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Corrections Director Dan Price to retire

Thursday, May 8, 2008 11:04 AM PDT

By Tony Lystra

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Dan Price, the county’s corrections director, will retire next month and his deputy director, Marin Fox Hight, has been chosen to replace him, county officials said Thursday.

Price oversaw the opening of the new county jail in 2006, which involved moving hundreds of inmates from the old lockup across the street and working out the myriad security and logistical problems that come with housing inmates in a brand new building.

“That took a lot of teamwork,” Commissioner George Raiter said Wednesday.

Raiter said Price had recommended Fox Hight for the deputy director post last year with the intent of preparing her to step into the corrections department’s top job when he retired.

Fox Hight has been an ambitious “fast tracker” since joining the department in 1999, he said. She has managed all of the corrections department’s division’s at some point during her tenure, including juvenile detention, offender services, probation and the jail.

Raiter said she has also gained the endorsement of police officials from Kelso, Longview, Woodland and Kalama.

“Knowing what we know about her ... we didn’t see how anybody could do a better job interviewing from the outside,” he said.

Fox Hight, who will begin her new job June 1, studied criminal justice at Washington State University and holds a bachelor of arts in organizational development and public management from Evergreen State College.

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new york wrote on May 8, 2008 5:22 PM:

" I think the County Commissioners have shown wisdom by training one of their own. Dan Price was the same way, and as the article points out, he did a good job. Marin Fox Hight seems like an exceptional individual who bring great skills to the corrections system "

A CCCD Worker wrote on May 8, 2008 9:22 PM:

" You guys(TDN) are just not going to let anything but approving comments on here, huh? I know everybody who works here has something to say about this, and there is only one comment posted, so.....Fast-tracked indeed. "

I oughta know wrote on May 9, 2008 6:52 AM:

" Perhaps the morale of the staff will rise now. The morale of Correction Division staff has been so low for so long I wonder if hand picking and not even considering other, just as highly qualified, personnel from within the ranks will be the right move. The biggest mistake the Commissioners ever made was to take the jail away from the Sheriff's Office, which made the jail non civil service. For years there was an administrative person that hired their family members over highly qualified applicants. That stopped only after it was made public. The leadership at the jail has been weak, demeaning, and of questionable integrity for many years. If the commissioners have been satisfied with the recent leadership efforts then they haven't been listening to the staff that work there. Since Fox Hight has had a birds eye view, I can only hope she has identified policy changes that can bring the needed team work mentality to the troops. "

I oughta know wrote on May 13, 2008 9:49 AM:

" What a joke. Where is the mention that this
highly qualified individual is only one month
out of school? Where is the mention that this highly
qualified person has been supervising employees
who are required by the state of Washington
to hold a 4 year degree, when she herself
didn't have one until a month ago? I also didn't
see where it mentions that her previous position
now requires applicants to show proof of their
education. It has been, and continues to be, a practice of the county to promote not based on
qualification but on who will best be a "yes man".
I'm certain that there would have been some very
qualified applicants, had they been afforded the
opportunity. I guess there just isn't any interest
in creating a working environment that isn't miserable, hostile & unhappy. Maybe if the
commissioners ever made down into the trenches
& talked to the grunt they wouldn't be so quick
to appoint someone without attempting to find the
best candidate. "

i oughta know TOO wrote on May 13, 2008 8:57 PM:

" I totally agree with you. The fact is the commissioners, have no idea what goes on. I believe that they don't even care. The way they run things and who they appoint the positions that need the qualifications you described, they just don't know what their doing. The commissioners are ignorant to the whole situation. I guess i should have married into the family of the person that is pretty high up , I wouldn't even have to finish high school to get a good job in this county. This just goes to show you that you probably can find and person off the street to do any of the jobs with in the county. Might as well put a gorilla in behind the desk. It'll be cheaper, all he expects to be paid in is bananas. "

Voter wrote on May 14, 2008 5:44 PM:

" Why do the Commissioners have control of the Jail Anyway? Cowlitz County is the only County I have ever heard of that does not have a Sheriff in charge of the Jail.

Second why is the Jail Director's Job not an elected position? We elect the Sheriff and Coroner etc. You would think the voter's should decide who gets the 85k a year job plus benefits.

Yea thats 85k we would not have to pay if the Sheriff had control. "

so sad wrote on May 14, 2008 10:19 PM:

" Has it been brought to anybodys attention that the new executive director just got her degree three weeks ago! Seriously, she was appointed to every position she has gotten but now those same positions are posted to the public. It's sad and disturbing. I thought with new commisioners coming in last year that there would be some changes but it seems that the good ol' club is sticking together. It's truly sad that people who work hard everyday for that department go unnoticed. What kind of message is that sending? "

i oughta know TOO wrote on May 15, 2008 12:41 PM:

" WOW 85k a year, I had know idea that the executive director made that much. I agree that the job should be an elected positions. If it was an elected position, the best candidate would win. Someone you know who will do the job correctly and fairly. We the people will pick the best candidate possible, by his or her qualification, education and experience. I believe that the elected person will do a better job than the person hand from one of there own. Also when they hand pick somebody nothing will ever be changed. It will continue with the something over and over. I know a lot of people are upset and disgruntle towards this situation, and i totally understand. Does anybody have any suggestions on what we should do to stop this whole thing from happening? I suggest a walk out is in order. All detention and correction staff including juvenile detention walk off from their jobs on a predetermined date, unknown to the commissioners, the current executive director or the soon to be executive director. Those jobs will not matter and won't be able to function with out all the grunts who put there lives and time on the line, only to be overlooked, by commissioners that don't care and by a director who doesn't know what he's doing. Lets see how each and every department will function with out any employees. I'm open any suggestions as well. "

Common Sense wrote on May 19, 2008 5:43 PM:

" Dan Price has quite a bit of experience and if he made the decision, I'm sure it was based on such. What qualified person would come into a situation where the community doesn't support public administration, won't support their leadership's decision (which were voted in) and reads about all the problems regarding lack of public support to embrace change? Nobody would want the job! If morale is bad, look to your supervisors to make a change. I would imagine the upper-management doesn't even know that morale is bad or have the foggiest as to why. When leadership changes, so does the climate at which things are handled and problems are addressed. Give her a chance or we're going to ruin the possibility of being able to embrace the change that leadership brings. "

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