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The search for a new chief executive officer for Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation is moving forward.

Interim CEO and current PAEDC contract compliance manager Krystle Muller told the Port Arthur City Council this week that Requests for Proposals were advertised in June for a search firm to aid in finding a new CEO.

Next Move Group was approved by the PAEDC board and later approved by City Council as the search firm.

A job profile was compiled by the search firm and approved by the EDC search committee, which consists of President Jerry LaBove and members Beverly Raymond and Christopher Smith. The profile was advertised, and recruitment done by the search firm took more than four weeks from July through August, Muller said.

The application deadline was Aug. 5.

Beverly Raymond said they received 18 applications from Next Move Group and the committee is actively reviewing the resumes.

From there, an applicant list will be narrowed based on the job profile criteria, then interviews performed, Raymond said.

The EDC board is looking for a new leader to replace the previous CEO, Jessica Carpenter, who tendered her resignation effective May 4 after approximately two months at the job.

She took over the position that was vacated by Floyd Batiste, who was with the organization for 17 years.

Once the EDC makes its final decision on a new CEO, it will be up to the Port Arthur City Council for final approval.

In late July, the Port Arthur Council approved the EDC’s decision to hire Denton Navarro Rocha Bernal and Zech as legal counsel.

The journey toward a new legal counsel began during a time of turmoil at the PAEDC in 2021.

In August of that year, PAEDC legal counsel Guy Goodson of Germer PLCC resigned, along with former CEO Floyd Batiste and several board members.

Frank Garza of the San Antonio-based law firm Davidson, Troilo, Ream & Garza was named interim legal counsel. In November, the EDC asked the city council to approve hiring Germer, but the council voted 5-2 against rehiring the firm.

Davidson, Troilo, Ream & Garza served as interim until the hiring of the new legal team.