PORT ANGELES — A background check into Todd W. Mielke, the Clallam County commissioners’ top choice for county administrator, is expected to take about two weeks.
Mielke, 58, of Nine Mile Falls in Spokane County, was a “clear standout” from the three finalists for the position, Tom Reyes, Human Resources deputy director, wrote in a Wednesday morning email. He was given a conditional job offer, pending the background check.
“We will be finalizing our background investigation on Mr. Mielke,” Reyes said. “This will include sending a team to Spokane to knock on doors and to meet with folks who have worked with, or know, Mr. Mielke.”
If all goes as expected, Reyes said, the county will finalize the hiring process.
An official start date has not been determined, he said.
Rich Sill had served as interim county administrator/human resources director since October 2018. “Interim” was removed from his title in December 2019.
In May of this year, the county restarted its search for the top spot to allow Sill to focus on his role as human resources director.
Mielke received a bachelor’s degree in business administration finance and operations management and accounting from Eastern Washington University in 1989 and a master’s in business administration from the University of Washington’s Michael G. Foster School of Business in 2016.
He has served in various positions in Spokane County, including CEO of the Greater Spokane Chamber of Commerce and three terms as a Spokane County commissioner (from November 2004 to February 2016). His most recent position was the chief administrative officer with the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.
While Mielke was a Spokane County commissioner, he was elected president of the Washington Association of Counties.
“Though all the finalists performed well, Mr. Mielke was a clear standout in the testing process,” Reyes said. “We are excited about the prospect of him joining the Clallam County team.
“I look forward to learning more about him as well as gaining a better understanding of his vision for this organization and how he believes we can better serve our community.”
Reyes said the county paid Strategic Government Resources, a recruiting firm based in Keller, Texas, to perform a social media search on all three finalists as the testing process was occurring. A county team also was performing initial steps in the background process.
In September 2018, the commissioners withdrew a conditional job offer to David Fraser of Boulder City, Nev., to take over the county administrator position, saying they had discovered information that showed he “wasn’t the right fit” for the county. They did not specify what the information was.
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at brian.gawley@soundpublishing.com.
