2 finalists up for county administrator role

Board-appointed committee to conduct interviews on Wednesday

Two finalists for the position of county administrator will be interviewed on Wednesday. A third candidate dropped out.

The Yuma County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved the list of candidates to be interviewed by the County Administrator Recruitment and Selection Committee. Initially, after reviewing the applications, the committee had selected three candidates, including Ian McGaughey, the current deputy county administrator, and Maggie Castro, who currently serves as county planning and zoning director.

The third candidate, Patrick Marsh, withdrew his candidacy for the position. Marsh is a consultant with CWIowa LLC of Rock Island, Illinois, and former city administrator of Fitchburg, Wisconsin.

The interviews will be conducted at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Board of Supervisors Auditorium at 198 S Main St. The interviews will be conducted by committee members Supervisor Lynne Pancrazi, Supervisor Darren Simmons, Superior Court Court Administrator Kathy Schaben, Chief Health Officer Diana Gomez and Recorder Robyn Stallworth-Pouquette.

The committee will present its final recommendation to the supervisors at the next board meeting on June 6, which is County Administrator Susan Thorpe’s last day.

Supervisors Chairman Tony Reyes asked whether picking a replacement on the same day that Thorpe would be leaving was cutting it too short. Everyone agreed that it would be OK, especially since both candidates already work for the county.

Thorpe announced her retirement in March after more than six years with the county and 38 years of public service.

The supervisors also approved a list of appointees for the Public Defender Recruitment and Selection Committee. The appointees are Supervisor Jonathan Lines, Supervisor Martin Porchas, Conflict Administrator Ron Jones, Legal Defender Bill Fox and Thorpe.

In a reply to a question from Reyes, Thorpe clarified that there is no conflict in having Fox on the committee as the Legal Defender’s office is completely separate from the Public Defender’s office.

The public defender’s position became vacant in February due to the retirement of Michael Breeze, who was appointed in 2006. As required by state law, the position is appointed by the supervisors.

In addition, the supervisors have also recently made the following appointments:

• Laura Wisniewski, director of talent management for Yuma Regional Medical Center, and Ryan Barto, general manager of Insultech, to represent the business sector on the Local Workforce Development Board.

• Virginia Garcia, a resident of Pecan Shadows Apartments, to the Yuma County Housing Governing Board. The supervisors act as the governing board for the department. Federal guidelines require that the board include at least

one member who is directly assisted by the agency.

• Election board workers to the Vote Center Election, Accuracy Certification and Early Ballot Boards for Aug. 2. Find the list of appointees at https://tinyurl.com/5n8ufbzm.

• Emilia Cortez and Lorraine “Lori” Stofft to the Yuma County Free Library District Board of Trustees.

• Nancy Tucker to the Yuma County Free Library District Board of Trustees.

• Justice of the Peace Pro Tempore Darci D. Weede, attorney Kathryn Stocking-Tate and commissioners Stephen J. Rouff, Levi Gunderson and Claudia M. Gonzalez as judges pro tempore for Superior Court.