Publisher’s note: The following letter was sent to the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors on April 5, 2016. The signers are all elected officials.

Dear Supervisor [Ron] Mikulaco:

We, the undersigned elected officials for El Dorado County, hereby submit our unanimous recommendation of and support for Don Ashton as the next El Dorado County chief administrative officer.

As you are no doubt aware, over the last few years El Dorado County has experienced a series of transitions in key county management positions.  The many transitions in such critical positions as chief administrative officer, assistant chief administrative officer, human resources director, and county counsel create an atmosphere of uncertainty and discontinuity. The citizens of El Dorado County have been promised the highest quality service delivered by an efficient, cost effective county work force. The employees tasked with delivering on that promise deserve stable, competent administrative leadership.

The seven elected department heads are unanimous in supporting Don Ashton as the person to provide this stable administrative leadership. Don has a proven record of fiscal prudence and no nonsense leadership. He was a respected executive officer in Los Angeles County with increasing responsibility over more than 10 years. Since moving to El Dorado County, he has served admirably for six years; first as the sheriff’s CFO, then as a principle analyst in the Chief Administrative Office, and most recently as the director of Health and Human Services, the county’s largest department. As the HHSA director, Mr. Ashton managed the department through a chaotic and tumultuous consolidation, a solid example of his leadership ability. Significantly, Mr. Ashton came to live in El Dorado County not seeking to climb the ladder, he did that quite successfully in Los Angeles, he came here to live and make this the home for his family.

Simply stated, we are confident your board will have many well qualified candidates for CAO from which to choose; however, none will possess the depth of quality in character, competence and community as Don Ashton.

Respectfully submitted,

Vern Pierson, district attorney

John D’Agostini, sheriff

Karl Weiland, assessor

Cherie Raffety, treasure-tax collector

Joe Harn, auditor

William Schultz, recorder-clerk

Rich Briner, surveyor