Welcome to Milwaukee Live

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

County Exec Abele Fires HR Director after 1 Week

On the job for only a week, Milwaukee County's new human resources director was abruptly fired without any reason given, John S. Listinsky said Tuesday.
Listinsky said he got a verbal warning Friday that he might be let go and was fired by email on Monday. He did not get an opportunity to discuss any concerns, Listinsky said.
"Nothing more has been said to me," Listinsky said. "I'm a little bit shocked."
Listinsky's hiring to the $125,000-a-year job was announced late last month by County Executive Chris Abele, in a news release touting Listinsky's credentials with several large private companies.
Abele's office issued a statement Tuesday saying only that the county executive was withdrawing his nomination of Listinsky as HR director. The position requires County Board confirmation.
Abele spokesman Jeff Bentoff said Listinsky's departure was a personnel matter and he couldn't comment further.
Listinsky said he was heavily recruited for the county job and that he quit his last job as human resources director for Thermo Fisher Scientific in Two Rivers to take the county position. - JSONLINE