In small room in the Rhodes Building, over 30 people attended the Nov. 5 meeting of the Downtown Improvement Board. Many were vendors at the Palafox Market, the DIB’s outdoor market held every Saturday morning on North Palafox Street.
They learned that Hillary Gilles, the manager of both Palafox Market and Gallery Nights, and the DIB office manager, Gloria Heckman, had been terminated last Friday, Nov. 1.
The audience was told that there were no plans to do away with the market, and all five board members–John Peacock, Teri Levin, Corbett Davis, Bernie Merrill, Susan Hatler and Brian Spencer–voiced their support for the popular event.
However, they refused to discuss the terminations. The executive director said that he was rewriting the job descriptions and looking at how to improve workflow in the office.
Executive Director Ron Butlin said, “The DIB, myself and the board, are very excited about the market. It has been a great success and continues to be a success. It continues to grow. The board is very committed to the continuation of the market.”
The board members agreed with his statements.
Eric Schmidt, Gilles’ husband, asked, “Why don’t you explain to the people exactly what was done to Hillary? Instead of just saying she’s no longer with the market.”
Chairman Corbett Davis said, “Right now it’s not something we can discuss. Her leaving is still in negotiation.”
Schmitt said, “But she didn’t leave.”
The chairman recommended people talk with Butlin in private. He promised that her dismissal would be explained at a future date.
Deborah Dunlap said that she had sent an email prior to the Palafox Celebration to Butlin, Davis and Mayor Ashton Hayward.
“In that email, I stated to the mayor that, while his heart was in the right place, it was a mistake not to include Hillary,” said Dunlap, who owns several buildings on Palafox Street. “In the American Planners Association statement as to why we were named one of the top 10 streets in America, two events were mentioned–Palafox Market and Gallery Night. Both of these events have been orchestrated and run, pretty much single-handedly, by Hillary Gilles.”
She said that she had hoped that Hillary and the DIB staff would be recognized and commended for their efforts at today’s meeting. With emotion in her voice, Dunlap said, “You could have knocked me over with a feather when Sandra called me and told me that she was fired. That’s all I want to say.”