Monica Brackman - What REALLY happened!

Monica Brackman, pictured here in 2016 was the executive director of the World Shooting and Recreational Complex for the past 4.5 years. She stepped down due to the state re-classifying the position. The state is seeking a new director.

THE SOUTHERN FILE PHOTO

As the result of a revision of hiring practices by the State of Illinois, Sparta’s World Shooting and Recreational Complex will have a new executive director. Monica Brackman, who served in that capacity for 4.5 years, has stepped down.

The change in hiring practices is statewide, not limited to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. A decision in the U.S. District Court of Illinois' Eastern Division, Michael L. Shakman, Paul M. Lurie, et al. vs. the Democratic Organization of Cook County et al., changed a number of positions in Illinois from political appointees to coded positions, jobs that are filled through the normal hiring process.

The judgment included “a preliminary list of positions under the jurisdiction of the Governor which they agree are appropriately exempt from competitive selection and should be completely at-will because the positions are ones for which an employer may take into account political consideration when deciding whom to hire, promote, or transfer to fill positions.”


That decision was handed down last January.

“This isn’t just an IDNR thing,” said agency spokesperson Rachel Torbert. “It’s gone across state agencies. Here at DNR we have had some positions that have gone from exempt to coded, and the other way too. There has only been one total, the only in in Southern Illinois has been the shooting complex.”

She added that the job of the director had changed since Brackman arrived. And, the duties at the shooting complex differ greatly from site superintendents at state parks and state fish and wildlife areas.

“It was an appointed position that was reclassified by CMS (Central Management Services),” Torbert said. “Moving forward that is how it will go, unless things change again.”

 

Wonder when Illinois pulls the plug on the ATA? I talked to the CC today and they have no mention (news) from said ATA EC on the proposal for the grand to come to the CC. I thought the vote should have happened already.

I think the CC has pulled the offer and are now working on putting in 4 or 5 bunkers so the NSSF can move to the CC instead of the ATA. A big trade up as far as I'm concerned.

 

Strictly from a business sense the folks at Cardinal Center would be better off to not even bother with the offer (if there was one) and move on from there ... The State of Illinois will eventually shutter the WSRC for good, then it will be a game of wait and see who does what about it ... The facility is listed as a State Park and Recreational Area so it cannot be sold unless there are unlikely changes made and it gets re classified (this should not be a surprise) and the State eliminates one thorn from its side and also a great expenditure that has never covered its own cost of operations let alone turn a profit ... Monica was put in a position that was a go no place position from the start under the circumstances ...

If push comes to shove the Cardinal Center should concentrate on expanding their shooting schedules and dates, not giving the WSRC , Grand another thought or make any adjustments that would allow for them to accept any propositions to accept the grand (which they have proven they do not need to be profitable )... Why ruin a good thing if they do not have to ...
WPT ... (YAC) ...