BAY MINETTE, Ala. — The Baldwin County Commission balked Wednesday in a work session on the selection of a Emergency Management Agency director, after reviewing more than 80 resumes and conducting two sets of interview sessions in the past two months.

The panel may decide to seek an interim director at Tuesday’s Commission meeting in Bay Minette, according to Commission Chairman Frank Burt.

“We are not where we planned to be at this point in the selection process,” Burt said. “We will continue to look at resumes.”

Commissioner Charles “Skip” Gruber said about one-third of the applicants had any previous connection with emergency management, and that experience was a prime factor.

Newly appointed Melvin Stringfellow resigned in April and deputy director Leigh Anne Ryals told Commissioners Tuesday she was leaving effective immediately. Interim director Shannon Spivey will return to her post at the county’s call center on Aug. 17.

During the work session at the Robertsdale Central Annex, Commissioners generally agreed that more time was needed to continue the search while using state EMA officials, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office and the county highway department in emergency situations.

Commissioner Bob James invited Alison Steiner, an EMA grants and training specialist, to enter her resume Wednesday, prompting an angry exchange between Gruber and James concerning the candidate’s experience.

“It doesn’t make sense,” Gruber told James. “We are looking for someone with experience and no one there has any experience. What are you thinking? There is a storm brewing out there in the Gulf. We need to get the county going.”

After Steiner’s presentation, commissioners said they were impressed with her management and financial experience and urged her to continue training in the field of emergency management.

“I wish you had more experience,” Commissioner Tucker Dorsey told Steiner. “I want to support you and make sure you get training.”