BY Brianna Vaccari
Central Valley Journalism Collaborative
Mark Hendrickson is slated to be Merced County’s next county executive officer, after nearly two decades working for the county.
He’s already been working as the county’s top administrator on an interim basis since May. Former CEO Raul Lomeli Mendez tendered his resignation in March after three years on the job.
The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote on Hendrickson’s employment contract Tuesday, to the tune of $283,000 annually.
Hendrickson most recently worked as assistant CEO and as the director of the county’s community and economic development director before that. He also worked in government relations, first for PG&E, before taking the same role with the county. He served three terms on the Atwater Elementary School District’s board of trustees and is a U.S. Air Force veteran.
Board Chair Josh Pedrozo told The Merced FOCUS that Hendrickson is ready to start the job with a long list of things to tackle – as long as the contract is approved Tuesday.
“Mr. Hendrickson has a proven track record of leadership in the county,” Pedrozo said. “I think he kind of rose to the top with his knowledge… He's positioned himself to lead the organization in a good way of moving forward.”
Hendrickson’s Merced County roots and experience working in the organization made him stand out, the supervisors said. “He’s one of us,” Pedrozo said.
The supervisors praised Hendrickson’s work transforming the decommissioned Castle Air Force Base into the commerce center it is today, including the plans to turn it into an inland port.
“Castle has come a long way, especially in the last 10 years,” said Supervisor Daron McDaniel, whose District 3 includes Castle. “Moving forward, I think he’s the right guy at the helm.”
The Board of Supervisors worked with a recruiter to search for the next CEO and received about two dozen qualified applicants. That pool was narrowed down to seven finalists, then down to three, McDaniel said.
Merced County’s executive officer is appointed by the Board of Supervisors and manages the county’s $1.14 billion budget and 2,000 employees.
