CareerSource Polk CEO Removed By County Commissioners After State Alleges Deception And Noncompliance
Polk County commissioners voted Sept. 1 to immediately remove CareerSource Polk President and CEO Stacy Campbell-Domineck without compensation, acting under a state ultimatum that threatened the agency’s federal workforce funding and its certification if the county did not respond within 15 business days. The board also voted to bypass its own procurement rules to hire an outside consultant to review the agency’s governance.
Both measures were brought by Commissioner Michael Scott, the county’s liaison to the CareerSource Polk board, and both passed on voice votes with no opposition.
The action follows an Aug. 25 letter from FloridaCommerce Secretary J. Alex Kelly and CareerSource Florida President and CEO Adrienne Johnston, copied to the governor’s office. The state wrote that it believed Campbell-Domineck had effectively abdicated her role and noted a trend of noncooperation, questionable fiscal management, and, in some cases, outright deception. She was invited to appear before the State Workforce Development Board on Aug. 27 and said she would be unavailable, without further explanation.
The letter says the agency implemented new operating procedures and conducted staff training in May without required state approval, which the state said could have resulted in an unauthorized expenditure of federal funds. It says Campbell-Domineck removed three commercial driver’s license training providers offering seven programs without notice or proper process, keeping only one, at Hillsborough Community College, and asserted the removed providers were underperforming when the opposite was true. The state also found the agency’s local plan contains no grievance process complying with federal rules, and that it posted office closings inconsistent with its approved operating hours.
A separate section addresses a fundraising event and calendar promoted under the styling “for the LOVE of MEN, of the workforce.” The state said CareerSource Florida asked that the social media be pulled and the event canceled, that the post came down but the event proceeded during business hours, and that holding it during normal operating hours represented a misuse of public funds and potentially an abuse of public position.
The problems predate the August notice. A Jan. 13 letter placed CareerSource Polk under a mandatory performance improvement plan after it scored below 90 percent on dislocated worker employment and youth credential attainment in both Program Year 2023 and 2024. Commissioners Rick Wilson and Scott were copied.
“When you go into a performance improvement plan, it’s there for a reason. We have metrics that we’re held to,” Scott said. “And when you look at our data, as a CareerSource Polk, we rank from 17th to 21st, which is last. And so to be last in anything in this county, it’s certainly not my standards.”
County Attorney Randy Mink told commissioners that Campbell-Domineck’s contract is with the CareerSource Polk board rather than the county, that it provides 52 weeks of severance for a termination without cause, and that her salary is roughly $220,000. He said he expected the matter could reach litigation. She has led the agency since 2006.
Under the resolution she receives no compensation beyond pay owed for days already worked and loses access to the agency’s offices, computers and email. The county manager will present the review’s findings to commissioners, who will decide whether permanent removal is warranted. If the county fails to respond in time, the state said the matter goes to the governor and escalation may entail reduced funding, revocation of the board’s certification, and state-level removals for cause. Commissioners said they asked for an extension and were refused.
The CareerSource Polk Board of Directors met Sept. 4 in Bartow with the appointment of an interim executive director on its agenda.
Campbell-Domineck could not be reached for comment. Under the county’s resolution she no longer has access to her CareerSource Polk email or the agency’s offices.
Sources: “Formal Notice of Material Noncompliance, Required Governance Action, and Potential Removal for Cause,” FloridaCommerce and CareerSource Florida, August 25, 2026; Performance Improvement Plan Notification Letter, CareerSource Florida and Florida Department of Commerce, January 13, 2026; Resolution Temporarily Removing the Executive Director of CareerSource Polk, Stacy Campbell-Domineck, Polk County Board of County Commissioners, September 1, 2026; Resolution Authorizing Deviation from Approved Procedures for Source Selection as Set Out in the Polk County Procurement Ordinance and Purchasing Procedures Manual for a Governance and Management Review of CareerSource Polk, Polk County Board of County Commissioners, September 1, 2026; Board of County Commissioners Agenda and Agenda Packet, September 1, 2026, Polk County, polkcountyfl.legistar.com; Board of County Commissioners Meeting Recording, September 1, 2026, Polk County; Board of Directors Meeting Agenda, September 4, 2026, CareerSource Polk; CareerSource Polk, careersourcepolk.com
