San Luis Obispo County names new chief administrative officer

San Luis Obispo County Public Works Director Wade Horton has been selected to lead the county as its new chief administrative Officer. He will begin the job Nov. 15.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to appoint Horton, a decision that was announced after a closed session. His contract will come back to the board Nov. 14 for final approval.

Former CAO Dan Buckshi left the position in June.

As CAO, Horton will oversee an annual budget of $590 million and a staff of 2,800 that provides a range of services, including emergency preparation, health and human services, and public safety, the county said in a news release. The CAO also serves as the county’s director of emergency services.

During Horton’s tenure at Public Works, the department completed the Los Osos Wastewater Treatment Plant and integrated 80 new employees and their responsibilities after the General Services Department dissolved a few years ago, the county said.

Before Horton worked in the public sector, he was a project manager for engineering firm Penfield & Smith, a construction field engineer for construction company Modern Continental and an associate engineer for URS Corp., an engineering and design company. Horton has a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Cal Poly and is a registered civil engineer in California, the county said.

Horton has also served as a United States Navy Civil Engineering Corps reserve officer for 13 years and is a veteran, the county said.

This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 3:08 PM with the headline "San Luis Obispo County names new chief administrative officer."