Clark County Council selected Shawn Henessee (right) from three finalists as their next county manager.
Molly Solomon / OPB
After being without a permanent leader for more than a year, Clark County has selected a new county manager.
The Clark County council unanimously picked Shawn Henessee as the county’s next leader. The announcement comes one day after public interviews with three finalists for the job.
It's the second time Clark County has conducted a national search to find a permanent county manager. The job has been vacant since the council abruptly fired former manager Mark McCauley last year.
So far, the county has paid about $300,000 for McCauley’s severance, hiring interim manager Jim Rumpeltes and the recruiting firm.
Council Chair Marc Boldt said Henessee demonstrates the type of leadership skills the county was looking for in its top executive.
“We especially liked his listening skills, his strategic planning, his grasp on growth management as well as budgeting,” Boldt said.
Henessee most recently served as the county administrator for Pleasant Hill, Missouri, a small city of less than 9,000 people. Before that he managed Marionette County, Wisconsin, and was the assistant director for Jackson County, Missouri.
Boldt said all three finalists worked in much smaller jurisdictions compared to Clark County, the fifth-most populous in the state of Washington with more than 470,000 residents.
“In many cases it’s almost harder to work in a smaller jurisdiction, since everybody knows everybody,” Boldt said. “If you have leadership skills and a proven track record, it doesn’t matter how many people are under you.”
Boldt says the county is currently negotiating a contract with Henessee and expects him to start in 30 to 60 days.