LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — Lake County’s administrative officer said Thursday that she is stepping down from her job after six years.

Carol Huchingson’s last day with the county of Lake will be April 29.

She has been county administrative officer since April 2016, and is the first woman to hold the job.

Her office issued a lengthy first person statement from Huchingson on Thursday afternoon in which she promoted what she believed to be her accomplishments.

“I have now made the difficult decision to retire, as of the end of April. When looking back on my career, I am overwhelmingly grateful for all of the people that have invested and believed in me, and for the opportunities I have had to help others grow their skill sets, and rise to meet community needs,” she said.

“When things end, new opportunities present themselves,” Supervisor Bruno Sabatier told Lake County News in response to the announcement. “With County Administrative Officer Huchingson retiring, it will be critical for the board to make wise decisions for the stability and growth of the county, and I look forward to those discussions.”

Huchingson did not specifically explain why she is retiring.

When asked for the actual reason for her departure — which Sabatier indicated was not expected — her chief deputy, Matthew Rothstein, cited her plans to retire after “34 years of intensive and distinguished public service.”

Rothstein said he expected the board was to soon discuss the process moving forward.

Later on Thursday afternoon, the clerk to the Board of Supervisors released next week’s agenda a day early. The agenda includes an untimed action item to consider the recruitment strategy for a new county administrative officer.

By the time of her retirement, Huchingson will have spent 29 years with the county of Lake.

She started with the county in June 1993 and spent 22 years as the Social Services director.

Huchingson also worked for several months as the county’s Valley fire long-term recovery coordinator before the board decided to hire her as county administrative officer in February 2016 from a field of seven candidates. She officially stepped into the role two months later, after the retirement of Matt Perry.

The announcement of Huchingson’s retirement comes days after longtime County Clerk/Auditor-Controller Cathy Saderlund confirmed that she has chosen not to seek reelection.

Huchingson’s friend and colleague Carmel Angelo, the chief executive officer of Mendocino County for the past 12 years, announced her retirement in January. Her last day is March 19.

It also is six months after Huchingson finished pushing through the second wave of county raises during the course of the pandemic. The raises included up to $5 million approved in October 2020 — in which Huchingson received a 30% raise — and another $16 million in September, when her raise totaled 54.5%, plus a 2.5% longevity increase.

Sabatier told Lake County News that he was not anticipating Huchingson to retire at this time, but had known Saderlund had been weighing her final decision up to Friday’s filing deadline. Saderlund told Lake County News that personal decisions over the last month led her to decide to retire at the end of her term.

Huchingson’s departure also comes as county department heads are in the midst of crafting their 2022-23 proposed budgets, which will be presented in the initial form in June and usually are approved as part of the final recommended budget in September.

It’s an effort that has traditionally been guided by the County Administrative Office, with both of Huchingson’s immediate predecessors, Kelly Cox and Matt Perry, having brought extensive knowledge and experience to the budgeting process.

Sabatier acknowledged that the county will have to figure out how to handle budgeting in Huchingson’s

It’s anticipated that Saderlund — whose term expires at the year — will continue to play an important role in that work.

Also still in play is a federal lawsuit filed against the county and Huchingson in July 2020 by Pamela Nichols, the county’s former human resources director.

Nichols is alleging race discrimination, violation of her First Amendment free speech rights, retaliation for exercising free speech, wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

She claims that Huchingson and the county terminated her employment after she exercised her free speech rights “pertaining to matters of public concern, including complaining about discrimination in the workplace.”

The case is set to go to trial in March of 2023, according to federal filings.

The Board of Supervisors had a closed session discussion about the case on Tuesday. County Counsel Anita Grant did not respond to a request for comment about whether there were any actions taken out of that closed session or if there were any additional updates on the case.

Huchingson’s statement on her departure is published below in its entirety.

“It has been my privilege to serve in local government for 34 years, the past 29 with the County of Lake. Over two decades as Social Services Director, I had the opportunity to work with hundreds of incredible people dedicated to serving Lake County residents facing food and housing insecurity, and many deep personal challenges. As Valley Fire Recovery Coordinator, I stood with friends and neighbors as they took their first steps to recover and rebuild. I found great meaning in that work, and continue to value relationships built during that time.

“However, there has been no greater honor than being entrusted by the Board of Supervisors to lead as County Administrative Officer. Since my appointment to the CAO role in 2016, I have worked to promote policies that well serve every resident, and recognize and celebrate the rich diversity of Lake County’s communities.

“When the COVID-19 pandemic brought historic disruption, for example, I fought to ensure local residents had a voice. Lake County was among the first to implement “hybrid” Board meetings, inviting live participation via Zoom, and broadcasting meetings on social media and Lake County PEG TV.

“Leadership means making the best available decisions, whatever challenges may arise. I have always sought to lead with that lens, and take the right action, even when what I was proposing was unpopular.

“It has been a significant focus for me, as CAO, to ensure County employees are valued, recognized for exceptional contributions, and fairly compensated. Some disagreed with recent County decisions to increase employee wages. Those actions positioned us for decades of greater stability and stronger performance throughout our workforce. Our Board’s resolve in taking that on was truly extraordinary.

“I have now made the difficult decision to retire, as of the end of April. When looking back on my career, I am overwhelmingly grateful for all of the people that have invested and believed in me, and for the opportunities I have had to help others grow their skill sets, and rise to meet community needs.

“Thank you, everyone. I look forward to seeing Lake County continue to thrive.”

— Carol J. Huchingson, County Administrative Officer

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.