More than 70 top aides to former District Mayor Anthony Williams were paid tens of thousands of dollars on average to leave government service after the new administration accepted their resignations.
The total severance pay package for executive staff, a benefit of D.C. law, was limited to $1.6 million, in part because Mayor Adrian Fenty hired dozens of Williams’ aides, analysts and assistants for his Cabinet. In all, 73 employees received separation checks on or about Jan. 2, with 12 people receiving more than $30,000, nine between $25,000 and $29,999 and 16 between $20,000 and $24,999, according to numbers provided by the Office of the Chief Financial Officer.
Under the D.C. Code, excepted and executive service staff — those who serve at the pleasure of the mayor — earn up to 12 weeks salary when they are involuntarily separated from their jobs and notoffered a new employment opportunity.
The largest check was a negotiated $87,500 severance for former Metropolitan Police Department Chief Charles Ramsey. Ramsey will also receive a $60,000 annual pension under a deal proffered by Williams and approved late last year by the D.C. Council.
Second to Ramsey was former Fire Chief Adrian Thompson, who collected $38,769 on his way out. Williams’ Chief of Staff Alfreda Davis followed close behind with $37,594. Chief Technology Officer Suzanne Peck earned $35,382.
At least one of the severance checks will have to be repaid in part. Fire department spokesman Alan Etter, who was let go Jan. 2 but rehired as of Monday, said he will have to return a prorated amount.
In November, Williams said the separation pay checks would “be within historical standards of jurisdictions like ours.” “Nobody,” he said, “is getting a golden parachute or something.”
The severance packages were not even across the board. For example, while Personnel Director Lisa Marin and Employment Services Director Gregory Irish each received their 12 weeks, $31,885 and $31,890 respectively, Office of Property Management Director Carol Mitten and Office of Human Rights Director Kenneth Saunders were paid for only nine weeks.
Other $30,000 severance recipients
» General Counsel Leonard Becker
» Planning Director Ellen McCarthy
» Unified Communications Chief E. Michael Latessa
» Employment Services Director Gregory Irish
» Development Director Stephen Green
» Personnel Director Lisa Marin
» Communications Director Vincent Morris
» MPD Corporate Director Eric Coard
List of severance recipients
Tracee Brown $ 14,262 Desi Deschaine $ 12,479 Deborah M. Evans $ 11,412 Mary Ann Floto $ 16,638 Ronnie Friday $ 16,638 Shawki Haffar Jr. $ 17,308 Patricia Gaskins-Henry $ 17,522 Clyde Horton $ 12,692 Nadia S. Pillay $ 5,769 Henry Stewart $ 20,769 Dorinda White $ 7,382 Guohua G. Chen $ 25,024 Aretha Harvey $ 3,107 Sharon Gang $ 21,627 Terri Godwin $ 16,865 Larry C. Mangum $ 19,015 Vincent S. Morris $ 30,368 Debra Lyneer Truhart $ 5,546 Sharon D. Anderson $ 27,683 Jon Fernandez $ 21,936 Drew E. Hubbard $ 5,546 Kent Reichert $ 14,262 Marlene Jefferson $ 23,769 Tara Jones $ 16,302 Peter Jones $ 14,262 Carlson B. Kapthor $ 9,508 Dionne T. Reeder $ 14,262 Jose Sueiro $ 19,650 Angela D. Joyner $ 7,131 Marsha A. Martin $ 15,401 Albert G. Roth $ 21,691 Kadesha Washington $ 21,392 Fonda Richardson $ 24,938 Charles O. Onwuche $ 23,077 Alan E. Etter $ 19,650 Kathryn B. Friedman $ 16,044 Deborah A. West $ 16,638 Eric W. Coard $ 33,221 Gerald Wilson $ 17,049 Farouk Hosein $ 29,590 Thomas J. Calhoun (Acting) $ 14,654 Cheryl Edwards $ 24,538 Robert L. Johnson $ 14,612 Marsha Martin $ 15,401 Stephen M. Oliver $ 16,638 Johnel Bracey $ 7,131 Gina Lagomarsino $ 26,067 Cyril L. Crocker $ 22,823 Carlynn Fuller $ 7,751 Stephen M. Green $ 31,757 Michael V. Hodge $ 29,308 John McGaw $ 24,619 Leopold C. Clarke $ 21,034 Dante Scott $ 8,319 Geraldine Washington $ 8,654 Berry, Elizabeth $ 16,827 Brown, James $ 23,041 Flowers, Kimberley $ 18,040 Irish, Gregory $ 31,890 Latessa, Michael $ 30,550 Marin, Lisa $ 31,885 Mc Carthy, Ellen $ 31,011 Mitten, Carol $ 24,665 Pace, E.Veronica $ 29,351 Peck, Suzanne $ 35,382 Pourciau, Michelle $ 29,538 Saunders, Kenneth $ 21,981 Thompson, Adrian $ 38,769 Witt, Anne $ 27,406 Reiskin, Edward $ 23,558 Davis, Alfreda $ 37,594 Ramsey, Charles $ 87,500 Becker, Leonard $ 30,407 [email protected]
