Sonoma County launches search for next chief administrator

Sonoma County has launched its search for its next chief administrator, with an eye on naming a finalist for the top executive position in December.

The appointed county administrator answers to the five-member Board of Supervisors, and is responsible for carrying out the board’s priorities and working with county departments that employ more 4,000 people.

“It’s a really hard job,” said Supervisor Chris Coursey, the board’s vice chair. “You’ve got people above you who want things, you’ve got people under you who need things.”

The new hire will replace County Administrator Sheryl Bratton, 59, who is retiring at the start of 2023 after more than six years in the role and 30 years working for the county.

Bratton, a former assistant county counsel, announced her decision to retire in July, allowing the county months to find a successor.

The salary range for the position is $275,880 to $333,792, including cash allowance, plus county-paid health and retirement benefits.

The county hired Bob Murray and Associates, an executive recruitment firm based in Roseville, to help conduct the search. The county is paying the firm $23,000 plus reimbursable expenses, according to Dan Virkstis, a county spokesperson.

Much of Bratton’s term as county administrator was marked by successive disasters and emergencies, including devastating wildfires, historic flooding and the coronavirus pandemic.

“Sheryl Bratton was in place being the steady hands on the wheel for so long,” said Supervisor James Gore, the board chair. “She was unflappable in all these disruptions.”

The incoming county administrator will inherit a range of recovery work geared to the pandemic and fires as well as high profile projects including replacement of the county’s aging administrative complex. The county’s budget for the 2022-23 fiscal year is roughly $2.14 billion.

Bratton’s successor also will be tasked with implementing county policy on an array of intertwined issues touching on socioeconomic equity, homelessness and public health.

“I think that we’re all going to be looking for the unicorn that brings all the skill-sets and attributions that the perfect county administrator needs,” Coursey said.

He added that the position requires someone who can balance the expectations of the elected board members and those of the community.

“It takes someone with administrative skills, with financial skills, with human resources skills, with political skills and interpersonal skills,” Coursey said.

Gore said he is looking for a “true administrator” who can communicate clearly and set direction for the county’s 28 departments and agencies.

“The organization needs to be able to tighten up internally and work better with the private sector and nonprofit sector,” he said. “Because the government can’t do it alone.”

Applications for the position are due Oct. 5. The board is set to conduct first-round interviews in mid-November and final interviews are planned for early December, with the goal of picking a finalist by mid-December, Virkstis said.

Gore and Coursey said they expect a mix of internal candidates, others from Sonoma County and applicants from outside the county.

“I assume we’ll have internal candidates, but we have a lot of people in Sonoma County or who have worked with us over the years who are going to be interested in this,” Gore said.

He added that he will give priority to candidates who know the county and understand how to work with regional partners and the state.

You can reach Staff Writer Emma Murphy at 707-521-5228 or emma.murphy@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @MurphReports.