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Ortega top choice as administrator
Shar Porier
Wick Communications
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors announced Thursday that Michael Ortega, city manager of Douglas, is the choice for the position of county administrator.
The supervisors interviewed Ortega April 9 during a special meeting. A contract with Ortega still must be approved by the supervisors, and no details have been released as to his salary. That will happen at the May 24 meeting, Supervisor Pat Call said.
"We are very fortunate to have Mike come on as county administrator. I met him seven years ago and it took me five minutes to like him and two more to figure out how capable he was. When (current County Administrator) Jody (Klein) first told us he was planning on retiring, Mike popped into my mind," Call said.
The 45-year-old Ortega has contacts in the Arizona Legislature that Call sees as beneficial to the county.
"We would be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't respect him," added Call.
Call thinks Ortega's the guy who can take the county to the next level, thanks to his experience in growth, water issues and solid waste, including recycling.
Klein knows and has worked with Ortega for many years and is pleased he was selected.
"I believe that Mike is exactly the person the county needs in this position, and I have no doubt he will move the county forward as we grapple with issues of growth, limited revenues and an ever-increasing demand for services," Klein said.
Ortega plans to leave his position with the city of Douglas and begin on July 2. He will spend some time learning the ropes with Klein, who is retiring at the end of June but will work part time during the transition.
Ortega sees the job as a "great opportunity."
"There are a lot of issues we face as a county and I want to be a part of the process," he said. "The key issues are growth, water and transportation. The county is poised for growth with the price of land in other counties. People are flocking to look here. We need to be prepared for the coming growth and be proactive, find resolutions to these problems. The preservation of quality of life here is something we need to work to continue. I'm looking forward to the challenges."
Richard Searle, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, also sees Ortega as an asset. "I know he will bring the same energy and ability to the county that has resulted in community revitalization in Douglas under his leadership," he said.
Ortega will provide day-to-day operational management of the county government, including oversight of a $200 million budget.
He is a Cochise County native and has served as the city manager since 1995. He also has served as the Arizona state engineer assistant director for the Department of Transportation, where he utilized his civil engineering degree to lead the inter-modal transportation division, overseeing 6,700 miles of state highways.
He also holds a degree in business administration and attended the Harvard University Executive Program for senior executives in state and government.
(Shar Porier is a reporter at the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review.)
Wick Communications
The Cochise County Board of Supervisors announced Thursday that Michael Ortega, city manager of Douglas, is the choice for the position of county administrator.
The supervisors interviewed Ortega April 9 during a special meeting. A contract with Ortega still must be approved by the supervisors, and no details have been released as to his salary. That will happen at the May 24 meeting, Supervisor Pat Call said.
"We are very fortunate to have Mike come on as county administrator. I met him seven years ago and it took me five minutes to like him and two more to figure out how capable he was. When (current County Administrator) Jody (Klein) first told us he was planning on retiring, Mike popped into my mind," Call said.
The 45-year-old Ortega has contacts in the Arizona Legislature that Call sees as beneficial to the county.
"We would be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't respect him," added Call.
Call thinks Ortega's the guy who can take the county to the next level, thanks to his experience in growth, water issues and solid waste, including recycling.
Klein knows and has worked with Ortega for many years and is pleased he was selected.
"I believe that Mike is exactly the person the county needs in this position, and I have no doubt he will move the county forward as we grapple with issues of growth, limited revenues and an ever-increasing demand for services," Klein said.
Ortega plans to leave his position with the city of Douglas and begin on July 2. He will spend some time learning the ropes with Klein, who is retiring at the end of June but will work part time during the transition.
Ortega sees the job as a "great opportunity."
"There are a lot of issues we face as a county and I want to be a part of the process," he said. "The key issues are growth, water and transportation. The county is poised for growth with the price of land in other counties. People are flocking to look here. We need to be prepared for the coming growth and be proactive, find resolutions to these problems. The preservation of quality of life here is something we need to work to continue. I'm looking forward to the challenges."
Richard Searle, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, also sees Ortega as an asset. "I know he will bring the same energy and ability to the county that has resulted in community revitalization in Douglas under his leadership," he said.
Ortega will provide day-to-day operational management of the county government, including oversight of a $200 million budget.
He is a Cochise County native and has served as the city manager since 1995. He also has served as the Arizona state engineer assistant director for the Department of Transportation, where he utilized his civil engineering degree to lead the inter-modal transportation division, overseeing 6,700 miles of state highways.
He also holds a degree in business administration and attended the Harvard University Executive Program for senior executives in state and government.
(Shar Porier is a reporter at the Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review.)
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