The Health Recovery Services Board of Directors has announced the appointment of a new interim executive director.

Joe Gay will serve as the director through the end of the year while the HRS Board continues the search process for a permanent director. Gay is a licensed clinical psychologist and has experience in both mental health and chemical dependency. He has worked at HRS since 1988 as clinical director and program director of Basset House, a residential program.

HRS is a non-profit corporation that provides drug and alcohol behavioral health care services to patients in Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Vinton and Washington counties. Services include outpatient counseling, residential programs for women and adolescents and a variety of brief intervention, assessment and education programs.

Gay was not available for comment at press time.

Last spring, controversy engulfed the organization when two former employees filed lawsuits against former HRS Executive Director Kenneth Pickering.

Tanya Tatum, who worked as HRS's director of operations, claimed Pickering was drinking on the job, driving agency vehicles while drunk and making unwanted sexual advances toward female employees. Cindy Radcliff, a former housekeeper at HRS, claimed Pickering made her wash sheets he had used while having sex, showed her sexually graphic materials and, after she reported Pickering to her supervisor, threatened her life and falsely accused her of stealing.

Jennie Midkiff, 45, an employee of HRS, died by suicide after a morphine overdose last May, said Athens City Coroner Scott Jenkinson after he completed her autopsy last month. Because the cause of her death immediately was not known, the Athens County Sheriff's Office investigated, but closed the case after the coroner completed the autopsy.

At the time of her death, Midkiff had talked to attorneys about filing a lawsuit against The Athens News for not asking her permission before printing a picture from a sex videotape she made with Pickering. She also planned to file against Lesley Pickering, Kenneth Pickering's ex-wife, for harassment.

Before her death, Midkiff claimed HRS workers were following and videotaping her, calling and hanging up and slashing her tires. She also claimed people had been in her house while she was away. The harassment began after the videotape circulated among HRS employees.

Midkiff was found in her bathroom and pills were found on the bed and floor. At the time, Svea Midkiff, Jennie Midkiff's daughter, said while her mother was on medication, not all the pills found were hers.