Odessa Development Corp. board meetings are pretty informal.

The chairman, wearing a Southwest Bank golf shirt, starts the meeting a few minutes early. None of the nine officials, two other board members or two audience members (both Odessa American staffers) in attendance at the start of the meeting seems to mind.

Board member Jim Breaux shows up just after Rick Carlton calls the meeting to order, but before the scheduled 2 p.m. start time.

With the friendly banter between attendees and jokes about trying to set a record for getting the meeting done quickly, it may seem a bit odd that there's such interest in a position on the board.

But talk radio and websites have been abuzz since Art Leal, a community organizer and vice president at Citibank in Odessa, had his nomination to the ODC board by Councilman Benjamin Velasquez rejected by a 3-2 vote at the council's June 23 meeting. Leal released a statement last week saying he had asked Velasquez to remove his name from further consideration.

"Media propaganda has painted a picture about me that not only incited hate but also created division within the entire Odessa community," he said in the statement.

Leal said he was referring to comments on the Odessa American's website.

"I think there were a lot of stuff by faceless people who really just go by a screen name," he said. "That really paints a picture of me that's untrue."

Leal said he had "some knowledge" that the website comments could have influenced councilmen to question his activities as a community organizer and the role of Una Voz Unida, a political action committee he organized to increase Hispanic representation in the community. He declined to say which oaoa.com comments could have influenced council members to vote against him citing concerns it could "empower" the posters.

"There's nothing wrong with being a community organizer, but some of the negative things posted on the blogs may have influenced their opinions," Leal said.

Leal said that while Velasquez was planning to continue pursuing his nomination, he was ready to move on.

"It's best for the community of Odessa, for Benjamin and my family," Leal said.

Now Velasquez can opt to not nominate someone new and keep Breaux on the board or appoint someone else - provided he gains a majority of votes from his co-council members. But he's not saying which he'll do. After repeated attempts in person and on the phone to contact him for comment were unsuccessful, Velasquez eventually sent an e-mail stating he declined comment.

Odessa City Manager Richard Morton said the ODC board selection is on the agenda for Tuesday's council meeting, but he didn't know whether Velasquez would actually nominate someone.

LOOKING AT THE PAST

ODC officials say the group has helped to create 2,499 jobs and bring more than $684 million in capital investment to the area by issuing $15,506,375 in incentives since it was formed in 1997. The organization is funded by a quarter-cent sales and use tax.

Neil McDonald, the economic development director for the Odessa Chamber of Commerce at the time of the ODC's creation, said the organization's bylaws were written to seek people with business experience. They call for directors to serve or have served as either chief executive officer or in executive management of a company, or to have served in a professional capacity or to have experience equivalent to those qualifications.

Having members who could analyze prospective company's financial and business plans and financial statements was important, McDonald said.

"In other words, was this viable or not viable?" he said. "Did these companies meet our requirements for diversification and job creation?"

Initial board members included Don Wood, owner of the largest 7-Eleven licensee in the United States, Robert Chavez, a partner at Permian Machinery Movers and then-University of Texas of the Permian Basin President Charles Sorber.

Other past board members include Dick Sivalls, president of Sivalls Inc., and Jo Hooker, owner of Freedom Pontiac Buick GMC.

WHAT'S LOOKED FOR

The need for business and industrial experience on the board hasn't changed, said Gary Vest, the chamber's current economic development director.

"We like to see somebody that's not scared off by multimillion dollar financial statements," he said.

Current board members include furniture store owner Tom McMinn, Austin Keith, who owns liquor stores throughout West Texas, and Rick Carlton, a man with a long history of important banking positions including his current position as executive vice president at Southwest Bank and Bank One's former Odessa-Midland market president.

"The city has historically looked very favorably toward bankers," Vest said.

Over the years, many of those who were appointed have spent a while on the board. Bylaws allow for directors to serve for as many as three consecutive two-year terms. Of the 10 men and one woman who have left the ODC board, four have served the maximum six years.

Two members, Jim Morris in 2000 and Bob Glast in 2008, resigned a year into their first two-year term. Three of the four board members who left after serving only one full term were on the ODC's first board that was appointed in 1997. Only Hooker served two full terms but not a third.

Vest said he doesn't know of any board member who has wanted to continue serving who has been passed over in favor of someone else.

"I don't think we've ever had one interrupted," he said. "But that's the council's prerogative. I have to work with whoever they put on."

But Jim Breaux, who was appointed last year by the late Councilman Michael Sanchez to fill out former board member Bob Glast's two-year term, could be the first. Bylaws allow Breaux, whose term expired May 31, to continue to serve until council appoints him or someone else.

Breaux is a longtime owner of Pemco, a well service manufacturing and repair company.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Leal said he didn't know whom Velasquez, who took office June 9 after no one else filed for a special election to fill Sanchez's vacant seat, would nominate next, but that the councilman has always had a "Plan B" and a "Plan C."

Leal said he didn't know anyone he could recommend who lives in District 5 to fill the position, but also said he thought ODC representatives had to live in the district they were appointed from.

According to OCD bylaws, ODC board members don't have to live in the district of the council member who appoints them. They can serve as long as they are a resident of Odessa or Ector County, and board members don't even have to live within the county if they are approved unanimously by the City Council.

"I'm sure there are qualified candidates, but off the top of my head I don't know anybody to recommend to Benjamin," he said.

Leal said it's important for councilmen to be able to appoint the people they want.

"What's going on on City Council is much bigger than just this appointment," he said. "Allowing Benjamin to appoint someone to an expired term is the heart of what councilmen do."

Not allowing Velasquez to make his appointment could have negative results, Leal said.

"I just think it would create more division in the community," he said. "I, for one, am for a united community. If not allowing District 5 to appoint its own ODC member - I think it would more divide the community."

Leal said he doesn't know when Velasquez will appoint somebody, but said he hadn't spoken to him since dropping from ODC consideration July 3.

"I do know Benjamin is very adamant about appointing someone to the ODC," he said.

STILL MY BREAUX?

Councilman Royce Bodiford, who voted against Leal's appointment, said he did so because he felt Breaux was more qualified than Leal. But he said he'd vote for another nominee if he or she turned out to be more qualified than Breaux.

Bodiford said he's never had any of his nominees to a board voted down by fellow council members. He said it can be challenging to find good people who want to volunteer.

"I think you need to make sure the people you're putting on there are qualified to do the job and willing to do the job," he said.

Vest said the board already has a good representative from District 5.

"I know Art, and I'd be perfectly happy to have Art," he said. "It has nothing to do with Art, they just like Jimmy Breaux."

And Vest said Thursday he's working to help Velasquez get to know Breaux. He's given the councilman Breaux's phone number and said the two planned to talk.

"Jimmy's been such a good board member, all the City Council members think so," Vest said. "We just think that Ben and Jimmy need to get together and get to know each other a little bit."

Vest said he thought the situation would work out.

"Ben's a great guy," he said. "He's a businessman. He understands what we do."

And officials at the meeting weren't treating Breaux like a lame duck. He was appointed part of a two-man committee to review ODC's proposed 2009-2010 budget. Vest also invited him to attend a conference with him in August in Round Rock.

Asked about the commotion over his position after Thursday's meeting, Breaux just shrugged his shoulders.

"I really don't have any comment," he said. "I'm just trying to do my job."

ODC Board members

>> District 1: Robert Williams, three terms December 1997 to May 2004; Edward Williams, one term May 2004 to May 2006; Austin Keith, serving second term May 2006 to May 2010.

>> District 2: Don Wood, one term December 1997 to May 2000; Bob Porter, three terms May 2000 to May 2006; Rick Carlton, serving second term May 2006 to May 2010.

>> District 3: Charles Sorber, one term December 1997 to May 1999; Jim Morris, one term May 1999 to May 2000 (resigned); Dick Sivalls, appointed to finish Morris term then reappointed for three more terms May 2000 to May 2007; Frank Deaderick, serving second term May 2007 to May 2011.

>> District 4: Robert Chavez, one term December 1997 to May 1999; Leldon Hensley, three terms May 1999 to May 2005; Tom McMinn, serving third term May 2005 to May 2011.

>> District 5: Jose Molina, three terms, December 1997 to May 2003; Josefina Hooker, two terms May 2003 to May 2007; Bob Glast, one term May 2007 to April 2008 (resigned); Jim Breaux, continues serving first term after being appointed to finish Glast's term in May 2008.