Detroit’s Wayne County Airport Authority on Monday voted to terminate the employment Turkia Awada Mullin after she served less than two months as CEO of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW). The vote to remove Mullin was 5-2.
DTW veteran Thomas Naughton will serve as interim CEO.
Mullin came under scrutiny shortly after taking the helm at DTW when it was revealed that she received a $200,000 severance payment from Wayne County upon voluntarily leaving her former position as economic development director. She has also been accused of overstating the amount of economic development she brought to Wayne County in her previous position.
It is unclear whether Mullin will receive the more than $700,000 in pay remaining for her three-year contract that began September 6. According to reports, her contract requires that she be paid the remaining salary if she is fired without cause, putting the onus on the Airport Authority to prove Mullin violated the terms of her contract. The WCAA Board issued a statement Monday afternoon saying members “will not discuss any further matters about her contract,” noting the board’s legal counsel will address issues with Mullin privately.
The WCAA said Naughton will serve as interim CEO until a permanent CEO is appointed. Naughton has been the senior vice president and chief financial officer at DTW since 2002.
