Thursday, January 18, 2001 DiMario may not stay on   By John W. Cox, Staff writer LONG BEACH Board members at the city's convention and visitors bureau plan to discuss today whether they should keep President and CEO Linda Howell DiMario at her post through Sept. 30, the day her recently announced resignation was to take effect. At meetings scheduled for today, the board's three executive committee members said that they, and then the full board, will weigh the bureau's personnel needs against what some perceive as Howell DiMario's now-diminished leadership potential. "Obviously that's a long period of time", said executive committee member Joseph Prevratil of the Sept. 30 resignation date. "But most importantly, it takes a long period of time to find the right person" to replace Howell DiMario. Howell DiMario, who is often credited with rebuilding the city's tourism industry, wrote a letter dated Friday stating that she would leave her post Sept. 30, the end of the bureau's fiscal year, in order to pursue other business interests and teach in Long Beach. The announcement follows a year in which the bureau was accused of misreporting hotel room bookings and in which board members began asserting their authority over Howell DiMario. Not until Wednesday did several board members receive Howell DiMario's letter as part of an agenda package for today's meeting. Howell DiMario said she notified the mayor and city manager by phone and had her resignation letter delivered to City Council members Tuesday. CVB Board Chairman Chris Pook said that despite being put off by her inconsistent means of announcing the resignation, his inclination is to keep Howell DiMario in place while the board searches for someone to replace her. "We've got a responsibility to maintain the operation of this bureau," Pook said. He added that he was "very concerned" about what effect Howell DiMario's resignation may have on bureau morale. Jim Gray, another executive committee member, said he had no reason to think Howell DiMario could not be effective through Sept. 30, especially after she stated that she will not leave Long Beach to work for another convention and visitors bureau. "I would kind of like to talk to Linda to see ... what she thinks she can accomplish" by Sept. 30, Gray said. Part of the board's deliberations relate to the fact that the bureau is still trying to replace Tom Dorsett, former vice president of sales, who left in October as part of a negotiated settlement related to the incorrect sales figures. Board members said they do not want a leadership vacuum at the bureau during a nationwide job search to replace Howell DiMario, which Gray said he wants to begin within 45 days. The board renewed Howell DiMario's 36-month, $136,000-per-year employment contract in April 2000. Board members said they do not expect her resignation to raise any contractual legal issues.