At a special meeting held at Orcas Landing this afternoon, the San Juan County Council decided upon Robert Jean as the interim County Administrator.
He will step in for County Administrator Pete Rose, whose resignation takes effect June 8.
Jean, from University Place, south of Tacoma, Wash., comes to the position after many years of experience in city management, most recently in Lake Forest Park, Wash., where Rose will become City Manager. Jean served as City Manager of University Place from 1995 to 2010, and of Puyallup, Wash., for three years before that.
Jean’s appointment came after interviews with two other candidates. Following the last interview today during an executive session, the Council discussed their selection in an open meeting, as required by law. After some discussion they voted unanimously to offer the position to Jean.
Council Chair Patty Miller said that upon Rose’s announcement of his resignation, the Council directed Human Resources to solicit resumes for an interim administrator. They hope that Jean will be able to come on board before Rose leaves, so that there can be some overlap. It is unlikely the council will recruit a permanent administrator before the November election, Miller says.
She added that the county considered replacing Rose in the interim with county staff; but the uncertainty of the time commitment required away from their current jobs prevented any from applying for the administrative position.
