CareerSource Polk Executive Director Fired in 3–2 County Commission Vote
by James Coulter
After being temporarily removed amid allegations of mismanagement, deception, and noncompliance, Stacy Campbell‑Domineck has now been permanently removed as President and CEO of CareerSource Polk.
At its regular meeting on Tues., Sept. 15, 2026, the Polk County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) voted 3-2 to finalize her removal. Commissioners Bill Beasley and Martha Santiago cast the dissenting votes.
The decision was one of three measures related to the CareerSource Polk controversy, with the other two receiving unanimous approval.
One measure authorized a written response to the Aug. 25 letter from FloridaCommerce and CareerSource Florida outlining the allegations against Campbell‑Domineck. The BoCC was required to reply within 15 calendar days, and the approved response was sent immediately after Tuesday’s meeting.
The final measure removed Campbell‑Domineck from her seat on the Citizens Healthcare Oversight Committee.
CareerSource Polk is the local arm of CareerSource Florida, the statewide workforce policy and investment board that partners with the Department of Commerce and regional workforce development boards to “help connect businesses with the talented workforce and training needed to succeed and grow,” according to its website.
On Aug. 25, the BoCC received a letter from FloridaCommerce and CareerSource Florida citing “several negative findings” involving Campbell‑Domineck’s leadership and policy decisions. According to County Attorney Randy Mink, the findings “demonstrate a clear lack of leadership” and “a failure of management and…management oversight.”
“We believe she has effectively abdicated her role,” the letter stated. “Alarmingly, we have noted a trend of noncooperation, questionable fiscal management, and in some cases outright deception.”
Following the letter’s recommendation, the BoCC approved two resolutions at its Sept. 1 meeting: one temporarily removing Campbell‑Domineck from her position, and another allowing the county to bypass its usual purchasing procedures to select a firm to review CareerSource Polk’s governance and management.
Commissioners Beasley and Santiago opposed making the removal permanent. While they supported her initial suspension, both said the process was moving too quickly for them to make a fully informed decision.
Beasley said he understood the seriousness of the state’s findings but argued the commission needed more time to weigh the matter.
“It has just gone way too fast,” he said. “I would feel more comfortable for us as a board to vet this as much as we can to totally understand what we are doing before we do it…I feel rushed in this decision, and I don’t like that.”
He also urged the BoCC to explore alternatives to CareerSource Polk, suggesting the county might benefit from a different structure for its workforce organization.
“The more I hear about CareerSource anything, I think there might be better ways of doing business,” he said. “Once this is behind us, I’d like to vet the idea of other options besides one person and a board in Polk County. It just seems that there are better options out there.”
Santiago echoed Beasley’s concerns, saying commissioners had not been given enough time to fully assess the situation.
“This is the first time I’ve heard about it in the last three weeks—not even a month,” she said. “It’s moving so fast that I can’t keep up with it. I feel rushed into this, and I want to make sure all my T’s are crossed and I’s are dotted before we make a permanent decision to remove someone.”
Commissioner Mike Scott, the local elected official serving on the CareerSource Polk board, said the removal was long overdue, noting he had witnessed the organization’s mismanagement firsthand.
“I’ve been watching this for over a year, almost two years, actually,” he said. “For it to sit in the bottom 20th percentile for multiple years, and even fall to last place, never improving its ranking in the state, there’s no reason for that unless we don’t have the right leadership.”
Commissioners Rick Wilson and Becky Troutman acknowledged the decision was being pushed forward quickly but said the urgency was justified given how long CareerSource Polk had struggled.
“There have been problems there for years, and I don’t understand how it could have continued the way it did,” Wilson said.
