Morrow decides not to take job
By Joey Berlin
Originally published 12:15 p.m., November 26, 2007
Updated 12:16 p.m., November 26, 2007
Less than a week after agreeing to become Emporia’s new police chief, Clark Morrow decided not to take the job.
City Manager Matt Zimmerman said he received official e-mail notification from Morrow this morning that he had withdrawn his acceptance, citing family reasons. Zimmerman said that Morrow's e-mail said "he was very sorry to have accepted it and then withdrawn, and that it had nothing to do with Emporia, and that he was very excited about the chief's position, but the feeling was that it was not a position for him to accept at this time. And I'm respecting his privacy."
Morrow has spent almost 19 years in the Olathe Police Department, where he's currently a captain in the patrol division. Reached this afternoon, he said, "I had a family issue come up over the holiday I thought I had covered already before this move to Emporia. But it came up, and it was something that we had to address here."
He said he felt "just terrible" about withdrawing his acceptance. He stressed the decision had nothing to do with anything else, including the job or the city.
"Absolutely everybody I met in the city and the police department were just terrific, and I had been very excited about coming down there," he said.
There were two finalists for the chief's job before Morrow was hired on Nov. 20. Zimmerman said the other finalist had already been contacted and was still "very interested" in the job. Zimmerman hoped to meet with the other finalist later this week. He declined to reveal any information about that candidate.
“Really, at this point, we don’t release information until we know that we have an acceptance of the position," he said.
Zimmerman said that even if an agreement is reached quickly with the other finalist, the new chief would probably start the job later than the Dec. 17 date planned for Morrow because of the notice requirement.
"That's something we asked both of them, and both of them were looking at somewhere around a 30-day notice requirement," he said. "So I would imagine that I'd be looking at somewhere around the first of the year, if we're able to reach an agreement with the second candidate."
Zimmerman said both city commissioners and the police department were surprised and disappointed, but understanding, when they heard of Morrow's decision.
"Taking any sort of a leadership position in any community is really a family commitment," he said. "We want someone who can commit themselves and know that the family is supporting them. If that's not the case, then we're better off knowing now and looking for someone that can provide that commitment to our community."
Morrow would have replaced Mike Heffron, who retired as Emporia's police chief in December 2005. Mike Lopez has served as interim chief since then.
"This has been kind of a long, ongoing process," Mayor Julie Johnson said. "Because when Chief Heffron retired last December, we were in the midst of a search for the city manager, and so we postponed doing anything about the chief position until after we had a city manager in place. It was a slow process to begin with, and now it's going to be a little bit slower until we get someone in place in the position. So yes, I'm very disappointed."
Johnson agreed it was better to hear about Morrow's issue now rather than later.
"We all wish that it hadn't happened at all," she said, "but we can't control that. So I think this will be better in the long run."
create (anonymous) says...
Oh my, in view of our current crisis, this makes me feel like the ugly step-sister now.
November 26, 2007 at 1:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mythoughts (anonymous) says...
Good heavens! And I had heard he had first hand experience with Somalian refugees. Getting our hopes up for no good reason--how unprofessional. Declining by e-mail? Not even the courtesy of a phone call?!?
November 26, 2007 at 1:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Tre, LOL. You know, I think I just may take a brown bag to the meeting. An empty one, that is. Good laugh!
November 26, 2007 at 1:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporialifer (anonymous) says...
This is not good news - I had heard wonderful things about Mr. Morrow, but I to respect the man for realizing that whatever "family situation" he had come up needed to take precedence over his new job. I am sure it was not easy for him to make that decision. I would assume that he emailed simply to have the "official" notice in writing as employers want and that it would be received quicker than a snail mail letter. I don't think we should assume he didn't call - all the story states is that the official notice came by email. I think for anything to be considered official it would have to be in writing these days.
November 26, 2007 at 1:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
netloafer (anonymous) says...
KVOE reported that he had a conversation with Matt Z.
November 26, 2007 at 2:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )