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After just weeks at the helm of Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW), Turkia Awada Mullin is facing heavy criticism. A severance payout controversy from her previous job and questions over whether she inflated her resume to get the airport post are threatening to derail Mullin’s plans for moving forward at the airport.
The key controversy centers around a $200,000 severance payment Mullin received when she voluntarily left her position as economic development director for Wayne County. Mullin joined the Wayne County Airport Authority on Sept. 6 as CEO, with responsibility for DTW and Willow Run (YIP).
Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano announced Thursday morning that Mullin had paid back $135.900 to the county, representing the amount that she kept after paying taxes. Ficano said the county is in the process of trying to retrieve the remainder that was paid in taxes, the Detroit Free Press reported. Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the payout.
Adding to the storm surrounding Mullin are allegations that she overstated the amount of economic development she brought to Wayne County in her previous position. The WCAA board cited Mullin’s “comprehensive economic development expertise” as a key factor in her selection. Mullin, a newcomer to the world of airports, was selected over several other candidates with experience in running commercial airports.
The Detroit Free Press on Sunday reported that Mullin repeatedly claimed that she led efforts that resulted in $5.5B in investment commitments over the past two years. But when pressed to document the commitments, Mullin estimated that she was “directly involved in $3B in commitments, with the rest stemming from an investment climate she helped create,” the newspaper reported.
WCAA spokesman Scott Wintner said Mullin “firmly stands behind her representation of her accomplishments, although she’s the first to say that her claims have been misrepresented from the start.”
“I believe the press is engaged in a game of hair-splitting at this point. They’re parsing words and drawing major distinctions where Turkia believes there are none, i.e., her role in creating an environment where businesses have made economic investments versus what she, personally, negotiated,” Wintner says in an email. “She was the chief of a team and never claimed that she, personally and directly, negotiated deals totaling $5B of economic investment already made. Much of that investment is still yet to play-out … and it was never thought that the money would all pour in immediately. But, in some cases, it hasn’t even been a year yet since deals were made.”
Wintner also stressed that WCAA is in no way connected to the investigation regarding the severance payout, which was related to her previous employment.
He offered a statement issued by Mullin last week, which said: “Due to an ongoing investigation, I am precluded from answering the many detailed questions coming from the media other than to say: We welcome the investigation and will cooperate fully. My strong focus is on airport business and on operating both Detroit Metropolitan Airport and Willow Run Airport in the safest, most efficient and effective manner possible.”
Despite the assurances, Mullin may be losing the support of some members of the board that appointed her in August. WCAA board member Suzanne Hall told The Detroit News on Friday that she is questioning whether Mullin should remain in her post given the FBI investigation. The newspaper reported that Hall said she might “make a recommendation to go in another direction” unless Mullin can convince her more allegations won’t emerge about her activities as Wayne County economic development director.
Earlier this week, WCAA board members were grappling with whether to hold a public hearing to discuss the severance payment. The Detroit Free Press reported that WCAA bard member Bernard Parker is calling for one. He reportedly told the newspaper that Mullin and WCAA board chairwoman Renee Axt do not want public meetings on the matter.
Mullin replaced Genelle Allen, who served as interim CEO for about a year but informed the WCAA board in May that she did not want to be considered as the permanent CEO. WCAA selected Mullin in August and she began her job Sept. 6 at an annual salary of $250,000.
