Responding to disparaging remarks about his effectiveness and efficiency, the county’s now-former public works director accused his bosses of nitpicking aspects of his job performance and described the organization’s work environment as “toxic.”
Addie Javed, who resigned under duress on Oct. 13, told Vero Beach 32963 in an exclusive interview last week that he wanted to “leave the place in peace,” but he felt compelled to defend his work and reputation.
He said County Administrator John Titkanich’s public statements that he was slow to address inquiries, failed to promptly follow up on complaints and lacked a sense of urgency in completing projects were “false.”
Javed claimed Titkanich – and, more specifically, Assistant County Administrator Nancy Bunt – did not provide him with the resources, staffing or support needed to improve the operations of a department that was struggling when he arrived in October 2024.
Despite working long days that often kept him in the office until late at night, as well as taking on additional tasks, Javed said he spent much of his yearlong stint as the department’s director fending off criticism, especially from Bunt.
“I had a target on my back, and that target had been there for quite some time,” he said. “It felt like they were nitpicking, looking for any reason to ding me. Every week, it seemed, they would bring up something else.
“I would get written up for nothing, and they just kept pushing me,” he added. “The work environment was really toxic. There was too much micromanaging, and my requests for help fell on deaf ears. Things just didn’t mesh.
“Ultimately, I was forced to resign.”
Emails and text messages obtained by this newspaper two weeks ago indicated Bunt had become frustrated with what she perceived as Javed’s failure to address or follow up on inquiries and complaints in a timely manner.
Titkanich said after Javed’s resignation that he and Bunt “weren’t completely dissatisfied” with Javed’s job performance, and he acknowledge the director inherited a “struggling” department and was handed a challenging workload.
But, the administrator added, “There were opportunities for improvement. We’re all about service excellence, and we didn’t see what we wanted to see. Certainly, we hoped to see something happen sooner. The emails reflect that.”
What finally led to Javed’s resignation, however, was the discovery that he had been working to help organize a civic event in the Tampa area – where his wife and children still lived, and to where he would commute on a weekly basis – and did so on county time.
Apparently, he had inadvertently left some related materials on the office printer, where they were discovered by staffers.
“I wouldn’t say it was the last straw,” Titkanich said after the discovery was brought to his attention, “but it was something we needed to look into.”
Shortly after being confronted, Javed submitted his letter of resignation and was immediately placed on administrative leave, which allowed him to be paid his full salary and automobile allowance through his 30 days’ notice, which ends on Nov. 14.
“When I applied for the job, I said I was very active in civic and community events,” Javed said. “This event was at (the University of South Florida), but it wasn’t just for the Tampa area. It was a statewide event.
“Also, most of the emails were written at night, when I was working late,” he added. “And it was not anything I was doing for personal gain.”
Nearly a week after Javed resigned, Titkanich said, department staffers noticed “hundreds of files” had been deleted from the director’s computer – including some needed for projects, among them the Pointe West Homeowners Association’s request that the county assume responsibility for maintenance of the community’s streets and sidewalks.
Last week, at Titkanich’s request, Javed returned to the county offices to explain his reasons for deleting files and assist in their recovery. The administrator said he believes there was “no malicious intent” behind Javed’s actions, and no public records were destroyed.
“We have yet to verify all the deleted files, but we think we’ve got all of them,” Titkanich said. “Nothing was deleted from the hard drive. Nothing was deleted from our server.
“Addie came over and helped us,” he added. “I thought it was a positive meeting.”
Perhaps, it was – until Javed read Titkanich’s published remarks in this newspaper. Seeing his professional reputation tarnished, the ousted director returned fire.
Javed said he believes Titkanich and Bunt “felt threatened” by the praise he received from county commissioners, particularly for his role in the reconstruction of a Hurricane Milton-damaged portion of County Road 512 in Fellsmere – and replacing the culvert below – in October 2024.
The $1.65-million project, which required the coordination of multiple local, state and federal agencies, was completed sooner than expected and before Fellsmere’s popular Frog Leg Festival.
“We got things done quicker and sooner than anyone expected,” Javed said. “You would think that would make the county administration look good. But I think the administrators felt threatened, because I was communicating with the commissioners, being responsive, and they liked me.
“That didn’t appear to be the case with the administration,” he added, “which was being put on the spot in almost every meeting.”
To be sure, County Commission Chairman Joe Flescher and Vice Chairman Deryl Loar have been among Titkanich’s most vocal critics during the past year, citing issues with the organization’s lack of progress – despite millions of dollars spent on consultants – and often complaining about what they said was the administrator’s poor communication.
Still, Titkanich said he was blindsided by Javed’s remarks.
“This certainly caught me off-guard,” Titkanich said. “A toxic work environment? Being targeted? I have no idea what he’s talking about. He never brought any of that up with me.
“I’m at a loss.”
Titkanich didn’t hesitate to jump to Bunt’s defense, though, calling her a “solid administrator” who simply tries to hold accountable the county employees she supervises – especially department heads.
He said Bunt and Javed met for lunch on a weekly basis to ensure they were “on the same page” regarding projects and priorities.
“She wants to know the status of projects and where people are, just to make sure we’re staying on top of things,” Titkanich said. “I don’t think an administrator asking about progress is causing friction.”
Titkanich, who stood by his previous assessment of Javed’s job performance, dismissed the departed director’s contention that he would be forced to wait weeks to meet with him, saying, “My door is open to every employee.”
Both Flescher and Loar said Javed had spoken to them about his working conditions, especially his relationship with Bunt and the lack of support he was receiving from the administration.
“Addie told me he was feeling pressure, feeling uncomfortable, and I was aware the administration was having issues with his responsiveness,” Flescher said. “But it also appeared he was getting little support – certainly not the level of support you’d expect your public works director to be getting.”
