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Performance review: IVGID GM Pinkerton ‘meets requirements’

Josh Staab
jstaab@sierrasun.com
Steve Pinkerton

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Visit http://bit.ly/1LVrqkC to view the full agenda item for Pinkerton’s performance evaluation, including all the grades and comments from each trustee.

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Steve Pinkerton has met the necessary performance requirements during his first 16 months on the job as Incline Village General Improvement District’s general manager, according to his board of trustees.

That decision was reached by trustee vote during the board’s Aug. 26 meeting, although a certain amount of waffling occurred prior to addressing Pinkerton’s public performance evaluation.

Moments before Dee Carey, IVGID’s director of human resources, was scheduled to present evaluation results documented by each trustee, then-board vice chair Tim Callicrate asked for a postponement.



“In light of a comment that was made earlier – and I have really taken this to heart – I would like to move to table this, so I can go back to my particular evaluation of Mr. Pinkerton,” Callicrate said. “There are some things that I would like to change.”

Callicrate explained a desire to reconvene with fellow trustees to better address the evaluation questions and give them the second look he believed Pinkerton deserved.



“I’ll be the first to admit that I was probably a little too rash,” said Callicrate, motioning for the agenda item to the next scheduled meeting.

While the motion was seconded by then-board chair Jim Smith (who resigned the next day as a trustee), the remaining trustees voted it down, based on the time that had already been provided to prepare evaluations and include their thoughts.

“I actually take offense to (the motion), because I worked really hard to work within the confines of the deadlines that we were given to do the general manager’s review,” said Kendra Wong, who was voted to become the board’s chairwoman later that night. “I had an opportunity to sit down with (Pinkerton) to talk about my comments with him and we had a great discussion.”

Wong added she felt trustees had ample time to complete their review of Pinkerton’s performance, and that “now it is time for us to give him that review.”

GRADING THE GM

Callicrate, along with Smith, provided lengthy notes substantiating their belief that Pinkerton’s performance “needs improvement,” according to the ratings each gave in their review.

The review — which, according to Nevada law, must be done in a public setting — was broken into eight separate categories, which incorporated a number of criteria from people skills to advocacy operational management, planning, leadership and a summary evaluation.

In it, Pinkerton received resoundingly negative performance evaluations from Smith and Callicrate.

Alternatively, Wong provided Pinkerton with a rating of “meets requirements,” noting Pinkerton’s timeliness in communications.

While Wong’s comments overall tended to be positive and/or constructive, she believes Mr. Pinkerton could improve his ability to address both board and community members to correct “misinformation,” and his ability to segue into more of a leadership role during board meetings.

“I would like to see Mr. Pinkerton hold people, including Trustees, accountable for their decision,” Wong wrote in her review. “On the other hand, Mr. Pinkerton needs to stand up and support himself and staff.”

As for trustees Jim Hammerel and Bill Devine, both said he “meets requirements” on seven of the eight criteria, while saying he “exceeds requirements” on the facet of “Representation, Advocacy & Citizen Participation.”

In Pinkerton’s self evaluation, he gave himself a rating of “meets requirements” on all eight items.

MOVING FORWARD

With the performance evaluation in his rear-view mirror, Pinkerton — who took over as IVGID GM on April 28, 2014, replacing the retired Bill Horn — referred to the annual review process as healthy and that the evaluation formalizes what he already believed to be true.

“The board basically voted that I met the requirements, so that is a good thing,” he said this week. “My goal is just to continue to work with the board and get them all the information that is necessary.”

While his performance review would later be overshadowed by an unexpected reshuffling of the board — resulting in Wong’s ascension to chair, Callicrate’s demotion to secretary and Smith’s resignation — Pinkerton said he believes the evaluation can function as a learning experience, and the board restructuring shouldn’t necessarily change the way he hopes to continue working with trustees.

“Every chair has a different style, so you anticipate those changes and figure those out over time,” he said. “My goal is always to look at the areas toughest to work on and take a reasoned, delivered approach to not only do the things well you already do well, but to work on those areas I don’t always do well and that’s not always a quick fix.”

Pinkerton will meet with the reorganized board during the Thursday, Sept. 3, trustee retreat, scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at The Chateau.


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