- November 5, 2024
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Six weeks after spending thousands of dollars to relocate to Palm Coast, Doug Barthel was fired Aug. 10 as the director of tennis at the Palm Coast Tennis Center.
He said accusations that he didn’t follow the chain of command or raised prices without permission are false. Instead, he said he was let go because he didn’t agree to what he says was a change in his compensation agreement.
Barthel was sent an employment letter on June 1 by Rich Stanfield, general manager of the Tennis Center. (Stanfield is technically an employee with KemperSports, a private company that runs the city’s public facility.)
The letter stated that Barthel’s annual salary would be $27,000. In addition, Barthel was to receive 80% of any lessons taught directly by him as director of tennis at the Palm Coast Tennis Center. The letter also states that Barthel would be eligible to earn commissions for 80% of the camps and clinics, and 10% of the tournament revenue that Barthel brings to the Tennis Center.
Then, on July 31, Barthel was sent a letter clarifying additional compensation. Private lessons still would net Barthel 80% of the hourly rate charged, as well as 10% vendor payout for private lessons taught by outside vendors.
But, he would get 35% of all camps, clinics, adult and youth program revenues that he taught, as well as 10% of the total taught by outside vendors, according to the letter. The letter states, “Note: This is a change from the undetermined commission percentage that you were offered on 80% of the above in your compensation letter.”
Moreover, the letter states: “The above program is not a guarantee and will be subject to change.”
Not in favor of the cut from 80% to 35%, Barthel sent an email to Stanfield and Ricardo Catarino, regional operations director for KemperSports, about the changes. Then, on Aug. 4, he sent a follow-up email, stating that had he been presented with the new deal from the beginning, he would have “respectfully declined the offer to accept this position.”
“This is less than what I earned in the early 1980s as a novice teaching professional,” Barthel wrote in the email.
The email continued: “I am still excited about the opportunity to lead the efforts to bring the Palm Coast Tennis Center to profitability. There are numerous programs and events that I am planning that will go a long way to help achieve this goal. However, I do have a family to care for, and I must insist that the offer that I accepted to move to Palm Coast be honored. I have entrusted my career to KemperSports and hope that I will be treated fairly.”
In between the June 1 and the revised letter July 31, KemperSports was involved in budget discussions with the city of Palm Coast.
Stanfield, Barthel and Catarino appeared before the Palm Coast City Council on July 10. Facing a $120,000 deficit in this fiscal year’s budget, the City Council set a goal for KemperSports, which was hired in 2011 to manage the facility, to have the Tennis Center break even by the 2018-2019 budget year.
While many tennis players have argued that the Tennis Center is a community amenity and shouldn’t be required to turn a profit, the City Council said it does expect a profit.
The Tennis Center’s prospects for profitability suffered a setback in January, when Ken Obermeier, who was the city’s superintendent of tennis, resigned from his position just weeks before the city was to host the USTA Men’s Futures tournament for the third consecutive year.
In an effort to ensure the USTA tournament still came to Palm Coast, Rich Stanfield’s wife, Deborah, was appointed as tournament director in January. Deborah Stanfield was hired by KemperSports in December 2011, according to Rich Stanfield, and has remained an employee of the Tennis Center since.
In Barthel’s view, that hiring violates a company guideline that says relatives can’t report to one another: Before Barthel was fired, Deborah Stanfield reported to him, and he reported to Rich Stanfield.
Speaking of the decision to move to Palm Coast in the first place, Barthel, who has been a teaching professional for more than 26 years, said the average salary for a director of tennis position is around $40,000, plus commission.
“It was definitely on the low end,” Barthel said of the initial compensation offer. “But I was fine with it because I knew I could recoup and make my money on the court. These programs take time to come to fruition, but I felt in the long term, I could compensate for the lower salary.”
Stanfield limited his response to this statement about Barthel:
“KemperSports utilized an extensive interview process that Mr. Barthel was a part of. It was our intent to stabilize the position of director of tennis at PCTC through this process.
“Mr. Barthel’s separation was solely based on his own actions and were not influenced or affected by any other individuals or issues.
“We have since hired Aaron Brown as the director of tennis. Aaron was one of the other candidates that we interviewed, and he brings a great amount of experience in creating USTA events, youth and adult programs.”
Barthel said the termination was, in fact, based on finances.
“When I vehemently told (Stanfield and Catarino) that (I couldn’t accept the new compensation plan), that it was not what I agreed to and not what they promised me, all of a sudden the tone changed and two weeks later, I was let go,” Barthel said.
And so, Barthel, his wife, and his 16-year-old son who moved to Palm Coast from Freeport, are packing up and leaving town.
“We’re moving back to the Panhandle and taking it day by day,” Barthel said.
— [email protected]
