Stanislaus County has selected its next CEO

The Board of Supervisors has selected one of Stanislaus County’s top managers as its next chief executive officer.

Jody Hayes — one of the county’s three assistant executive officers — will officially become CEO on Aug. 12, according to a county news release issued Friday. He is replacing CEO Stan Risen who is retiring Aug. 11 after more than 30 years with the county.

Hayes will oversee a county government with a $1.18 billion annual budget and more than 4,400 employees.

Supervisor Terry Withrow said Hayes’ selection shows that the board is pleased with how the county is operating and with its direction. He said Risen and the county have excelled at developing leaders and in succession planning. Hayes is the third county employee to become CEO since the 2011 retirement of then CEO Rick Robinson, who came here from Tehama County.

Hayes “has all the tools in the toolbox,” Withrow said. “He knows the county backward and forward. He is very strong with fiscal management and implementing the board’s policies.”

Board Chairman Vito Chiesa said in the news release that Hayes is well-respected and is a strategic thinker focused on improving county government and the community.

The supervisors voted 4-0 in closed session June 16 to appoint Hayes. Supervisor Dick Monteith abstained from the vote.

Monteith stressed that his decision is not a criticism of Hayes but said the county’s recruitment did not generate as many candidates as previous ones. He said this is an issue that other public-sector agencies are facing.

“I wanted to extend the recruitment to make sure we had reached all of the qualified candidates,” Monteith said. “It had nothing to do with Jody. But I wanted to make sure we reached all of the qualified candidates and that we had done our due diligence.”

Supervisor Jim DeMartini said board members discussed doing another recruitment but did not believe it would have produced better results. He said the county received about 20 applicants for the position.

DeMartini and Withrow interviewed seven over the phone to narrow the field to three finalists. Those finalists were Hayes, Stanislaus County Public Works Director Matt Machado and Merced County Assistant County Executive Officer Scott de Moss.

Supervisors are expected to approve Hayes’ employment contract at their Tuesday meeting. The contract calls for Hayes to earn $240,000 annually.

Hayes has worked for the county since 1999. He started as the human resources manager for the Probation Department. He went to work for the CEO’s office in 2004 as a management consultant. He was named a deputy executive officer overseeing human resources in 2006 and became an assistant executive officer in February 2014 with a focus on the county’s budget and working with the county’s public safety and general government operations.

“I’m really excited,” Hayes said. “The county has proven to be an excellent organization in serving the community. The opportunity to serve as the leader of the organization on behalf of the Board of Supervisors is a great honor.”

He also thanked Risen and other county officials and the CEO’s office.

Hayes said his passions align with the Board of Supervisors’ priorities, including Focus on Prevention. That is a 10-year effort the county launched two years ago to tackle some of the area’s most vexing social problems, including homelessness and the disintegration of families.

This story was originally published June 24, 2017 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Stanislaus County has selected its next CEO."