Northport Council, Mayor Remain Divided On DCH Board Appointment

NORTHPORT, AL — The Northport City Council on Thursday narrowly approved the appointment of David Albright, a tenured professor at the University of Alabama, to the DCH Health System Board of Directors following weeks of contentious debate over the position. The decision saw the Council and Mayor Bobby Herndon remain squarely split on what proved to be a divisive appointment process all the way up to its conclusion.

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Albright currently serves as Distinguished Research Professor and the Hill Crest Foundation Endowed Chair in Mental Health Research at The University of Alabama. His appointment came after the Northport City Council rejected three recommended candidates submitted in July by the DCH Board.

The measure passed by a 3-2 vote, with District 2 Councilman Woodrow Washington III and District 4's Jamie Dykes voting against the appointment. Albright will now be Northport's sole representative on the board.

According to records obtained by Patch, the first round of applicants consisted of Northport Auto Supply owner Glenn Crow; Lewis Fitts, who most recently served as board president of the DCH Foundation and Sontonia Stephens, who works as director of compliance and special projects at Community Service Programs of West Alabama (CSP), Inc. This round ultimately did not pass through the Admin Committee on to the full Council.

The second round of candidates did pass committee, but was ultimately rejected by the Northport City Council, and once again named Stephens as a candidate. Additionally, this set of recommendations included Tuscaloosa business owner Lee Henderson and Shane Spiller, owner of Spiller Furniture.

It's important to note that Northport's representative on the board does not have to be a resident of the city — as is the case with Albright — due to it not being a statutory requirement for Civil Service Board appointees.

District 3 Councilman and Council Pro Tem John Hinton chairs the Admin Committee tasked with advising the full Council on board appointments. He told Patch following the meeting that the decision to appoint Albright was based solely on his qualifications and proven leadership skills.

"He has health care experience, a lot with mental health, people on drugs," Hinton said. "He has a lot of that kind of experience, so he is well-versed in this because of his background. There are some doctors on the board, too, so he will give insight into areas to help the hospital board improve services."

District 1's Christy Bobo echoed the sentiments, saying each candidate brought their own set of distinguishing and notable qualifications.

"After thorough review I was of the opinion that Dr. David Albright, given his medical knowledge and other relevant experience, was the most qualified candidate deserving of my vote for the DCH board appointment," she told Patch.

Patch has reached out to Albright for comment, but according to his University of Alabama staff bio, his work focuses on "public policy and administrative leadership aimed at improving the health, well-being, safety, and prosperity of vulnerable populations, rural and underserved communities, and our country’s military Veterans."

The nine-member board governs operations for DCH Health System and is made up of two members appointed by the Tuscaloosa City Council, two by the Tuscaloosa County Commission, one by the Northport City Council, two by the medical staffs of DCH Regional Medical Center and Northport Medical Center and two by the board itself.

Full appointees serve terms of six years, with added importance placed on Northport's appointee — who serves as the sole liaison for the city in decisions made by the board. Albright will take the place of Bob Way.

While Albright's policy and administrative background is a strong selling point on his resume, the appointment does diverge from desired qualifications expressed by the Council in July, when Council President Jeff Hogg said the reasoning behind requesting new candidates was due to none of the three having medical experience.

"None of those names had medical experience and with the current rating that DCH has, wouldn't it be more advantageous for us to require medical experience, rather than the good ole boy system of friends to be appointed?" Hogg said in July. "Personally, if I have a need for health care, I want the confidence that the appointing authorities, such as Northport, is doing right by the board we serve by putting the most qualified medical experience we can on those boards."

Indeed, Albright — at least on paper — was the most qualified candidate in terms of his knowledge of health care policy. A look at his resume shows extensive experience in the field of social work, mental health education, policy and administration. However, he does not posses any medical qualifications, which will likely prove a moot point with respect to his, or any other candidate's, ability to effectively serve in the position.

Community hospital boards, including DCH are typically made up of a range of community stakeholders and professionals from different backgrounds.

Prior to the vote, Herndon doubled down on his past remarks in opposition to the Council rejecting the candidates recommended by the DCH Board, while providing tongue-in-cheek criticism of the process.

In July, Patch reported when Herndon referred to the rejection of the three candidates as an "anti-Northport thing to do" and chastised the decision as one disrespectful to a crucial institution in the community.

"Nothing against Dr. Albright," he said. "I don't know Dr. Albright. They say this [DCH Board] doesn't know Dr. Albright. I don't know how many of you guys personally know him, but I just wish we would stick with the three names of Northport citizens who were recommended and choose one of them."

For Washington, though, his opposition to the decision focused less on Albright's qualifications, and more on promoting diversity on the DCH Board — one of his platform issues when seeking office.

"For me, it's mainly trying to diversify all of our boards and committees a little bit better," he told Patch following the meeting. "I preferred to get a female minority that was qualified on that board and try to get the different boards around the city to do the same."

Herndon then lamented the strain put on the city's relationship with its largest employer, saying it was the result of backroom politics and one unnamed "donor" who exerted influence over the decision. However, he declined to provide specifics.

Hinton, on the other hand, said he had not spoken with DCH Board officials in the days leading up to the vote and immediately following the decision.

After an extensive independent analysis by Tuscaloosa Patch of campaign finance records from the last several election cycles, there were no direct financial connections that could be found — with respect to elections — linking any of the aforementioned board candidates to any Northport elected officials. Albeit, this does not include money donated through the myriad faceless political action committees (PACs) that tend to be the heaviest hitters in terms of bankrolling political campaigns.

"I hate it for the DCH Board," Herndon told Patch. "They were very much upset ... It's going to ruin the relationship between DCH and Northport and our reputation. They vet and interview everybody they submitted on the list."

Following a request for comment, DCH Health System Vice President of Marketing and Communications Andy North told Patch that he spoke with board leadership, saying "They have nothing to share on this issue at this time."

Hogg's response following weeks of debate leading to Thursday's vote included praise for the Council's Admin Committee and support for the appointment.

"After reading Dr. Albright’s resume, it was very clear that the committee had chosen the right person for this appointment and I agreed with their decision," the council president said. "That’s why we have committees. To trust our peers and their research. I would hope that’s how the rest of the council would look at it and remember that, when their committee presents something. Working together in a positive way is how we continue to progress our city in the right direction. I’m very thankful for those that put Northport first and not for a personal agenda.”

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