The Exodus Continues: another high-level employee leaves Shasta County

REDDING, Calif. — Another high-level employee is leaving Shasta County. County Attorney and County Counsel Rubin Cruse is retiring effective in April.

After more than 12 years as county counsel, Cruse is moving into private practice. His last day with the county is April 21. He joins a list of administrators who have moved on from the county, including CEO Matt Pontes, now with Sierra Pacific Industries, and Health and Human Services Director Donell Ewert, who retired.

Health Officer, Dr. Karen Ramstrom, was terminated by the board of supervisors. Ewert's position has been filled, but the CEO and health officer jobs are still being performed by interim employees.

And Board Chair-apparent Patrick Jones says that's okay.

“I think it’s just a great opportunity to be able to select your next CEO and your next county council. We have some new ideas on health officers, so, I think, it’s an exciting time and we look forward to being able to select people that really serve Shasta County and the current needs of this board and the county,” Supervisor Patrick Jones told KRCR’s Mike Mangas during an interview on Tuesday. “And so, things have happened—several top positions happened at the same time, which is a little unusual. But we can handle all that and recruit for each of those positions.”

He also has definite ideas on how those positions should be filled.

“As we move forward, I would like to have an opportunity to be able to have assistance in a position to be able to make that move throughout all levels of the county, so that we have somebody from within that moves up to the next level and a person in-training, if you will," Supervisor Jones told Mangas.

Two newly-elected members, Kevin Crye and Chris Kelstrom, will take their seats at the first meeting of the new year, onTues., Jan. 10.

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