Editor’s Note: Text messages and emails quoted in this report have not been edited for spelling, grammar, punctuation or clarity.
Tiffany Means, who was selected by the Eureka Springs Hospital Commission to serve as the hospital’s new chief executive officer, signed a “conditional” agreement to accept the position on June 12 — four days before the commission formally voted to offer it.
Records obtained by the Times-Echo through a request pursuant to the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act show that Means and Sandy Martin, chair of the hospital commission, signed a conditional offer on Thursday, June 12. At the commission’s regular meeting on Monday, June 16, the commission voted to offer Means the CEO position at a salary of $230,000 per year. The vote came after an executive session that lasted just less than 30 minutes.
After the vote, Martin announced that “Tiffany Means has accepted our conditional employment offer,” and would be at the hospital on Friday, June 20.
The commission had voted during a regular meeting April 21 to “extend an offer of unconditional employment to the candidate of choice.” Means was not named during that meeting, but Martin later confirmed to the Times-Echo that Means was the commission’s choice.
In a June 20 request for information, the Times-Echo asked for copies of electronic communications between Martin and Means from May 1 to the time of the request.
On May 21, Martin texted Means, saying “Morning Tiffany! Do you know your schedule yet to come to Eureka? There are several people anxious to meet you and we are ready to get to an offer!!!”
Means responded more than 24 hours later, apologizing for missing Martin’s text and explaining that she was in Florida.
On May 26, Martin texted Means, saying in part: “Just checking in to see when we can meet.”
Means responded on May 28, apologizing and saying she had returned “to LA.” “We had a stabbing of a doctor and a leader collapsed and died so I was distracted.”
Later in the conversation, Martin said she would be “available until 2 and then after 6.”
In a text message, timestamped at 2:43 p.m., Means said: “I apologize! I will call Yoo now after 6 your time. I just realized it is past 2 there”.
On June 2, Means texted Martin to says she was scheduling her “flight back” for June 20 and asking if a meeting could be scheduled that day. Later in the conversation, Martin said “Let’s do 1.”
On June 10, Means texted Martin: “Good Morning Sandy. I send an email to you. Let me know if you received it.”
Martin replied: “Morning. Yes I got it and will get back to asap. Thanking”.
Martin then said: “Happy fingers hug send to soon Thank YOU”.
“Thank you so much!” Means replied. “I have started drafting my 30 60 90 day plans. Additionally most importantly I cannot wait to meet with you , the team and the mayor. Talk soon.”
“If course you have,” Martin responded, adding a smiley face emoji. “We can’t wait either!!!”
A June 10 email from Means to Martin said: “Good morning Sandy. Attached you will find my agreement letter. Once reviewed, let me know if you would like to further discuss. Thank you again for this exciting oppprtinotu opportunity to join your team and your community.”
On June 11, Martin texted Means: “Hang tight. We’re working on it. We’re gonna make this work!! Excited.”
Means replied: “I am ready!”
The following day, June 12, Martin texted Means: “I just emailed you a slight modification on our agreement.”
Later Means texted Martin, saying: “How can we get the pto negotiated?” followed by “I can sign today.”
Later on June 12, Martin texted Means that she was sending two documents.
In an email to Means, Martin wrote: “We have all our ducks in a row here and want to offer the attached agreement. You’ll notice a slight modification in compensation that we hope meets with your approval for starters.”
In response to a question from the Times-Echo on Tuesday, June 24, about what the modification was and who determined it, Martin replied by email: “A modification of salary ask versus salary conditionally offered.
“Modification determined after I had a review conversation with our CEO & CFO.”
Also on June 12, an email from Adobe to Martin and Means said “Means_CEO_Conditional Offer between Sandy Martin and Tiffany Means is Signed and Filed!”
On Tuesday, June 24, Martin told the Times-Echo by email that: “Our procedure is to make a “Conditional Offer of Employment” to an employee – operative word – conditional – to make sure there is mutual agreement – it is not final until the commission approves it.”
