JEA board backs CEO amid claims of toxic workplace

Despite more than a week of allegations of a toxic corporate culture, JEA’s board of directors gave the utility’s CEO a 6-1 vote of confidence Tuesday during a tense meeting.

The board also scolded one of its own — Vice Chair Rick Morales III — for withholding for six weeks what he characterized as concerns from Cavey’s senior leadership team about her leadership style.

Morales confirmed during the meeting that he asked Cavey privately last week to resign shortly before the position of JEA’s chief of staff, Kurt Wilson, was eliminated and he was forced to leave the organization.

This concerned several board members who felt as though Morales was trying to act unilaterally. Directors of the public electric and water utility also declined Tuesday to take up Morales’ request to commission an outside review of employee morale.

“These unsubstantiated allegations have the potential to subject JEA employees — doing God’s work 24/7 — to unwarranted disruption and drama, as well as JEA writ large,” JEA Board Chair Joe DiSalvo said. “So, if none of the allegations that have surfaced in the last seven days have surfaced in (human resources) channels, ethics hotline, committee meetings or dialogue with City Council or administration, or any external processes, you have to ask is this an legitimate issue or not. I do not see this as anything close to a legitimate issue.”

Cavey says politics at play 

Tuesday’s meeting completed a crescendo of events that began earlier this month with City Council President Kevin Carrico informing JEA board member and retired CSX executive Arthur Adams that he would not be renominated to the board.

Instead, Carrico’s pick for the seat — his boss at the Boys & Girls Club, CEO Paul Martinez — was made to repay a “big favor.” 

Martinz has since withdrawn his name for the nomination. But that dustup was followed by Carrico initially levying the workplace allegations against Cavey. 

Within hours, Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan weighed in to defend Cavey in a City Hall news conference on Friday. 

She said the move against the JEA chief executive is a politically motivated “smear campaign” in retribution for JEA’s decision not to renew a federal lobbying contract with Ballard Partners Inc. Former Mayor Lenny Curry is a partner in Ballard’s Jacksonville office, and his former chief of staff, Jordan Elsbury, manages the branch. 

Cavey again defended her leadership style Tuesday as “rigorous” and “fair” and added that she holds her senior leadership team to a high standard.

“The so-far unsubstantiated accusations of systemic morale or culture problems seem false,” Cavey said. “And were they to be true, they would not suddenly appear overnight in a political news cycle. In fact, they would have surfaced long before now.” 

According to Morales, over the past six weeks he met individually with employees who report to Cavey in an effort to get to know the executives as preparation for the possibility that he will be the next board chair. He cited Florida Sunshine law as to why he did not speak to other board members about the complaints. 

“The feedback I’ve received was both consistent and deeply concerning,” Morales said. “Multiple senior leaders independently described a toxic work environment by micromanagement, declining morale and some individuals considering resignation.” 

Morales said he didn’t speak to the news media or go public with the employee complaints because he didn’t want to hurt Cavey.

Adams argued that there had been a full board meeting and committee meeting over that time frame where the concerns could have been raised. Board Secretary MG Orender said he received one complaint in December but instructed the individual to take it through the proper human resources channel.

DiSalvo said that because there had been no allegations brought against Cavey publicly in the last two years, he “doesn’t buy into any of the hearsay.”

It’s still unclear the link, if any, between the board appointment, the alleged pressure campaign to keep Ballard’s federal contract and the alleged complaints against Cavey.

“We ultimately made the decision based on what is best for JEA and our employees and, most importantly, our customers,” Cavey said. “There were some who disagreed with that decision, and some who tried to change it. But, ultimately, we stuck to what was right and did not bow to pressure or political considerations. We will do the same here.”

Morales says his request to ask Cavey to resign has nothing to do with board position or the lobbying agreement.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office told Jacksonville Today on Tuesday that she stands by her previous comments on Cavey’s leadership.  

Wilson speaks

Wilson spoke publicly about his allegations for the first time Tuesday, addressing board members during the public comments portion of the meeting.

He claims Cavey dissolved his position the day after he took his complaints up the chain of command. 

Wilson says Cavey has competing management styles depending on the audience. Wilson says her leadership with the board and JEA employees in the field has been positive. But the former chief of staff claims it’s not the same with the corporate leadership team.

“Vickie’s style with those at (the corporate headquarters) has been anything but positive,” Wilson said. “Dozens of my remaining colleagues work in fear of retribution and hostility. And after what every one of JEA’s employees have been through, I could not remain silent while another CEO’s toxic behavior destroys the utility and the careers of so many hardworking employees.” 

Wilson believes employees would not trust an internal investigation by JEA’s human resources officer.

JEA Chief Human Resources Officer Diane Moser told news reporters Tuesday that no employee or board member has contacted her regarding Cavey’s performance. 

She said there were comments made that were untrue, but she declined to elaborate.

Support for Cavey

In addition to Deegan, several JEA employees came to Cavey’s defense Tuesday, saying she brought stability after the turmoil from the failed attempt to sell JEA in 2019-2020, as well as the sudden departure of former CEO Jay Stowe in 2024.

Chris Richardson, JEA construction and maintenance manager, said he’s seen Cavey show up during natural disaster events to make sure employees have what they need.

“Vickie steadied this boat. She made it comfortable to work. She’s very involved. She shows up when she doesn’t have to,” he said.

The Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach also wrote an open letter supporting Cavey and voicing concern about the allegations.

Council members threaten investigation 

DiSalvo refused to allow City Council’s JEA liaison, Ron Salem, time to speak while board members discussed whether to call for the outside review of the utility’s employee morale. Salem criticized that decision during Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

After the meeting, the council member told news reporters that he sees a “potential serious issue here that the board doesn’t want to act upon.” He says he’s not heard directly from JEA employees on the allegations raised by Carrico, Wilson and Morales, but has heard second hand.

“My experience in government is that employees are afraid to come forward. One employee came forward in this endeavor, and he was terminated. So what does that tell you? What employee would come forward now after what happened to Kurt Wilson?”

Moser said that civil service employees at JEA would be protected from political retribution and could be fired only for cause. 

In 2019 and 2020, the City Council stepped in to investigate and ultimately end an attempt to sell JEA to a private company. The investigation resulted in a federal conspiracy conviction and jail time for former JEA CEO Aaron Zahn and termination of several JEA executives.

It also resulted in a new board of directors. The final report of the investigation also found that the Curry administration engaged in a multiyear effort to sell JEA that lacked transparency, although the report did not allege any criminal wrongdoing by the mayor or his staff.

Curry called into WJCT News 89.9’s First Coast Connect on Monday and said Deegan is lying about any pressure applied by Ballard.

Had Salem been recognized to speak, he said he intended to tell the board that an external review into Cavey’s performance as a supervisor could keep City Council on the sidelines, but now there is a chance for an investigation. 

That decision will be up to Carrico. 

The council president told Jacksonville Today in a written statement that it’s ultimately the responsibility of the JEA board but that city lawmakers would step in with oversight authority if he feels it’s necessary to retain confidence in the public utility. 

“I’m deeply troubled by the board’s decision to reject an independent review of the CEO’s reformation, especially in light of the serious concerns raised by employees, the former chief of staff, and the incoming board chair,” Carrico wrote. “When credible allegations of toxic workplace culture and discrimination are brought forward, the responsible action is transparency — not resistance.”