After a tumultuous six weeks, Downtown Odessa Executive Director Casey Hallmark has resigned.
Hallmark turned in a two-week notice to Odessa City Manager Agapito Bernal Monday.
Bernal thanked her for her service, but informed the native Odessan her services were no longer needed and Monday would be her last day, not Feb. 10.
Bernal also informed Hallmark he would not be paying her through Feb. 10.
Hallmark was named Downtown Odessa executive director just over one year ago.
The nonprofit organization, which is partially funded by the city and is comprised of three employees, is responsible for such events as the Firecracker Fandango and Parade of Lights, but is also committed to recruiting businesses to the downtown area using facade and infrastructure grants funded by the Odessa Development Corporation.
Earlier this month, Hallmark told her board, which is filled with city council member appointees, Downtown Odessa earned a profit for the first time in six years. Over the last five years, the organization had lost an average of $5,000 annually. This past fiscal year it made $55,000. She attributed the success, in part, to better marketing efforts, more event sponsorships and additional vendors.
The announcement came shortly after Hallmark made headlines in mid-December for accusing Mayor Javier Joven of bullying her and newly elected City councilmember Chris Hanie of screaming at her. During a Jan. 10 city council meeting, Hallmark went into more depth about her allegations, accusing Hanie of using the “F” word during a tirade.
The explicit nature of her disclosure prompted several people to demand she be disinvited from an Ector County Republican Women event where she was scheduled to speak about Downtown Odessa’s success. Hallmark again made deadlines when she filed a complaint against Ector County Republican Chairwoman Tisha Crow for calling her a “disgrace” on Facebook after she dropped the “F” bomb.
Crow was named to the Downtown Odessa board by Hanie, who had joined the board the same night Hallmark launched her allegations against him.
The city hired an outside law firm to investigate Hallmark’s allegations against the mayor and Hanie, but Charles Hurst, the city’s human resource director, said in a Jan. 18 memo Hallmark had no recourse against Crow.
Crow has not responded to requests for comment.
In her resignation letter, Hallmark said she didn’t think the current climate was a “good fit” for her and she’s accepted a position elsewhere.
“I was so proud and excited when I was hired for this position just over a year ago. Little did I know this would be the absolute best experience and at the same time the absolute worst,” Hallmark wrote.
While she’s proud of the work she, Event Coordinator Savannah Woodward and executive assistant Martina Marquez have accomplished, Hallmark wrote “the treatment I have received from our elected officials have made it impossible to continue in this role.”
Woodward turned in her two-week notice Monday, too, but Bernal also informed her Monday would be her last day.
Hallmark had intended to spend the next two weeks creating lists and guides for her replacement and working with her board to ensure a “smooth path forward.”
She wrote they were in the middle of a few “great” projects and several events are coming up.
In addition to the State of Downtown Odessa event Feb. 23 and the Downtown Egg Hunt, discussions are underway for the creation of a downtown entertainment district. The city council issued $7 million in certificates of obligation for downtown improvements in 2019 and in November they voted 4-3 to design and oversee a festival street on either Texas Avenue or Jackson Street.
City offices were closed Monday, but when asked via email for a statement regarding Hallmark’s departure and his decision regarding her last day, Bernal wrote: “Losing or gaining someone in the organization affects the entire team. Collectively, I want the organization to be successful and provide exceptional customer service. Thank you for your concern and stay warm.”
In a recent story about Downtown Odessa’s successful year, board president John Herriage said Hallmark was a great leader.
“Our attendance is higher than ever before. We have more people than ever before. Fandango, we blew it out of the park. I mean, blew it out of the park. It was the largest footprint we’ve ever had, but again, it still wasn’t big enough. We need to expand this year,” Herriage said. “Casey is super organized. I’ve never met someone so organized. I mean, she has got like a color coordinated index for everything so everybody knows their job. They know what to do. She’s busted her ass. She’s done a good job.”
Back on Dec. 13, Hallmark spoke out against the terminations of City Attorney Natasha Brooks and City Manager Michael Marrero. During that meeting she also alleged Joven called her a “crazy liberal” and that he also told her the police department is full of murderers and she needed to watch her back.
She further alleged Hanie screamed at her at the Parade of Lights event about the banner being used for his vehicle. Hanie has repeatedly denied the allegations.
On Jan. 10, when Hanie again asserted his innocence and objected to Hallmark’s allegations being made part of the official record of the meeting, Hallmark stood before the council again.
This time, Hallmark said Hanie told her “I am not a (expletive) councilperson. I am a (expletive) council man and I will be referred to as such,” Hallmark said.
Hanie denied the allegation, citing his Christian faith. He said he merely told Hallmark he prefers to be addressed as councilman.
“I was accused of being a bully, intimidating and screamed at by a young lady and I would like it to be known right here I don’t yell,” Hanie said during last week’s council meeting. “I don’t have anybody to yell at. I don’t have any reason to yell.”
Hallmark had also gotten sideways with Council member Denise Swanner over the Parade of Lights banners. According to emails obtained by the Odessa American under the Texas Public Information Act, Hallmark emailed council members on Nov. 22, telling them Downtown Odessa wanted to give them the “VIP treatment” and showed them what their banners would look like. Swanner responded “Will you have them done as councilman or councilwoman? Council person is proper?”
When Hallmark said they’d researched past banners and discovered they’d always used“council person,” Swanner responded: “My request wasn’t a question? I would like to be referred to as council member or councilwoman.”
Council member Mark Matta, in the same thread, took the opportunity to tell Hallmark he was disappointed she was “friends” with Odessa Whistleblowers “who’s (sic) sole purpose is to try to discredit myself, Council member Denise Swanner and Mayor Javier Joven. While you are free to do as you like on social media, I am also free to respond accordingly.”
Matta said he regretted cancelling his participation in a race in order to attend the parade and support Downtown Odessa. He declined her offer of a banner.
“I have my own banner and will have family members carrying the banner.”
According to a public information coordinator with the City of Odessa, the communications department, legal department and city secretary’s office could not locate any social media policies governing city employees.
