Heavily redacted emails suggest Ottawa aide's hire was contested
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OTTAWA COUNTY — Ottawa County's new administrative aide appears not to have received full support from those involved in the hiring process, according to internal emails.
On Aug. 8, Administrator John Gibbs confirmed to the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners he'd hired someone to fill the newly expanded role — but declined to name the individual to avoid "a public spectacle."
More: Gibbs refuses to name executive aide in public. Here's who he is
The Sentinel later reported Gibbs hired 23-year-old Jordan Epperson, a recent graduate of Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He started with the county Aug. 21.
Of the five mandatory criteria the county sought, Epperson has one — a bachelor's degree. However, a second finalist considered for the role had more required qualifications and 20 years more experience, according to emails obtained by The Sentinel through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The emails between Gibbs and Human Resources Director Marcie VerBeek show Gibbs directing VerBeek on June 15 to make an offer to Epperson.
Gibbs has never responded to The Sentinel's requests for comment.
"After much deliberation, I have decided to move forward with the next steps in the process for hiring Jordan Epperson for the senior executive aide position," Gibbs wrote to VerBeek.
The next day, VerBeek asked for an additional meeting with the hiring committee "to discuss options prior to moving forward with the hiring process." Her statements were almost entirely redacted by corporation counsel. Only two sentences were released of the two-page email, along with a chart showing Epperson's qualifications as they compared to the other finalist, Ryan Kimball.
Counsel Jack Jordan told The Sentinel the comments were redacted because "communications and notes within a public body or between public bodies of an advisory nature are exempt to the extent that they cover other than purely factual materials and are preliminary to a final agency determination of policy or action."
The Sentinel intends to appeal.
Former Deputy Administrator Patrick Waterman was copied on the communications. He resigned in late July, citing concerns about Gibbs and the Board of Commissioners' Ottawa Impact majority, a group of far-right fundamentalists disgruntled over school mask mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More: Documents: Executive aide hire falls short of county's mandatory credentials
OI now controls a six-seat majority on the 11-member board — though in-fighting has caused at least one member to sever his relationship with the group and two other conservatives to publicly distance themselves.
In his formal resignation letter to Gibbs, Waterman said his decision "stems from a deep concern regarding what I have viewed to be a lack of effective leadership and an eroding culture of employee trust and support within the county."
He said he believes open communication and effective leadership are "the backbone of any successful organization" and that, when employees are heard, supported and guided, they're more likely to remain motivated and committed. "Sadly, from what I have experienced, this is not currently the culture at Ottawa County."
The new aide position, which expanded a previous executive assistant position, was narrowly approved by the board in March. When seeking approval, Gibbs said after two months on the job, it was "like drinking through a firehose."
He said the ideal candidate would serve as a "body man" — an assistant or valet who follows a political figure around the clock, providing logistical assistance for daily tasks — and likened the position to a chief of staff, which would emulate the federal style of governance.
The upgrade came at a cost of $37,349.08. According to the job description posted in March, the preferred candidate would have:
A master in business administration from an accredited institution, with specific experience in strategic management, innovation, and marketing/branding
A slot on the Dean's List or Honor Roll
An undergraduate major or minor from an accredited institution in an analytical or engineering discipline (strongly preferred)
Experience working internationally at the nonprofit level (strongly preferred)
At least two years of experience serving on a major board
According to his resume, Epperson worked as a part-time aide for Rep. Matt Maddock, one of several lawmakers active in Michigan's "Grand New Party," a far-right offshoot of the Republican Party. Most recently, Epperson worked as a legislative aide for Northern Michigan State Rep. Neil Friske, also a GNP supporter.
Prior to his time with Maddock and Friske, Epperson worked as a political consultant for Victory Strategies LLC, an organization founded by current Maddock legislative aide Benjamin Wetmore. He also has ties to several prominent far-right Michigan Republicans, including former MIGOP co-chair Meshawn Maddock, one of 16 people charged for allegedly acting as a false elector in the 2020 presidential election.
Epperson is also an infantry rifleman in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
Kimball, the other finalist for the role, holds a master's degree, has more years of experience in strategic management, made the Dean's List for both his bachelor's and master's programs, has experience working at the international nonprofit level, has served at least two years on a major board and has experience in management and finance.
Kimball, a 49-year-old Allendale resident, has extensive military experience and is currently a battalion officer for the Michigan Army National Guard, having started as a platoon leader in 2011. Prior to that, he was a special education secondary teacher for Grand Rapids Public Schools.
Several county residents have addressed the board since the reporting of Epperson's hire, voicing concerns with posts on Epperson’s now-deleted Twitter account and arguing his credentials don’t meet the county's own requirements.
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Epperson made his Facebook account private and deleted his Twitter account just days after his hiring was reported, but not before dozens of screenshots of his previous social media posts had been captured, including several controversial comments about women and immigrants, among other topics.
“From what I’ve seen of the social media posts attributed to Mr. Epperson, I believe each of you as county commissioners should be concerned about his fittedness for this position,” Karen Obits said. “At minimum, the content and tone of the posts I’ve seen indicate that Mr. Epperson lacks the maturity and circumspection required for the position.”
— Sarah Leach is executive editor for The Holland Sentinel. Contact her at sarah.leach@hollandsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter @SentinelLeach.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Heavily redacted emails suggest Ottawa aide's hire was contested
