MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Members of the Memphis Shelby County Schools board addressed concerns from the community on Thursday following the decision to terminate superintendent Dr. Marie Feagins, as the new interim says he hopes to land the permanent job. The press conference comes a little more than a day after voting 6-3 to fire Dr. Feagins and appoint interim Superintendent Dr. Roderick Richmond. Protestors could be seen outside the 901 Cafe at the MSCS Central Office where the press conference was held. Photo by WREGPhoto by WREG Commissioner Towanna Murphy noted the list of allegations that led to Dr. Feagins' termination, including the ex-superintendent's alleged mismanagement of contracts, lack of a plan when terminating district employees, and her part in a high turnover rate in the central office. "At some point our duty requires us to step in and do what we need to do," she said. "For nearly nine months we exercised patience, we have given grace, we have allowed time for adjustments, progress, and course of correction. But our responsibility as board members is not to sit back while our district suffers. It was time for us to act." Richmond said that he is both "humbled" and "excited" to have accepted the position as interim superintendent. He noted that he would like the job permanently. "Yes, I do. I would not be truthful if I stood here and said that I didn't want the permanent job," he said. Before his appointment, Dr. Richmond served as the Transformation Officer for MSCS, supporting low-performing schools. "For over 30 years of service … my roles have changed, but my focus and vision have not. My focus and vision have always been about the students in this great district and community," said Dr. Richmond. As he works to develop a first 100-day plan, the interim superintendent says he and his team plan to focus on three things: continuity and stability, streamline process for materials and resources, meet and have key conversations with elected officials. "I believe I am the right person, at the right time to do this most important work for our school district and our community," said Dr. Richmond. "I ask the community to trust me, trust our board members, trust our leadership teams … trust that we can get this right, and we will do it right." He says he was nominated for interim superintendent in 2013 and has continued to work for more than a decade, explaining why many speculated about his nomination before Tuesday's meeting.  Richmond has applied for the superintendent’s job in the past and was a candidate in the first round before Dr. Feagins was selected. When asked about his feelings toward his appointment by the board after not being chosen in the search for a new superintendent, he explained that "based on law, the district has to have a superintendent." He said his name was floating around before Tuesday's meeting because of his experience and role as a senior leader, but Richmond says he was unaware beforehand. "The reason I accepted was because of my loyalty, and commitment to this district and our children. What would have happened if no one had accepted this task?" he questioned. The interim superintendent also apologized for his behavior during the board meeting after a tense exchange between him and the audience was captured on camera. “Be careful! Be careful! Be careful! Don’t play with me! Don’t play with me!” he said at the meeting. "First of all, I want to apologize. That's not who I am and that'll never … won’t happen again," said Dr. Richmond.  District 8 board member Amber Huett-Garcia said in her remarks, "Each say we spend not focused on children is a mistake. No matter who is sitting in the seat of superintendent, the board needs to hold them accountable and govern." Huett-Garcia was seen at Tuesday's meeting holding a sign saying, “This was not the plan.”