A contract for Phil Taillon, the new South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority president and CEO, will provide him a base salary of $167,500 and the same benefits package offered to the prior agency leader.
The board approved the terms of the contract Wednesday at its regular meeting after an executive session finalizing the deal. Board Attorney Scott McClure said he will now draw up the written document for both entities to sign, which will be available upon completion.
Taillon thanked the board for its consideration.
“It was a long, fair, very professional process, and I really appreciated that along the way,” Taillon said.
Taillon will continue working at his Chief of Staff post in the City of Hammond until May 31. His first day at the SSCVA is June 10.
“Even though my official start date is not until June 10, I kind of have started honestly,” Taillon said.
He said he has met with staff and most of the board individually, and he has been meeting with local elected officials and state legislators as well as organizations that could be potential partners moving forward.
“I have a very unique leadership style. I’m looking forward to a lot of creativity, energy, collaboration and a lot of fun. I guess as the marketing organization for Lake County, if we’re not having fun with what we are doing we are doing it wrong,” Taillon said.
Taillon was introduced by Nikki Lopez, who served as interim president and CEO in the wake of the December resignation of David Uran, former president and CEO. Lopez also applied for the position. She will assume the position of chief operations officer.
Lopez thanked the board and she said will be meeting with Taillon weekly until he comes aboard to keep him informed about the various projects underway.
“I’m very excited to work with Phil,” Lopez said.
Some of the benefits of the contract include a 20% annual bonus if certain metrics are met; 30 days paid time off each year, which does not roll over; and the use of a full-size SUV not more than five years old.
Taillon was selected as CEO by the board on May 8 after a nationwide search for a replacement to Uran. There were more than 200 applicants for the position He was one of three finalists, the only of which whom was local.
Taillon and Uran were the two finalists in 2022 after a nationwide search to replace former President and CEO Speros Batistatos.
Taillon has been with the City of Hammond since September 2008, serving as director of economic development prior to taking over as Chief of Staff in August 2017. Prior to joining the city’s staff, he was an assistant vice president and branch manager for First Midwest Bank. He is a graduate of Purdue University Northwest.
The hiring of Taillon caps three years of leadership changes at the organization that began with the forced resignation of former President and CEO Speros Batistatos in July 2021 and ended with Dec. 18, 2023 resignation of Uran, who in announcing the news said he wanted to “spend more time with family.”
His resignation came one business day after a Dec. 15 executive session where alleged misconduct was listed as the reason. Uran remained on the regular payroll through Dec. 31. The board reached a severance agreement with Uran in January for 16 weeks of pay, prorated from his base salary of $150,000 and $7,000 for insurance. His contract was set to expire Dec. 31, 2025.
Batistatos was relieved from his duties in July 2021 and the bureau continued to pay his contract until it expired Dec. 31, 2021. Batistatos sued the SSCVA for wrongful termination and age discrimination. He also has sued Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott and the city of Hammond for allegations of civil conspiracy, defamation and injurious falsehoods. The cases are pending.
