Senate OK sought for revamped cosmetology board

Three new members have been appointed to the beleaguered state Board of Cosmetology, and the executive director has resigned.

Only two current members will remain on the board. They are Dot Ennis of Summit and Waylon Garrett of Pearl.

The three new members of the five-member board, if confirmed by the state Senate, will be Glenda Honeycutt of Aberdeen, Bertha “Bert” Johnson of Jackson and Darlene Smith of Grenada.

On Wednesday, a subcommittee of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee recommended the reappointment of Ennis and the confirmation of the three new members. Garrett already had been recommended for reappointment. All five nominations must go before the Public Health and Welfare Committee and if approved would then go to the full Senate. Their terms would begin Sunday and go to March 28, 2019.

Lawmakers in the House and Senate had blasted the administration of the state Board of Cosmetology for not answering or returning their calls as well as calls of hairstylists seeking information.

A roughly $750,000 funding bill for the upcoming budget year, which begins July 1, for the Board of Cosmetology was stripped down to zero dollars by lawmakers to show their displeasure with the agency. A figure will be put back in during budget negotiations this week.

Earlier this month, state Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, called the Board of Cosmetology the “sorriest agency in state government.”

But Holland appeared at the Senate subcommittee meeting to offer his support for the incoming board with the three new members.

“It needs a new beginning,” Holland said of the Board of Cosmetology. “I encourage you to endorse this group.”

Holland and others had been highly critical of the former executive director of the Board of Cosmetology, Cynthia Johnson, who resigned earlier this month.

“No one would ever return calls,” Senate Public Health and Welfare Chairman Dean Kirby, R-Pearl, said. “It even took the lieutenant governor three or four weeks to get a call back.”

Sen. Josh Harkins, R-Flowood, told Ennis on Wednesday that lawmakers want to know the new board will try to fix the problems at the Board of Cosmetology.

Ennis said, “This group is committed to straightening out the problems with the Board of Cosmetology.”

She said after the nomination hearings that “it was inexcusable for people committed to serving the public not to answer and return calls.”

Ennis said the new board is expected to begin a search next week for an executive director to replace Cynthia Johnson.

Ennis said the state has about 50,000 licensed cosmetologists. The Board of Cosmetology is responsible for overseeing training and licensing of cosmetologists. It is also responsible for ensuring inspections of hair salons.

Contact Jimmie E. Gates at (601) 961-7212 or jgates@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @jgatesnews on Twitter.