themed destinations, festive marketplaces, themed retail stores and interpretive programs across the country.

* He is a former museum director, professional archaeologist and college instructor.

* Ste. Claire directed the 10-year restoration and development of Old St. Augustine Village Museum, a city block-sized complex of historic houses.

* He serves as chair of the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council, chair of the city's Historic Architectural Review Board and is a member of the President's Council for Flagler College.


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