Recruiting help

The board of the Odessa Development Corp. voted Thursday to hire a University of Texas of the Permian Basin management professor to conduct a workforce recruitment study.

Leslie Toombs will be paid $6,825 as a consultant to develop a written report analyzing current workforce development activities. The plan is expected to lead to the appointment of a workforce committee to determine which activities yield the best results in finding workers.

"What I hope Dr. Toombs will do is give us direction as to where we need to direct the recruiting efforts," said Rick Carlton, ODC board president.

Toombs will contract with UTPB's Roden Center for Entrepreneurship to bring a graduate student in to assist her.

Carlton said he looks forward to seeing what Toombs determines.

"I've got some ideas for what I'd like to do, but she's a whole lot smarter than I am," he said.

The hiring of Toombs will have to be approved by the Odessa City Council at its Oct. 28 meeting.

A proposal from the Odessa Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to hire an industrial workforce development coordinator was tabled. Business owner Raymond Chavez said it was understandable to hold off on hiring a coordinator until a committee could be appointed to review its proposal.

"I look forward to us showing our case to the committee," Chavez said.

In other action, the board approved:

>> The appointment of Stewart McKeehan to the budget committee.

>> Reports from economic agencies and board projects and committees.