CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Port of Corpus Christi will soon be looking for new leadership, following Tuesday's resignation of port CEO Sean Strawbridge.
Who will be on the job until Friday, June 2.
3NEWS' Mike Gillaspia sat down with Strawbridge earlier Wednesday, and discussed his decision and timing of his departure.
MG: Help me walk through the timeline. How long have you been thinking about leaving your position here with the Port?
SS: Earlier this year, I started thinking it might be a good time for me to step away and continue on my journey in another capacity, and so I started talking to chairman Zahn about it some months back, and we finally got a little more traction just a few weeks ago.
MG: There have been recent reports in the media regarding extravagant spending by you and perhaps others associated with the Port. Let me ask first: Did that influence your decision in any way yesterday?
SS: Not at all. Extravagance is certainly in the eye of the beholder. What I will say is every expense -- without exception, to my knowledge, has been compliant with court policy, with review processes, certainly with state statute (and) has been approved by the audit committee chair. To my knowledge, there have been no expenses that have been out of compliance with the Port’s policies and best practices.
MG: If the reports are to be believed, you’re going to be paid for the next 2 ½ years, you get the company car and a significant amount of cash. Can you understand why this looks more like a mutually agreed to decision that it’s your time to leave rather than a voluntary resignation? And taking that a step further, is that really what happened here?
SS: I’m not at liberty to discuss the particulars of the separation agreement, but when you have an agreement, of course, you have mutual concurrence. So, it is a mutually agreed decision for me to leave. There is certainly precepts in the separation agreement that recognize my contribution during my eight years and I’m grateful for the commissioners that voted in support of that separation agreement.
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