LAKEPORT, Calif. – The county of Lake is in the process of working to fill a number of department head jobs in the face of a wave of retirements and resignations.
So far this year, a third of the county's estimated 21 department heads have either retired, indicated they planned to retire or otherwise resigned, according to County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson.
Both Huchingson and Board of Supervisors Chair Rob Brown said they've never seen so many department head positions turn over at once.
Huchingson said that, normally, such changes in leadership happened in one position a year.
“I don't remember ever having two at the same time,” said Brown, who has been on the board for nearly 16 years.
While Huchingson has been with the county more than two decades, she also is in a new position, having taken over as county administrative officer at the start of April upon the retirement of Matt Perry, as Lake County News has reported.
On Tuesday, in its latest hiring decision, the Board of Supervisors voted to hire Jan Coppinger, the Special Districts compliance coordinator, as the department's new administrator, according to Brown.
Brown said the board came out of closed session to vote to confirm Coppinger's hire, which becomes effective July 6.
She will succeed longtime Special District Administrator Mark Dellinger, whose last day on the job before retirement is July 5, Brown said.
On April 19, the board also hired Assistant Public Works Director Lars Ewing as the new Public Services director after having appointed him on an interim basis earlier this year, according to Huchingson.
Kathy Maes is serving as interim Social Services director, the job Huchingson formerly held, Brown said, and Kevin Thompson is interim director at Behavioral Health.
Health Services Director Jim Brown also is set to retire in early July, with the board to consider options for an interim appointment, said Huchingson.
Before moving forward on permanent director appointments for Behavioral Health, Health Services and Social Services, Huchingson said that she's asked the supervisors for time to look combining those three agencies into a “super agency.”
Having all of those services under one “health and human services” agency is a common practice across the state, Huchingson explained.
“There are approximately 25 counties that use this model and there are some good reasons to do it,” she said.
She said it would help with funding and services, as well as consistency at the top. “We have so much change in leadership at those three agencies.”
The decision process will include looking at other counties and bringing a recommendation to the board. Huchingson said that analysis is expected to take at least a couple of months.
Earlier this year the Board of Supervisors considered combining Public Works and Public Services, but Huchingson said there is no movement in that direction now.
Brown said the new Community Development Department director also is still being recruited, with candidates to be interviewed at next Tuesday's board meeting.
Longtime Community Development Director Rick Coel resigned in March after it was revealed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was investigating him for possession of child pornography.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office launched its own investigation on the matter but Lt. Steve Brooks said this week that there was no new information to release, and District Attorney Don Anderson said his office also has not received any updates.
There has been no word of any other impending retirements, although Huchingson said it's a possibility, with many baby boomers still in county leadership positions.
Overall, Huchingson said she and her fellow department heads – all of whom report directly to the Board of Supervisors – are still transitioning and things “are still in flux.”
She added, “It's really a new day in Lake County government – or about to be.”
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County of Lake experiences wave of department head turnover
- Elizabeth Larson
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