Ledger-Dispatch

By Kelly Scott (kenos@ledger-dispatch.com) =

New Deputy County Administrative = Officer Kristin=20 Bengyel gets an official welcome from District 3 Supervisor Ted = Novelli at=20 last week's planning commission meeting.

Photo by: Jerry=20 Budrick
Kristin Bengyel is glad to be back = in=20 Amador County.

The executive director of the In-Home Supportive = Services=20 Public Authority in Fresno the past five years, Bengyel recently = accepted the=20 position of deputy county administrative officer near her hometown. = Bengyel's=20 tenure overseeing in-home care was listed as a quality that will aid her = in a=20 position that will have her assuming some of the responsibilities of the = land=20 use agency director. "More importantly, Kristin will be doing a lot of = functions=20 that have fallen by the wayside," said County Administrative Officer = Terri Daly,=20 who last held the deputy position before being promoted almost two years = ago.=20 "This is going to be great for the county."

The position of = deputy CAO=20 has been vacant since Daly left it. With Bengyel coming in, Daly quipped = that=20 she "will only have three jobs now instead of four." Daly added that she = was=20 impressed with the way Bengyel jumped into the position by learning = quickly and=20 making recommendations on streamlining duties. "She will also be = introduced to=20 special functions that really need attention, like the half-cent sales = tax for=20 the fire district, the landfill closing and Indian gaming," Daly = explained. "As=20 she gets to know these, we can start dividing duties."

Bengyel = said she=20 is glad to be back in Amador County after having moved to Fresno when = her=20 husband Alan left his position as Ione city manager. For the past year, = the=20 county has experienced a hiring freeze. As a result, some community = members felt=20 an inside promotion was preferable to an outside hire, Daly said. Daly = said the=20 county did look internally before posting and filling the position, but = received=20 no inquiries from individuals with the experience needed for the job. = "It would=20 be a disservice to the county if we hired someone not qualified and set = them up=20 for failure," she said.

"We still have the hiring freeze," she = added.=20 "When a position becomes available, then one goes off the freeze list. = The DCAO=20 was at the top of the list for hire."

Bengyel said she was = looking=20 forward to her husband retiring as city manager of Fresno, so they can = begin=20 making their home in the gold country. "Everyone is so kind," she said. = "Amador=20 County is substantial; it's not a flighty place but just ...=20 substantial."

Kelly = Scott