Job: King County, Wash., Director of Emergency Management

If you recall, my old position in King County became vacant in September 2018. The county did a recruitment in the latter part of 2018 and interviews were to be held this past week. Then, Jody Miller, the serving interim who had been the deputy director and was, in my mind a 99 percent shoo-in for the job — was offered and took the director's position at Pierce County. Jody had been the deputy director there prior to coming to King County. Jody will be gone on Feb. 1, which now means — the county is suddenly opening the position up again to get more qualified candidates. There is a bit of a hole there with both the director and deputy director's positions vacant. The entire program has been in "transition" so there is an opportunity for someone to come in and set their own agenda. Besides the offers below, contact me if you want what insights I might be able to give. But, note that I've been gone 12 years and only one staff member remains from my tenure. 

See the email from the hiring authority below. At this point I'd say the field is "wide-open" with no one with the inside track.

"I want to thank Jody Miller for all of her hard work with the King County Office of Emergency Management. Jody has been a transformational leader, providing exceptional service and strategic direction during her tenure [as the deputy director].

As you know, King County has been searching for a new permanent OEM director. In light of Jody’s withdrawal from this recruitment, we are extending the recruitment for a limited period to provide an opportunity for additional applicants who may be interested in the role.

The OEM Director provides leadership, planning, coordination, and oversight of the County's emergency management efforts. The director is a key partner with federal, state, county, and municipal emergency management personnel and communicates directly with the County's Chief Operating Officer. The director is a member of the Operations Cabinet and a key advisor to the County Executive on emergency management policy and program direction.

This recruitment is open until the position is filled. To receive consideration, candidates need to apply by Sunday, January 27th. Our plan is to maintain our current schedule for final interviews by February 4, 2019. A full description of this position can be found at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/kingcounty/jobs/2268612/director-office-of-emergency-management?keywords=emergency%20management&pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs 

If you would like to have a confidential discussion about this opportunity or to refer potential candidates, I invite you to contact Aimee Higbee at 206-263-1276 or ahigbee@kingcounty.gov.

Thank you in advance for any helpful assistance you’re able to lend to our recruitment efforts for this critically important position."