RDA chief resigns; sources say he tangled with Nutter

AFTER WHAT sources say was a tenure marked by disagreements with Mayor Nutter, Ed Covington is out as head of the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.

Covington told staff members the news Friday morning, sources said, and he submitted his resignation to the PRA board.

Sources said that Nutter was not pleased with Covington's work performance or management and that Covington often clashed with the administration.

When asked if Covington had been pressured to resign, mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald said. "I'm not addressing any personnel matter."

Working in government was new for Covington, who joined the PRA in 2010. He had previously worked in the private sector as a Wachovia executive and marketing manager for community lending and investment for the bank's mid-Atlantic region. Sources said Covington was optimistic and had hoped to improve PRA, but low-morale and budget constraints complicated things.

Clay Armbrister, Nutter's former chief of staff, brought Covington on board, but after Armbrister left City Hall in 2011, Covington's ability to get projects done waned, sources said.

"I loved working with him," Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, said of Covington.

Some of her colleagues, however, described him as inactive and disconnected.

McDonald said James Cuorato, PRA board chairman, will oversee operations until the board meets March 13, when it will consider who will serve as interim director of PRA.