BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Acting Los Alamos County Manager is one of the three finalists for the position of County Manager announced Friday afternoon by Los Alamos County Council. A total of 33 applications were received with 21 of them meeting the qualifications posted for the position.
Lynne has worked for Los Alamos County since 1996 when he joined the Office of Management and Budget. He became Chief Financial Officer in 2000 and in 2010 was promoted to Administrative Services Director/Chief Financial Officer and eventually became Deputy County Manager. Since the retirement of former County Manager Harry Burgess at the end of May, he has been Acting County Manager. Lynne holds a degree in Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Also in the final three is Erin Reinders who has been the City Manager for Unalaska, Alaska since 2019. Prior to that, she was the Assistant County Manager for four years. She is a Certified Public Manager and Planner specializing in project development and management as well as community planning and outreach. Reinders spent 12 years with the City of Franklin, Tenn. She has a Master’s degree from the University of Delaware in Urban Affairs & Public Police/Environmental Policy & Sustainable Urban Communities.
The third candidate is Leandro Cordova who is currently the Finance Director and Administration Director for the New Mexico Association of Counties. He served as Taos County Manager from 2015 for four years and as the County’s Finance Director prior to that.
Details of the candidates’ qualifications have not been released by the County but were obtained by the Los Alamos Reporter from public sources.
The final three candidates were interviewed by Council via Zoom in closed session. The plan is for the finalists to be in Los Alamos June 24 and 25. On Thursday, June 24, the public is invited to an open house reception from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the concert stage at Ashley Pond Park. Introductions will be made at 5:30 p.m.
According to a press release from Los Alamos County, residents are invited to visit with each candidate and then fill out a comment form with their feedback and top choice(s). The forms will be collected and given to Council to review as part of their selection process.
Council Chair Randall Ryti said last week that June 25 the candidates will meet with panels consisting of Councilors, the senior management team and members of the public. Each Councilor was to submit two or three names from the community. z
The County Manager position is vacant due to the retirement of former County Manager Harry Burgess at the end of May following 10 years in the job. Council is expected to make the final selection at the July 13 regular Council meeting.