In September of 2014, Director of Animal Services Glenn Howell informed the County Administrator that he would be retiring from his position on January 31, 2015. Mr. Howell agreed to return after his retirement to work on an interim basis pending the selection of a new Director of Animal Services – Exempt.
The County contracted with Bob Murray and Associates to conduct the recruitment to fill the vacancy. On November 6, 2014, the recruitment for a new Director of Animal Services –Exempt commenced. Bob Murray and Associates advertised the position nationwide but with particular emphasis on the west coast region. Ads were placed with the California Animal Control Directors’ Association (CACDA), Society of Animal Welfare Administrators, Animal Sheltering, State Humane Association of California, Society of Animal Welfare Directors (SAWA), American Humane Association, California Veterinary Medical Association, Southern California Veterinary Medical Association, Animal Jobs, California State Association of Counties (CSAC), Careers in Government, Western City Magazine, and Jobs Available.
Two rounds of recruitment were required to secure the new Director. For the first recruitment, invitations and recruitment profiles were sent to 200 potential candidates targeted by Bob Murray and Associates. The five week recruitment garnered 50 applications. With the assistance of Bob Murray and Associates, the applications were screened and six semi-finalists were forwarded to the County Selection Committee on February 2, 2015. The County Selection Committee was composed of June Catalano, City Manager, Pleasant Hill; Ken White, President, Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA; Marcia Mayeda, Director of Animal Care and Control, Los Angeles County; Kathy Ito, President, KMI Human Resources Consulting, Inc.; and myself.
During the second recruitment which commenced on April 20, 2015, invitations and recruitment profiles were sent to 200 potential candidates targeted by Bob Murray and Associates and additional advertisements were placed. The six week recruitment garnered 30 applications. With the assistance of Bob Murray and Associates, the applications were screened and five semi-finalists were forwarded to the County Selection Committee on August 4, 2015. The County Selection Committee was composed of June Catalano, City Manager, Pleasant Hill; Melanie Sobel, Animal Shelter General Manager , Santa Cruz County; Reina Schwarz, Assistant City Manager, City of San Pablo; Lisa Lopez, Assistant Human Resources Director, Contra Costa County; and myself. Following a series of interviews and reference checks, I selected Sarah Beth Ward for the position.
Ms. Ward holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Administration from California State University, Fresno. She currently serves as the Vice President, Community Alliances, for the Humane Society of Silicon Valley after holding posts as the Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Animal and Customer Care and the Director of Animal Care. She brings with her 28 years of animal shelter and veterinary hospital experience, a high level of energy and passion for animal services, and a strong desire to work with our contract cities and the community to renew the County’s efforts to provide adoptive homes for shelter animals and continue to deliver quality services.
The Animal Services Director position will remain vacant and the salary schedule will not be reallocated.