On the ASTD Smoky Mountain Chapter website. Sharon Cawood serves as the Communications Chair and her contact information is listed as
ScanStoreDirector of Business Development
500 West Summit Hill Dr., Knoxville, TN 37902
PO Box 548, Knoxville, TN 37901-0548
Phone: 865.385.9987
Fax: 865.673.9296
sharon@scanstore.com
Contact Sharon Cawood or 865.385.9987 to be added to our email list and receive messages about our meetings.
UPDATE: December 13, 2006 5:15 pm; This afternoon, I attended Sheriff Hutchison’s annual Christmas lunch. As I walked into the Small Assembly Room, out came none other than Sharon Cawood. Mrs. Cawood was wearing a Knox County employee id badge. This would confirm what the Brian’s Blog sources informed us of the past several days and was reported here yesterday. Commissioner Cawood already has a card that allows him to park in the taxpayer built garage for his benefit, now the Cawood family have two parking spaces while you can not park in the garage at all.
If you will recall. Commissioner Cawood took a similar job with the General Sessions Clerk office several years ago. But, when it became public knowledge he resigned. It was rumored today, that Mrs. Cawood is tucked away in the old Knox County Courthouse and will be moved out to the Juvenile Court building on Division Street after some time passes, probably the first of the year and after next weeks County Commission vote to be held on Monday December 18, 2006.
A matter of public record and need to know information is. 1) What title or position does Mrs. Cawood have/will have? 2) What salary has she been given and/or promised? 3) What pressure did Commissioner Cawood and Mrs. Cawood put on the clerk for this position? 4) When was the position advertised/posted? 5) What other clerk employees and applicants were considered for this position? 6) Will Commissioner Cawood continue to expose himself to potentially unethical votes on Monday December 18, 2006 at 2:00 pm, by casting a second vote for his wife’s position? 7) Will the citizens of District Six begin a recall petition drive because of the Cawood’s potentially unethical behavior?
Watch the Commission meeting at 2:00 pm on December 18, 2006 on CTV (Community Television of Knoxville) Comcast/Charter cable channel 12 to see if Commissioner Cawood acknowledges his conflict of interest and recuses himself from the vote on item 17.
Original Post December 12, 2006 5:15 pm; Late last week, I began receiving numerous phone calls that Sharon Cawood, wife of County Commissioner Mark Cawood has received a taxpayer funded job. Early in 2006, she was making the rounds, soliciting a job, any job. Then the term limits issue came up and she and Commissioner Cawood were campaigning against one another. Sharon, here and Mark, here.
Cawood, a Democrat was successful in his bid for re-election and now according to numerous sources within the legal community, it appears that she is working in the General Sessions Civil and Juvenile Court Clerk’s office.
Interestingly enough during the County Commission’s Intergovernmental and Finance Committee meetings yesterday an item appeared on the agenda. It is.
17.) Consideration of a Resolution of the Commission of Knox County, Tennessee appropriating funds for one full-time and one part-time position for the Juvenile Court Clerk, Child Support Division. (Juvenile Court Clerk) Resolution 06-12-901
A review of the vote in Finance Committee yesterday, reveal that it passed 8-0-2 with Commissioners Schmid and Ballard absent. Thus, all commissioners present voting Yes. Commissioner Cawood was present and recorded as a Yes.
A legal source (an unnamed Attorney) has revealed to Brian’s Blog that Mrs. Cawood was in the office this morning (December 12, 2006) learning the ropes of her new job.
Now, it could be said that the two positions are technically not one that Mrs. Cawood will assume. Questions to ponder. When was the position advertised/posted? When did she apply? Who were the other applicants? When was she deemed the most qualified of all applicants? When did she begin her employment?
Sidebar: Commissioner and Mrs. Cawood are fairly new bloggers. Check out their blogs. Here and Here.
When Commissioner Larry Clark recently was hired by the Sheriff’s department for a part-time position. He and the Sheriff were up front and publicly disclosed it before Commissioner Clark began his job duties.
Commissioner Cawood not disclosing his wife’s new position and not recusing himself from yesterday’s vote raises questions of unethical behavior on Cawood’s part.
Do not expect to see coverage of this by the tabloid reporter or editor in anything called County Confidential, as they are friends and supporters of Cawood. Cawood appeared on a one hour talk radio show today and never disclosed this new life change (gainful employment for Sharon) for he and his wife.
It is not really newsworthy for any reputable news sources in town. Thus, it will remain a Brian’s Blog exclusive.
