MIDDLEBURY — The Better Middlebury Partnership (BMP) is again in the market for a new marketing coordinator in wake of the resignation of John Purcell, who held the newly created job for less than a month.
“It wasn’t a good fit,” Purcell said of the position, through which he was charged with promoting Middlebury as a shopping destination as well as coordinating some of the BMP’s signature annual events, such as the Chili Fest and Midd Summer Fest.
“My personality and skills were not consistent with the organization and the people in charge,” he added.
Donna Donahue, president of the BMP, noted Purcell continues to work as a tenured professor at Castleton State College, teaching such subjects as marketing, advertising and e-commerce.
“He started looking at his teaching schedule and it wasn’t going to mesh well (with the marketing position),” Donahue said. “We were fortunate he discovered it within three weeks.”
Plans call for the BMP to re-advertise the position and send news of the opening to the more than 60 people who applied for the post this past spring. Donahue said the job description will be tweaked to make the responsibilities clearer to applicants.
It was at town meeting this past March that Middlebury residents agreed to spend $25,000 toward the marketing coordinator, a 60-percent position that is also being financed by $10,000 from the Middlebury Downtown Improvement District Commission; $5,000 through Middlebury College; and $5,000 in in-kind contributions from the BMP.
Donahue said the BMP will move quickly to fill the position. A tentative timetable calls for candidate interviews later this summer in hopes of having the new marketing director on the job by late September or early October.
“I wish them all the best,” Purcell said of the BMP.
Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected].