FHREDI Continues Search For Director

SEBRING - The search for an executive director for Florida's Heartland Rural Economic Development Initiative will contine Monday, June 2 when the selection committee meets in Sebring.

Six candidates for the position are scheduled to be interviewed, according to Roger Hood, who is a member of the committee.

The FHREDI board of directors' regular meeting will be held Monday, June 16 at the Agri-Civic Center in Sebring. A recommendation will likely be made from the committee to the board at that time.

Following the retirement of Lynn Topel earlier this year, the board advertised the position. The committee chose three candidates to be interviewed and offered the position to the top two, but both declined. Salary might have been an issue with those two individuals, according to Hood, who is also a member of the board.

The position was re-advertised and several applications were received.

Cheryl Sharp has been serving as the interim executive director for about three months. However, Sharp is leaving the position and will become the business operations director at Heartland Workforce. Her last day at FHREDI will be June 4.

Sharp said will be working with businesses and training in her new job and that suits her a little better. She added there is a lot of traveling involved with the executive director's job.

The FHREDI region covers Highlands, Hardee, Hendry, Okeechobee, Glades and DeSoto counties as well as communities in Palm Beach and Collier counties.

Sharp said she will be able to help the person who is eventually hired to replace Topel.

She won't have to go far. Heartland Workforce and FHREDI are located in the same building in Sebring.