Oktibbeha County supervisors are expected to hire a new road manager next month after interviewing a shortlist of finalists Monday.
Supervisors took no action on the potential hire after spending a majority of June’s last board meeting questioning five prospective candidates but indicated former Road Manager Victor Collins’ replacement will be named July 10.
The shortlist of finalists includes Fred Baggett, Casey Hairston, Joseph King, Donald Thompson and Sheila Williams.
Baggett runs his own firm, Baggett Engineering Inc., and previously served as road manager for Leflore County (1996-2000) and Lowndes County (2000-01), as well as county engineer for Holmes County (2008-14). He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Mississippi State University.
Hairston joined the Oktibbeha County Road Department in 2012 as a road foreman and previously held equipment operator positions with Woodside Estates and MMC Concrete.
King has worked a number of engineering-related positions since 1988, including a five-year stint designing state aid roads with Springer Engineering, of Starkville. He currently serves as Jackson-based SGE/Garrett ECI.IV’s project manager. King received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from MSU.
Thompson is a retired USPS rural carrier and Oktibbeha County farmer who last ran for District 1’s supervisor post in 2015.
Williams works as a consulting civil project engineer for Engineering Services of Richland. She previously worked in engineering roles for the Mississippi State Department of Health for almost 11 years and last served as the entity’s engineering services director for the bureau of public water supply. Williams graduated from MSU with a degree in mechanical engineering.
“By advertising and allowing the interview process to work, the quality of candidates was phenomenal. Management and budget experience, education and technology skillsets and success in operations of large organizations are (the traits) these candidates possess. I have no doubt many of them could lead us in a positive, new direction,” said District 4 Supervisor Bricklee Miller.
Collins ended his 30-year career with Oktibbeha County in March. He started as an equipment operator in 1987 and worked his way up to road manager in 2011.
Garrard has served as interim road manager since his retirement.
The Oktibbeha County Road Department’s current fiscal year budget is $6.5 million, and Collins’ earned $76,500 in his role.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.