DeLand, FL – A long-time tourism veteran of Florida’s Gulf Coast is making the move to the Atlantic side.
Debbie Meihls was named the Executive Director of the Southeast Volusia Advertising Authority during Thursday’s Volusia County Council meeting, a move that aims to bring order and stability to a group that’s seen anything but in the last few years.
The SVAA is 1 of 3 county-run organizations using bed tax dollars specifically to promote Volusia County as a tourist destination. The SVAA focuses primarily on New Smyrna Beach while the others focus on the Daytona Beach area (Halifax Area AA) and West Volusia (West Volusia Tourism AA).
VCC members voted Meihls in unanimously after the SVAA board tabbed her to replace Renee Tallevast, who has filled in while also serving in the same role for the WVTAA.
“I promised you months ago that the madness would stop and that we’re going to get it right this time,” Tallevast added. “I am 100% confident that we have.”
Meihls – who comes to the SVAA with over 20 years of experience in the field, including the last 5 years as the Executive Manager & Film Commissioner for the Bradenton Area Convention & Visitors Bureau – said to the VCC that she planned to be here for a long time but admitted that she also plans to be very cautious and work closely with the SVAA Board of Directors based on the past scandals.
“I’ve read the news,” Meihls added. “I know what’s happened here.”
One of Meihls’ predecessors – Nicole Carni – agreed to 3 years’ probation and 50 hours of community service last February for stealing nearly $50,000 from the SVAA.
As part of a no contest plea to a felony organized scheme to defraud charge, Carni must pay back over $5,000 to Volusia County as well as cover standard court costs and other prosecution and investigation costs.
Carni was fired in January 2012 and arrested over 2 and a half years later following an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
County officials say there were issues in the accounting process which allowed Carni to use county money to pay for things like a Sony PlayStation game console and clothing while funneling SVAA money to herself and other family members.
Prosecutors say Carni also over-billed the county for work performed and used SVAA money to have construction work done at her home.
Tim Hamby took over permanently for Carni in October 2012 but then resigned around 6 months later for what he said was “a number of personal and professional factors”, throwing the organization back into another search for a leader.
That search turned up Carl Watson, who stayed at the position until he and SVAA Board Chairman Tom Clapsaddle abruptly resigned together at the end of a board meeting last June, prompting the VCC to hire an outside accounting firm to do an exit audit.
Clapsaddle’s appointment as board chair came after the VCC removed former chairman Palmer Wilson from the SVAA board 2 times during a 2-month stretch in the summer and fall of 2013.
Wilson’s ouster the first time came that August after the VCC had issues with a marketing agreement he made with the Headline Surfer news website without consulting the SVAA board. He was reinstated to the board by the VCC 2 weeks later but then removed again in October soon after he was re-elected as chairman by the board.
Debbie Meihls (photo courtesy LinkedIn)
Copyright 2015 Southern Stone Communications.