County welcomes six new employees
Pulaski County is welcoming a number of new employees, the latest being a new emergency management agency director.
During a regular meeting on Monday, commissioners approved the recommendation of Sheri Gaillard as the new emergency management agency (EMA) director.
Pulaski County Health Director Terri Hansen, who was representing the EMA board, said six applicants were interviewed for the position of director.
“We had some really good candidates,” Hansen said.
Of those applicants one, Gaillard, stood out from the rest, according to Hansen.
“She has wonderful qualifications,” Hansen said.
Commissioners approved the recommendation.
After the commissioners’ meeting, commissioner Larry Brady, who was a member of the EMA board, agreed with Hansen in regards to Gaillard’s qualifications.
“She has a strong network of connections to build that collaboration that we are wanting for all of our communities. The levels of knowledge in those areas just add to the EMA program,” Brady said. “She is homegrown and from here. She is not going anywhere.”
Gaillard appears to be a jack of all trades and good at all she does. She is trained as a paramedic, county communications specialist and a deputy town marshal for the Town of Medaryville.
She was attracted to the EMA position because “it is kind of putting it all together. Everything I have done since I have graduated from high school, feels like it is all coming together. When I responded to Hurricane Sandy in New York, helping with the disaster out there, and then with the Clark County tornado that same year, it just was something that I really found a passion for — helping all those people. It is still in the emergency field but a different side of it.”
As the EMA director, there are new certifications that Gaillard will need to earn in the first year of work.
The county also welcomed a new employee at the Pulaski County Building Department, two deputies at the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, a Pulaski County Animal Control Officer and a bookkeeper for the Pulaski County Highway Department.
County highway superintendent Terry Ruff recently hired Jessica Rausch as the bookkeeper for the department.
During the hiring process, about 20 applications were accepted and reviewed by Ruff. Interviews were then conducted and Rausch was selected as the top applicant.
“Her recommendations were high and she was the best we had. I think we found a diamond in the rough,” Ruff said.
Rausch was a secretary for a local company and will begin working full time on Monday, Aug. 24. Ruff said she has been working early in the morning, trying to learn the county highway department system.
With the moving of David Webber, building official Dave Dare was in need of a new assistant.
Five people applied for the job, but only one, Quentin Blount, was hired for the job.
“I think the way he answered his questions and he seems to have a good solid head on him,” Dare said about Blount. “I think he has a direction that he wants to go and he doesn’t sound like a person that wastes his time. He sounds like he is wanting to learn more and more as he can and that’s great.”
Blount will not only be the assistant to the Pulaski County Building Official but also secretary for the Pulaski County Advisory Plan Commission and the Pulaski County Board of Zoning Appeals.
“I thought this is a really interesting job and there is a lot to learn. I’m really into environmental policy and stuff like that. I saw the position and was drawn to it,” Blount said.
Blount, who is a Winamac Community High School graduate, recently completed an internship in Ohio and came back to Indiana more than two months ago. He’s completed more than two years of college where he studied business management.
He also has some construction background as he worked for construction companies during the summer as a teen.
Dare said that being a building inspector is just one aspect of what Blount will be assisting with. Blount will also assist with clerical duties, data entry, issuing building permits, completing variance applications, working with contractors to obtain their permits and understand the zoning ordinances that are applicable to this area.
“I like the idea that he was a younger person that has some fresh college background,” Dare said. He continued to say that Blount will be an asset to the department because Blount is well-versed with technology.
Richwine hired animal control officer, John Kleinofen, on Aug. 4, as the position became available after Sarah Kasten resigned.
Kleinofen is a retired police officer from the Chicago suburb area. He was also an animal control officer in southwest Colorado. He has lived in Winamac for 16 years.
“He has some police experience and is interested in animals,” Richwine said. “He has good common sense and he seems to be real methodical about how he goes about it. He’s just done a good job for us so far.”
Two new deputies have been recently hired. Pulaski County Sheriff Jeff Richwine welcomed deputies Jim Runk and Robert Hartley.
Runk, who was hired on Aug. 10, and Hartley, who was hired on Aug. 11, are both from the county. Richwine said it was important to him that both Runk and Hartley are from the county.
“It’s important to me as far as their accessibility, they are close by. Being community guys, the people should know them and they will have that connection with Pulaski County,” Richwine said. “Jim, I liked his maturity and he has been a reserve officer for us. With Robert, he had good references. He did a very good job in his interviews, especially with the merit board.”
With the hiring of Runk and Hartley, the department will be at full staff pending the newest officers graduating the police academy. Richwine is hoping that the newest deputies will be able to attend the academy later this year or the early part of next year.
Currently, deputies Nicholas Bowyer and Phil Foerg are training at the academy. They have just completed their fourth week.
Richwine said it is almost a year before a deputy completes all the necessary training at the academy and the office.
(Pulaski County Journal — Aug. 19, 2015 • Story by Amber L. Tomlinson)