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Three longtime administrators resign from Washington County government

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Washington County’s Courthouse Square office building

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Observer-Reporter

Washington County Finance Director Joshua Hatfield is pictured working in his office in this 2017 file photo.

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Michael Namie

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Observer-Reporter

Kim Rogers, who is now Washington County human services director, is shown in this 2018 file photo.

Three longtime administrators within Washington County’s government are exiting their positions at the end of the month, leaving a gaping leadership hole that county Commission Chairwoman Diana Irey Vaughan said will be tough to fill.

Michael Namie, who is chief of staff for the county commissioners, along with Finance Director Joshua Hatfield and Human Services Director Kimberly Rogers, all notified the county recently that they will be leaving their positions June 30.

Irey Vaughan said she thinks the resignations stem from political infighting between elected row officers and other county officials, along with uncertainty about who will be leading the board of commissioners next year following the upcoming general election. Irey Vaughan, who has served as county commissioner for nearly 28 years, is also leaving her position as board chairwoman after announcing earlier this year that she’s retiring when her term ends in January.

“You’re seeing a domino effect from the atmosphere and chaos that is at the county,” Irey Vaughan said. “There are issues that are not within their control to fix, and I believe they all decided it’s time to step away.”

She said the exiting leaders are part of a “tremendous team” of workers, but massive political changes within county government in recent years have created problems that are making the work environment untenable. Irey Vaughan noted that Shelli Arnold left her position as human resources director earlier this year, and the county has struggled to hire a full-time replacement due to “uncertainty” about leadership next year.

Irey Vaughan said they plan to appoint an “interim director” in the county’s Human Services Department to replace Rogers, who was elevated to that position in April 2020 after previously leading Children and Youth Services since 2012. She praised Rogers for “crafting a consolidated human services delivery system” when she helped to reconfigure the department last year.

“She did a remarkable job, and she’s left a legacy of excellence in caring for our children,” Irey Vaughan said.

Rogers said Wednesday she and her husband just sold their house and bought a new one in West Virginia, where they are planning to move to retire.

“I know there are things going on in the county (but) I’m super excited about having a new story with my retirement. It’s bittersweet because this is a great place to work with a lot of great people,” Rogers said.

“We all have our own life stories, and they all kind of converged on the same date,” Rogers said of the multiple exits in the same period.

Meanwhile, Irey Vaughan said she is concerned about finding a replacement for Hatfield in such a critical position as finance director, especially considering his good working relationship with Namie. She said county officials might have to outsource the financial work Hatfield normally would’ve done in his position.

“The two combined are leaving with over 50 years of an impeccable financial record and experience in Washington County,” Irey Vaughan said. “Mike and Josh have been a great team in Washington County for a very long time.”

Namie worked in the county controller’s office for several years in the early 1990s and later served five terms as controller before retiring from the position at the end of his last term in 2021. He was then appointed to serve as the board of commissioners’ chief of staff in January 2022. Namie said Wednesday that he was “retiring” as chief of staff, but declined to elaborate on the reasons why he was leaving.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve Washington County for nearly 34 years,” Namie said.

Hatfield was hired to work in the finance department in 2004 and held several roles in county government through the past two decades, including deputy controller. He has served as finance director since 2017, where his most important role was to prepare the county’s annual budget. He indicated Wednesday that he had accepted a new job elsewhere, but declined to say where he would be working after leaving the county.

“Opportunities have presented themselves, and I’ve been incredibly grateful and honored to work for Washington County for almost 19 years,” Hatfield said. “Just moving on.”

Irey Vaughan said the next six months will be difficult as the commissioners look to fill key roles held by longtime employees who have intimate knowledge of how county government functions.

“I’m sad for Washington County to lose such remarkable leaders in our county, but I’m happy for them to make the best decisions for them in the next chapter of their lives,” Irey Vaughan said. “This is going to be the greatest challenge trying to keep the county moving forward through the end of the year.”

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