Jefferson County has announced its pool of candidates as it gears up to select a new county administrator. 

Prothman, an executive recruiting firm specializing in public sector leadership, was hired to lead the nationwide search, and the county announced its finalists on April 17. 

The process attracted 19 applicants from five states, “reflecting broad interest and a competitive pool of applicants,” according to the county press release. 

Finalists include County Commissioner Greg Brotherton, Josh Peters, the county’s director of community development, and two out-of-county candidates: Roxanne Miles and Sheri Patterson. 

Selecting a county administrator will ultimately be up to the Board of Jefferson County Commissioners. The position has a pay range of $146,472 to $174,895, plus benefits.

Given he is a county commissioner, Greg Brotherton will recuse himself from the vote, leaving it up to commissioners Heather Dudley-Nolette and Heidi Eisenhour.  

Derek Young, the interim executive director of the Washington State Association of Counties, said the jump from commissioner to county administrator is somewhat unusual but could be appealing for those involved in the hiring process.

“It would not surprise me if people ended up feeling like the best potential candidate was within the county family already,” Young said. 

To ensure a fair appointment, Eisenhour wrote the county had designated a large pool for interview panels, both internal and external to the county, as they have done in the past.

“We expanded the pool to more external partners this time,” Eisenhour wrote. “The panels will come together to debrief their interviews. Heather and I will each be on separate panels as will our HR director, Sarah Melancon, and Prothman consultant, Cliff Moore.”

After a debrief, “Heather and I will work towards consensus on a selection. If we can’t come to a consensus we will go out for more input/background on candidates until we can reach consensus,” Eisenhour wrote. 

She is confident they will reach an agreement. 

“We are lucky to have four strong finalists. Greg is one of them,” she wrote. “I am committed to a fair process and trust the rest of the interview teams will be too. This is an incredibly important decision for Jefferson County — and we all know that.”

If Brotherton is appointed county manager, the remaining commissioners will be tasked with appointing a commissioner to fill his position until a special election is held. 

The press release included profiles of each candidate. 

Brotherton has served as a county commissioner since 2019. He has a bachelor’s degree in American studies and will complete his master’s in public administration in June. He has owned and operated four retail businesses in Jefferson County. 

Miles has served as the parks and recreation director for Pierce County since 2017. Before that, Miles, with a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in sociology, spent 15 years with Metro Parks Tacoma as its business and strategic planning/recreation services manager. 

Patterson has served as the budget and finance director for Hood River County in Oregon since 2022. Previously, Patterson, with a master’s and bachelor’s degree in business administration, served as the chief financial and operating officer for the Boys & Girls Club of Salem, Marion, and Polk counties in Oregon. 

Peters has served as the county’s director of community development since 2023. Before that, Peters, with a master’s degree in community and regional planning and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, previously worked as the county’s senior planner and principal transportation planner. 

Formal interviews, marking the county’s final step in the process, will take place on April 30. 

The position will be offered to the top candidate the first week of May, with a target start date in mid-June. 

On April 29, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., the Jefferson County Library will host an in-person public meeting with the candidates, allowing members of the public to participate in a moderated question-and-answer session. Attendees will be able to submit written questions for consideration during the event held in the Humphrey Room.