Questions are being asked about the hiring of the new Tucson city manager’s daughter, Lauren Ortega by Pima County. Michael Ortega was hired on as the Tucson city manager earlier this year, and now his daughter will start work with the County in October.
Although the County claims that Ortega was hired to replace Jim Cunningham, unlike Cunningham, whose job title is a Site Review Manager, Ortega is being hired as a Public Works Division Manager. The County’s job description for that position reads in part:
It is distinguished from the classification of Civil Engineering Manager, which is responsible for the
direction of a major engineering function or project. It is also distinguished from the classification of
Deputy Director, which is responsible for multiple divisions of the department, and may perform
statutory requirements of the County Engineer in the absence of the Director.MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: EITHER:
(1) A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in civil engineering,
hydrology, public administration, transportation planning, a physical science or a related field and
seven years of professional experience, including three years supervising activities in the area of
specialization.
(A Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university in one of the above cited disciplines may
substitute for one year of the aforementioned general experience.)
OR:
(2) One year of experience with Pima County as a Civil Engineering Manager, Transportation and
Flood Control Engineering Projects Manager or Capital Improvement Program (CIP) Manager.
OR:
(3) Two years of experience with Pima County as an Architectural Manager.
OR:
(4) Four years of experience with Pima County as a Construction Contracts Manager and three years
of supervisory experience (the supervisory experience may be concurrent with the required general
experience) or Chief Zoning Inspector.
OR:
(5) Five years of experience with Pima County as a Civil Engineer and three years of supervisory
experience (the supervisory experience may be concurrent with the required general experience). View full job description here.
According to an email from Yves Khawam, PhD, the County’s Chief Building Official in the Development Services Department, Oretega is “currently the Public Works Director for the City of Douglas.” She does not yet have her Master’s degree.
From: Yves Khawam
Sent: Tuesday, August 25, 2015 10:32 AM
To: All DSD; Priscilla Cornelio; Ana Olivares; Robert Young; Seth Chalmers; Robert Lane (DOT); William Strickler; Lauren Maine; Jim Cunningham; Rick Ellis; Robert D Johnson; Dave Zaleski; Ursula Nelson; Richard Grimaldi; David Amash; Jackson Jenkins; Eric Wieduwilt; Lorenzo Hernandez (RWRD); Francisco Galindo; Suzanne Shields; Eric Shepp; Bill Zimmerman; Ann Moynihan; Courtney Rose; Greg Hagen; Amber Smith (Amber@mpaaz.org); David Godlewski (david@sahba.org); Shawn Cote (shawn@sahba.org)
Cc: Lauren Ortega (lauren.ortega@me.com); John Bernal; Nanette Slusser
Subject: Appointment of DSD Site Review ManagerHi All,
Please note that Lauren Ortega has been selected for the position of Development Services Site Review Manager. Lauren is currently the Public Works Director for the City of Douglas, is a professional engineer and is in the process of completing an MBA through the Eller Executive Program. Lauren’s experience working with multiple departments and creative approach to solving problems will provide a great addition to the County’s inter-departmental site review team—we are lucky to have her!
Lauren’s first day with us will be October 5th and will be introduced around shortly thereafter.
Y
Yves Khawam, PhD
Chief Building Official
According to Pima County, Ortega’s new “position was opened to the public and to county employees starting on 6/12/2015. It was “opened until filled.”
The County reports that there were a total of 30 candidates who applied for this position. 6 candidates were selected for interview. Ortega was the successful candidate.
County administrator Chuck Huckelberry, through his public relations team had refused to answer inquiries about the position and the hiring process. As a result, it is unknown if Ortega has experience working in Pima County. A Pima County resident blogger first asked questions about the hiring. On his Three Sonorans’ website, David Morales wrote: “Not only has the Chuckster hired former COT and COST executive Benny Young without due process, he has now hired the new City Manager’s daughter for a top position in the Pima County Development Services Department. Will anyone look at the process Pima County used to hire them?”
Morales also questioned why “the Southern Arizona Homebuilders Association would be officially notified at the same time and with the same importance as top county staff.” He concluded, “It is an obvious sign to Pima County’s planning and development staff that they should know who it is they are really serving.”
In March 2015, the City of Tucson announced that the secretive selection process for the new city manager had come to an end and Michael Ortega would fill the position.
The City Council held a closed meeting and voted unanimously to give the job to Ortega, who was serving as the Cochise County administrator at the time. Ortega got his start in Pima County government in the Transportation Department.
Related articles:
Secretive process concludes, new Tucson city manager named
Gottschalk to leave Tucson for Dallas
Ortega said that is was a “family decision” to take the job and that he was “excited to be a part of exploring” Tucson’s “tremendous potential.”