Susan Guthrie rescinded her acceptance of the CEO position at Spectrum Healthcare, pulling out before her April 6 start date, according to Spectrum Healthcare Board President Randy Taylor.
Guthrie signed a nondisclosure agreement with Spectrum and could not comment on her reasons for withdrawing, according to Taylor.
The interim CEO, Kelly Murphy, will remain on for the foreseeable future. Murphy has served as Spectrum’s COO since the summer of 2025.
“Kelly Murphy brings over 22 years of executive leadership and clinical expertise to her role as Chief Operating Officer,” her Spectrum bio reads. “She specializes in human performance, workplace behavioral dynamics, strategic process improvement, and leadership development. Grounded in the belief that organizational success begins with investing in people and culture, Kelly balances strategic planning with empathy, making her a trusted advisor to leaders and teams navigating transformation, growth, or crisis.”
Taylor, who is also Clarkdale’s police chief, said that Spectrum has not determined if or when they will reopen the CEO position to a new round of interviews or if Murphy will stay on as CEO.
“We have Kelly Murphy doing an excellent job,” Taylor said. “We currently have her as the interim, but we’re planning on going this route for a while to see how everything shakes out.”
Clarkdale Town Manager Lou Andersen will remain in his current position following Guthrie’s retirement as town manager of Clarkdale in March. Guthrie was the town manager of Clarkdale from December 2021 to her announced hiring by Spectrum.
