The cost of reallocating the classifications of Chief Assistant County Administrator - Exempt and County Finance Director-Exempt on the salary schedule to add one additional step would be $9,816 for each position annually. The addition of one Chief Assistant County Administrator-Exempt and cancellation of one Senior Management Analyst position will result in an estimated annual net cost of $250,888, of which $38, 256 is due to pension. The fiscal impact for the remainder of the current year is estimated to be $84,000. All costs are 100% General Fund.

In July of 2015, Chief Assistant County Administrator Theresa Speiker informed the County Administrator that she would be resigning from her position no later than March 31, 2016.  
  
The County contracted with Peckham and McKenney to conduct the recruitment to fill two vacancies, the impending vacancy and another to be created, to assist the County Administrator in making major financial, administrative and policy recommendations to the Board of Supervisors as well as conducting or directing special projects and the analysis of public policy issues that are complex, difficult and sensitive in nature.  
  
On November 6, 2015, the recruitment to fill two (2) Chief County Administrator-Exempt positions commenced. Peckham and McKenney advertised the positions nationwide but with particular emphasis on the west coast region. Ads were placed with the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), Careers in Government, Western City Magazine, California City News, International City/County Management Association (ICMA), National Association of Counties (NACo) News, Municipal Management Association of Northern California (MMANC), Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC), Oregon League of Cities, and Jobs Available.   
  
Invitations and recruitment profiles were sent to 418 potential candidates targeted by Peckham and McKenney. The five (5) week recruitment garnered 106 applications. With the assistance of Peckham and McKenney, the applications were screened and eight (8) semi-finalists were forwarded to the County Selection Committee on January 25, 2016. The County Selection Committee was composed of Nancy Watt, County Executive Officer, Napa County; Monica Nino, County Administrator, San Joaquin County; Lisa Driscoll, County Finance Director, Contra Costa County; and Kathy Ito, President, KMI Human Resources Consulting, Inc.  
  
The County Selection Committee referred four (4) candidates to be interviewed by Candace Anderson, Chair, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, District 2; Mary Piepho, Vice Chair, Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, District 3; and myself. Following the interviews on February 3, 2016, and a series of reference checks, Contra Costa County residents Allison Picard and Eric Angstadt were selected for the positions.  
  
Ms. Picard holds a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with concentrations in Finance and Urban Planning from California State University, Long Beach. Ms. Picard holds a Certified Labor Relations Master certificated from the California Public Employer Relations Association (CalPELRA). She currently serves as the Assistant General Manager, Employee Relations for San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), after holding posts as Assistant County Administrator and Deputy County Administrator/Human Resources Director for the County of Kings, and Chief Analyst for the County of Los Angeles Administrative Office, Finance and Operations Branch. Ms. Picard also served as an Instructor for Chapman University teaching courses within the Organization Leadership undergraduate and Human Resources graduate programs. Ms. Picard brings with her over 30 years of local government experience in both budget development/administration as well as human resources/labor relations.

  
Mr. Angstadt earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Archaeology from the University of Virginia and a Master’s Degree in Archaeology with an emphasis in Economic Archaeology from Arizona State University. Mr. Angstadt has also completed coursework toward his Master of City Planning (MCP) with an emphasis in Economic Development at the University of Tennessee. He currently serves as the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Berkeley, after holding posts as the Deputy Director, Community and Economic Development Agency, for the City of Oakland, and as the Interim Economic Development Director and Principal Planner for the City of Benicia. He also served in the U.S. Army as a Logistics Manager and Investigating Officer. Mr. Angstadt brings with him over 20 years of public sector management experience with expertise in planning, economic development and executive leadership as well as a talent for resolving controversial problems and handling high-level negotiations of sensitive issues.

The Chief Assistant County Administrator position(s) will go vacant and the salary schedule will not be reallocated.