On Wednesday, February 10, 2021, the newly appointed members of the Greene County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Board of Directors met at the William M. Branch Courthouse for their organizational meeting.
Commission Chair Roshonda Summerville welcomed the EMS board members and said they had a critical role in administering, overseeing and directing the work of the Greene County ambulance service and staff.
Six of the seven members were present, including: Dr. Marcia Pugh and Joe Lee Powell appointed by the County Commission, Rodney Wesley and John Hann appointed by the Eutaw City Council, Walter Staples appointed by the Town of Boligee, and Ardella Colvin of Union. Mike Westmoreland, the Town of Forkland’s appointee was absent. Dr. Pugh and Walter Staples had served on the previous board.
The new board members were appointed by newly elected members of the County and municipal bodies in accordance with the charter, by-laws and operating rules of the Greene County EMS.
Nick Wilson, Executive Director of the EMS, nor any of the staff attended the meeting, so there were no program or financial reports on the ambulance service.
The members present chose Joe Lee Powell to be Board Chair, Dr. Marcia Pugh as Vice-Chair and Walter Staples as Secretary.
Dr. Pugh suggested that the board may want to update its by-laws to account for telephone and computer board meetings and other needed changes. The board also discussed establishing committees including Personnel, Grievances and Finances to better handle its work. The board set the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 PM for its meetings to be held at the Courthouse until further notice.
At the end of the meeting, Laquinta Lavender presented a grievance that the Greene County Ambulance Service would not pick her up after a wreck on Interstate 59/20. The board asked her to put her complaint in writing and they would investigate.
Dr. Pugh said that Joe Powell, as the new board chair, had contacted Wilson, since the organizing meeting and assured him that the board wants to work with the staff to operate EMS in the best interest of all the residents of the county.