We have entered our eighth month without a new chief executive officer to lead Orange County’s more than 16,000 employees. Previous efforts have apparently failed, and while no disrespect to interim CEO Michelle Aguirre, our county–the sixth most populous in the USA–deserves a permanent individual in this critical role.
Allow me to offer some advice.
For starters, shouldn’t the job be posted on the county’s own website with the 84 other jobs currently being offered? Nor could I find the job listed on Monster or Indeed. Hello, Human Resources? If some random public administrator starting a job search wants to become El Jefe de County of Orange, shouldn’t we be advertising that the job is available?
But before the announcement is re-posted (or a headhunter retained for a recruitment), let’s be sure to accentuate the positive. My guess is the previous job description focused on all the tiresome things–administrative and personnel duties, the budget, intergovernmental relations, yada yada yada.
BOR-ING.
The real appeal for being CEO of Orange County is–fanfare please–the OC itself! Let’s start with the obvious: Orange County has a beach.
Surf’s up dudes! Mile and miles of glorious sand, some of the best board breaks on the west coast, plus fabulous resorts where a weary CEO can snatch a lounge chair on the terrace to sip a tall, cold, local IPA–does it get any better? (Ignore the cliffs sliding onto the railroad tracks down in San Clemente, that’s the OCTA’s problem).
The CEO also has his/her own harbor, in historic Dana Point, where he/she could park a new sailing vessel at a pretty sweet rate for a slip. Or schedule those tiresome staff meetings at the county offices at the harbor, gazing out on the blue Pacific, then adjourning to one of the first class restaurants in the neighborhood. And don’t forget the Harbor Patrol, officially the domain of the Sheriff, but a leisurely monthly CEO cruise to review operations should be in order.
Speaking of a meal, the OC is replete with an amazing array of food purveyors reflecting our diverse population. From his/her office in Santa Ana the new CEO can walk to enjoy some of the best Mexican food in southern California. A short drive west brings Vietnamese food better than ever served in Saigon. Hopscotch down to Irvine where the city’s Pacific Asian population consumes both traditional and fusion dishes. And of course a visit to Antonello in Santa Ana,where the Italian food is fabulous and the ghosts of supervisor/lobbyist trysts from years past imbue the atmosphere.
Beyond food for the body, nourishment for the soul is here in spades, with two world-class performing arts venues for music, a nationally recognized theater company at South Coast Repertory, a philharmonic orchestra and other arts venues too numerous to mention. Oh yes, and that big amusement park in Anaheim–what is it called?
Does the new CEO have children? No problem finding a good school almost anywhere in the county, with the extra bonus of not one, not two, not three but FIVE highly rated institutions of higher education at Cal State Fullerton, UC Irvine, Chapman University, Vanguard University, and Concordia University. And, the combined brainpower of these colleges and universities can easily be tapped to assist the new CEO in addressing the myriad of issues the county now faces and will in the future.
Medical needs, hopefully preventative? Look no further than hospitals staffed by nationally recognized doctors and research specialists at places like Hoag, St. Joseph’s and the brand new City of Hope campus, not to mention two new UCI operated hospitals that just opened in Irvine to complement the main hospital in Orange.
And while we locals take it for granted, there are few places anywhere in the United States where the weather is better than right here. I’d suggest county HR make a three minute video featuring our beaches, parks and other outdoor delights to send to county executives in every ice-bound area north of Kansas City as an enticement.
I could go on, highlighting the county’s vibrant economy, relative lack of crime, well-functioning transportation system, and two major league sports franchises hip by jowl to one another in Anaheim. Sure, the homeless problem persists and confounds, our large immigrant community is about to be impacted by ICE raids, and The Real Housewives are still in reruns. And yes, the new CEO will probably require a compensation bump for housing costs.
But all in all, CEO candidates, could there be anyplace better for your next career position? Apply now. See you at the beach.
Michael Stockstill is the co-author of a book on the history of the Irvine Ranch. He is retired and lives in Irvine.
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