Phil Ryan, the departed executive director of the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, will receive a sizable cushion for leaving.
In the wake of being forced out of the position he held for 11 years over an employee demotion and the subsequent office uproar, a source confirmed that Ryan has agreed to a severance package with the MDHA board equal to at least one year of his salary. That amount was $152,880 in 2012.
As first reported by The City Paper [1], Ryan tried to demote MDHA's Director of Urban Development Joe Cain without telling him. That move created controversy in the ranks at MDHA, and after complaints by employees against Ryan were filed, the MDHA board brought in an outside consultant to assess the situation.
The result of that assessment was the recommendation that both Ryan and Cain be let go from the agency. Ryan chose to resign rather than face public disclosure of the complaints levied against him and face termination from his job.
Cain is still employed by MDHA. Ryan’s last day was Feb. 25.
The MDHA board has begun a search for a new executive director.
Links:
[1] http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/phil-ryan-forced-out-mdha-over-employee-demotion