The Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Board voted Monday to appoint Marcel Vernon Sr. to lead the quasi-public agency into its next chapter, choosing the chief financial officer of a Boston-based social services organization with experience in state government over a leader from Washington D.C.’s convention center authority.
The board voted 12-0 to tap Vernon on Monday afternoon, after holding final interviews of the two finalists in an open public meeting.
The search for a new leader to take over the agency has taken close to a year, after former Executive Director David Gibbons stepped down last November.
Vernon is the CFO and senior vice president of finance at Bay Cove Human Services, based in Boston. During the deliberations over who should lead the agency, a number of board members listed Vernon’s established connections in the Boston area and relationship to the local community as among his strengths.
He also worked as the CFO at the state’s Department of Revenue, and starting in 2018 led the finances at the Trial Courts and Office of Court Management.
The board voted for Vernon over the other finalist, Hootan Kaboli. Kaboli is the senior vice president of operations at Events DC, the authority that runs conventions, entertainment, sporting and cultural events in the nation’s capital. He’s been with the organization for eight years, according to his LinkedIn, serving in several positions.
“One thing that stands out for me in particular about Marcel is the local connection, right? He has experience here in Massachusetts, and has connections to folks and some experience working in the state in a couple of different roles. So for me, I think that in particular stands out as we’re bringing someone into this, into this role that is so deeply embedded in the community, and sort of a person that we know needs to rebuild trust in a lot of ways,” board member Ashley Groffenberger.
The quasi-public agency responsible for an $845 million economic impact in the Boston and Springfield areas has been struggling with its public image over the last few years as issues have come to light related to racial discrimination, an allegedly opaque process of handling of state-owned land, and a new state audit that claims it “cherry-picked when it was convenient or not convenient” to follow state law and internal policies related to public records, procurement and settlement agreements.
The search for a new executive director has been framed as an opportunity to turn a new leaf for the organization, with a greater emphasis on prioritizing inclusivity and equity within the 400-plus employee organization.
Between 2010 and 2013, Vernon was CFO of Elite Prototype Athletics, a sports and recreation complex in Brooklyn, N.Y. Vernon moved to Massachusetts in 2013 with his wife and children, he said. In his interview, he highlighted his involvement with Men Organizing for Support and Strength in Dorchester, which he said helps create business opportunities in underrepresented communities.
“Transformation” was a repeated theme that Vernon brought up during his final, in-person interview with the 12-person board on Monday afternoon in Boston.
After saying he brings “results-oriented experiences and transformation... to the table,” he added, “I’m not saying that a transformation is needed here. But, you know, certainly I think I can be an agent of change to really help propel the authority to the next level of success.”
Though he does not directly have convention authority experience, the board members said they believed his work experience was transferable.
Vernon worked as a casino finance and operations executive for seven years for Harrah’s Entertainment, Isle of Capri and Mohegan Sun, according to his LinkedIn.
“Early on, we had no idea how deep the experience was that Marcel had in the industry. And quite honestly, it was a big issue for me, being in the industry,” said Cindy Brown, who is the CEO of Boston’s Duck Tours. “But once we talked to him extensively about the hands-on work he’s done at casinos and hotels, which essentially can serve as convention centers, I was blown away by the experience he has.”
During his interview, Kaboli made a point of highlighting his “directly” and “immediately transferable” skills, working currently as the senior vice president of operations at one of the MCCA’s competitors for conventions.
He said he directly negotiates with unions, built a staff culture at Events DC, manages $30 million of internal sales and attracts external sales to the convention center, and works with local government for funding and approval when necessary — pointing out that many of these responsibilities would be transferable to the job in Massachusetts.
However, Sheena Collier, who led the board’s search efforts, said while industry knowledge was “a plus... this is a broader role than that.”
“Marcel, to me, is going to bring unity back to this Convention Center,” said Aisha Miller, who co-chaired the search committee with Collier.
The executive director job comes with a $250,000 to $320,000 salary, per a job post by contracted search firm Koya Partners.
