A former administrator left some big shoes to fill, but the Bartholomew County commissioners are going to try and fill them anyway.
An announcement is expected this week on who will succeed Ed Reuter as director of Bartholomew County’s 911 Emergency Operations Center, commissioners chairman Carl Lienhoop said.
After 10 years in the position, Reuter announced six weeks ago that he was leaving to become executive director of Indiana’s statewide 911 Board.
Local 911 deputy director Julie Pierce assumed Reuter’s responsibilities on an interim basis while a permanent successor was being sought for the position, which pays $59,860 annually.
After the May 26 application deadline, the commissioners had received seven applications that included two current county employees, commissioners administrator Tina Jeffries said.
Over the next two weeks, members of the local 911 Advisory Board interviewed qualified candidates, and have given the commissioners their recommendations, Jeffries said.
Commissioners expect to start interviewing finalists today, Lienhoop said.
The 911 board has narrowed the list enough to where Lienhoop said he expects an announcement within a few days after the final interviews begin.
The job posting called for requirements including:
A minimum four years experience in the emergency, medical or public safety sectors.
Sufficient computer skills to serve as systems manager for the computer-aided dispatch system.
Preference for candidates trained or experienced in public administration, including management and budgeting.
“Ed Reuter was exemplary, but nobody is irreplaceable,” Lienhoop said. “Given the field of candidates we have, there’s no reason one of them can’t be up there with Ed after a couple of years of experience.”
