SLO County is getting a new clerk-recorder. Here are the 44 candidates who want the job
There are 44 candidates in the running to become San Luis Obispo County’s next clerk-recorder — and most of them have never worked in a government clerking office or run an election.
A clerk-recorder selection committee on Monday will begin selecting finalists to replace Tommy Gong, who announced in June he was resigning to take a new job in the Bay Area.
The Board of Supervisors will interview finalists on Oct. 12. They previously opted to open the application process to any California resident over 18 who will be a county resident and registered voter when they’re appointed.
These minimum requirements led to a lot of applications for the job, but only a handful of candidates who meet the qualifications county staff and committee members laid out during their first meeting on Sept. 8.
“This is not a position for somebody to have their first experience with leadership,” said Wade Horton, county administrative officer, at the meeting. “I think it’s very important that whoever the board selects has a proven track record of leading a team.”
“I also think it’s important that this person has established experience in a Clerk-Recorder’s Office,” he added. “This isn’t a time to learn on the job; this should be a subject matter expert. It’s a working department head. It’s down in the trenches with their team. And in order to be successful in this role, experience in the subject matter expertise and also leadership is absolutely essential.”
The Tribune reviewed all 44 applications and created a list of candidates. Only four have the experience Horton called for, and most have never worked in jobs relevant to running the Clerk-Recorder’s Office.
The candidates’ current and previous jobs range from customer service to legal work to plumbing, and several applicants don’t live in the county.
Here are all 44 candidates competing to become the county’s next clerk-recorder.
Gina Barbosa, Arroyo Grande: office support technician
Jeffrey Barry, Woodland: former Yolo County chief deputy clerk-recorder
Anthony Bustamante, Oceano: military police officer
Elaina Cano, Arroyo Grande: Santa Barbara County elections division manager
Cassandra Condos, Santa Maria: former teacher
Rebekah Dennison, San Jose: housing authority training and outreach coordinator
Andrew Dodds, Arroyo Grande: plumber
Robert Downey, Atascadero: airline customer service agent
David Evans, Arroyo Grande: former auto mall VP/CFO
Jim Fitzgerald, Nipomo: former TSA/DHS training specialist
Frances Gallardo, Paso Robles: manufacturing company customer care lead
Samuel Gauna, Arroyo Grande: industrial gas company plant manager
Zachariah Gomez, Paso Robles: psychiatric technician
Nancy Greene, Los Osos: former paralegal and legal runner
Albina Hartlein, Atascadero: former biomedical repair company office supervisor
Gabriel Hatcher, Fresno: former engineering firm contract coordinator/business development
Alejandra Isais, San Ardo: insurance company personal lines agent/notary public
Andrew Jenings, Pismo Beach: insurance business consultant
Stewart Jenkins, San Luis Obispo: lawyer
Simran Jhutti, San Luis Obispo: business account specialist
Ashley Johnson, Arroyo Grande: state transportation program manager
Kathy Keville, Atascadero: safety and risk management company consultant/CEO
Lena Legge, Bakersfield: Bakersfield assistant city clerk
Hannah Lungren, Los Osos: babysitter
Elizabeth Matarese, Cayucos: former heating and air company administrative assistant
Jared Maxwell, Pismo Beach: credit union banker
Mariana Montufar, Stockton: bank customer service supervisor
Juan Miguel Munoz-Morris, Atascadero: behavioral health program manager
Helen Nolan, San Luis Obispo: San Luis Obispo County acting clerk-recorder/interim department head
Sean Nolan, Arroyo Grande: hotel general manager
Ruben Ojeda, Nipomo: eligibility worker
Crystal Perez, Grover Beach: social services office assistant
Aubrey Pulford Sheridan, Cambria: military department program analyst
Richard Ramirez, Santa Maria: postal carrier
Silvia Ramirez, Oceano: corporate unit manager
David Robbins, San Luis Obispo: founder, agriculture holding company
Alfredo Ruiz, Nipomo: police sergeant
Barbara Schmitz, Sacramento: former state health care department staff services manager
Mariam Shah, Arroyo Grande: former Grover Beach City Council member
Justin Sherfield, San Luis Obispo: former real estate group assistant vice president
Willis Triggs, Paso Robles: former church business manager
Heidi Waggener, Atascadero: state hospital psychiatric technician
Alyssa Wallace, Nipomo: former graphic designer
Tracy Woods, Morro Bay: former director of construction
Aleigha Zarate, Santa Maria: oral surgery receptionist
This story was originally published September 16, 2021 at 10:03 AM.
