The board of JeffCom911 will interview four candidates for executive director at a special meeting.

Rich DePas, the IT systems manager at the county’s emergency dispatch agency, took over the day-to-day management of JeffCom911 after the agency’s previous director, Stacie Huibregtse, was removed from her post by the board late last year.

County Commissioner Greg Brotherton, who also serves on the JeffCom911 board of directors, said during Monday’s meeting of county commissioners that the job has attracted much interest.

The group includes “some very qualified applicants,” Brotherton told his fellow county commissioners, “some of which might cause heartburn to other organizations locally.”

“But, you know, this is the way it goes,” he added.

“Oh. Spicy,” replied County Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour.

The tough labor market for employers during the pandemic has prompted a bit of musical chairs in the region, with some government employees taking jobs with other government entities in the area.

JeffCom911 is currently working to fill several vacancies, but typically has a staff of approximately a dozen employees, including 911 dispatchers, IT, and records and office management workers.

Huibregtse, JeffCom911’s previous executive director, was picked to lead the agency in December 2020 and joined the organization in January 2021. The JeffCom911 board voted unanimously to remove her from the executive director position at a special meeting in November.

The special meeting for the board for JeffCom911 has been set for Thursday, March 30.