Ed Elkins, a former Bradley County commissioner, addresses the Bradley County Commission in his new role as the president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Bradley County.CLEVELAND, Tenn. - The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Bradley County has been challenged by the recent death of a new board member and the shelter operations manager taking leave of absence.
Shelter office manager Kristin Harvey now is serving as acting manager, while plans are in the works to select an interim manager, board president Ed Elkins said in a recent email.
The interim manager will be announced at board's Monday meeting "if the full board approves our recommendation," Elkins said.
On Sept. 15, officials announced that Jordan Williams, the shelter manager, had taken personal leave for an uncertain period.
Williams -- who replaced fired former director Bobbi Anderson -- is "wanting his privacy for the time being," Elkins said.
Before he was named manager of operations, Williams was the shelter's kennel manager. He is the third full-time top shelter officer at the facility since it opened on March 17.
A number of board members said the death last week of businessman and new board secretary Perk Evans is a deep personal and professional loss.
"He was a good friend and good friend to the taxpayers of Bradley County," said County Commissioner Dan Rawls, who recently joined the SPCA board along with Evans, Elkins and school board member Chris Turner.
The SPCA board was essentially rebuilt for a second time since its inception a year ago, with the new members serving as a much-needed "backbone," Rawls said.
At least seven members have resigned from the board, including Bradley County Commissioner Charlotte Peak, who quit immediately after Anderson was fired last month.
Internal problems turned very public this summer after allegations of conflicts between factions of shelter volunteers and members of Cleveland For a No-Kill City, an animal rescue network.
Evans' death and Williams' absence come as the reconstituted board is working to comprehensively overhaul operations at the shelter.
But County Commissioner Mark Hall, a county representative on the board, said the attempt to reset the operations is just camouflaging the real problem.
Hall recently called for the dissolution of the county's $80,000 annual agreement with the SPCA, which provides animal sheltering and emergency animal pickup services for Bradley County.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Contact him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.