Emergency management position being advertised internally

Published 11:43 am Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The soon-to-be-vacant job of emergency management director for Warren County is being advertised internally this week before the position opens to the general public, in keeping with a change in hiring policy approved by the Board of Supervisors in March.

Starting Monday, ads for the top position in the hazard mitigation and preparedness department were posted in county-owned buildings. Advertisements for director and for operations officer are expected to get a go-ahead when supervisors meet formally Monday.

“We’ll start in-house, like what the policy says, and go from there,” Board President Richard George said.

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Current director Gwen Coleman, 54, told supervisors last week she plans to retire effective June 30 after 32 years in the office, the past five as director. The office serves as an emergency operations center where local, state and federal authorities stage efforts during natural disasters.

In March, the board voted to advertise openings for jobs under the board’s direct purview for one week before taking applications from the general public. The previous policy had been in effect since 2005. It affects departments headed by those hired by the board, namely Emergency Management, Road Department, Building Permits, Purchasing, Accounting, Information Technology and Buildings and Grounds.

The state and local area’s job picture played a part, officials said. It also came after 78 applications rolled in when an accounting department position became available in February. The position was filled from within the department.

The operations officer position is that of a deputy director. Another opening, for a clerk’s position in the permitting office, was advertised in April.

Emergency management and permitting share office space in the basement of the courthouse.

Coleman’s pending departure follows retirement announcements this year by the chancery clerk, the tax assessor and a top deputy in each office.

Six people are vying to succeed Chancery Clerk Dot McGee, and five are running for Tax Assessor Richard Holland’s post.