Louisville hires former LMPD leader to head Metro Animal Services

Louisville Metro Animal Services will be under new leadership beginning Monday after more than 10 months without a permanent director, but one council member has concerns over the Greenberg administration's selection process.

Andy McClinton has been appointed as the department's new director, metro liaison Keturah Morrow said at the Louisville Metro Democratic Caucus meeting Thursday.

McClinton is a former lieutenant colonel with the Louisville Metro Police and served as an assistant chief. He was also commander of LMPD's First Division between 2018 and 2020 and has been part of the NULU Business Association, Coalition for the Homeless and Phoenix Hill Neighborhood Association. Most recently, he was assistant chief for the Mt. Washington Police Department.

However, McClinton's resume indicates no background working with animals.

"I think that over and over again, we see people from LMPD who have retired being placed in positions of power throughout Louisville Metro Government, whether it's our own deputy mayor, David James, our executive director of TARC, Ozzy Gibson ... Doug Sweeney," said Councilwoman Jennifer Chappell, who represents parts of central and southwest Louisville. "I've said it before, but it seems like being a cop qualifies you for any job that you want. And that's not right."

Chappell said she has concerns about the problematic culture at LMPD and if it negatively shapes leaders who emerge from its ranks.

"LMPD time and time again — that's a culture that I don't think has been a very healthy one, and so to find leaders who have been bred in that culture is not something that I would be looking for in any person that I was putting in a position of power," Chappell said. "I think that we're doing an injustice to finding someone who is progressive, compassionate and an out-of-the-box thinker."

Deputy Mayor David James, also a former LMPD officer, pushed back, saying the city's former LMPD hires have "excellent leadership (skills) and management of people."

James pointed to McClinton's multiple experiences in positions of authority. Another former LMPD hire, Ozzy Gibson, is known as the city "fixer" after holding leadership positions in several government departments.

LMPD is facing a federal consent decree following an investigation that found a history of unconstitutional policing practices, which was sparked by the police killing of Breonna Taylor. The organization has had six different leaders in the last four years. Former chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel was asked to resign in June over her handling of sexual misconduct allegations raised against a commanding officer. There are also several lawsuits between members of the department.

"I'm surprised that (Chappell) has such low opinions of people that are police officers in our community," James said.

Chappell said that, to her, the administration feels like a "boys' club."

James argued that many of the administration's top officials are women from department directors — including newly hired Louisville Parks and Recreation executive director Michelle King — to Deputy Mayor Dana Mayton and Deputy Mayor Nicole George.

McClinton was one of 10 candidates interviewed for the LMAS position, James said. A panel of five people, comprised of James, Gibson, Friends of Metro Animal Services board chair Stephanie Gumm, interim LMAS director Adam Hamilton and executive director of Emergency Services Ron Heady — a former LMPD lieutenant — scored them.

"It feels like, you know, friends, hiring friends," Chappell said. "I don't know anything about this individual. I really hope that they do well, because I don't wish anyone within Louisville Metro to do a bad job, because that means that, our constituents, our city that's suffering. I don't want that. I really hope that they're successful. Our animals really need it."

Of those whom the panel interviewed, McClinton scored the highest on their matrix and the other scores weren't "even close," James said. They were judged on management style, expectations of employees, use of technology and other criteria.

Chappell knows hiring executive directors is under the purview of the government's executive branch, but still wishes Metro Council was more involved in the conversations about them, "because we're dealing with them on a daily basis."

Chappell previously criticized Greenberg's appointments, like when Gibson was initially named the eventual director of LMAS, though he was permanently put in charge of the Transit Authority of River City instead.

Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at [email protected] or at @ellie_mccrary on X, formerly known as Twitter.