Board selects three finalists for next County Administrator

PIMA COUNTY Oct. 14, 2026 – The Pima County Board of Supervisors Tuesday selected three candidates as finalists for the next County Administrator, replacing Jan Lesher who retires in January.

“The three finalists chosen by the Board and who were recommended by the search committee are all outstanding individuals with long, exemplary careers of public service and government leadership. I believe that any of these three could be an outstanding County Administrator who will continue to move Pima County forward in making our County a prosperous, healthy, and equitable place to live, work, and play,” said Board of Supervisors Chair Jennifer Allen.

“It’s been nearly 40 years since the County conducted a search like this for the most important appointed-employee in the County. I’m excited to have the candidates meet County staff and members of the public and to receive their feedback about the candidates to help the Board in its decision,” she said.

The finalists are:

• Carmine DeBonis Jr., Deputy County Administrator, Pima County
• Leonard Hernandez, County Manager, Thurston County, Washington
• Leah Rhineheimer, Assistant Town Manager, Town of Gilbert, Arizona

County leadership, employees, and the public will have opportunities to meet the finalists Oct. 19-20 before the Board meets at an afternoon special session Oct. 20 to interview the finalist candidates. The Board may announce a decision that night but may choose to seek more time and decide on its preferred candidate at the Oct. 27 regular meeting. Once the Board settles on a final candidate, the candidate and the Board will start contract negotiations with an official hire coming at the conclusion of those discussions.

DeBonis, Hernandez, and Rhineheimer will attend a public meet and greet Oct. 19 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the courtyard of the Pima County Historic Courthouse, 115 N. Church Ave. Earlier that day, County elected officials and department directors will gather to meet with each candidate separately, and the morning of Oct. 20, County employees will meet with the candidates at the Courthouse. That event is restricted to employees.

At each forum, staff and the public will be able to provide online feedback to Slavin Management Consultants, the recruiting firm hired by the Board in May to expand the search for Lesher’s replacement. The consultant will compile the feedback and present it to the Board during its executive session Oct. 20.

A search committee assisted in the recruitment process by interviewing the semifinalists selected by SMC and presented its feedback to the Board for its consideration Oct. 13.

“I want to thank all the members of the search committee who dedicated their time and expertise to help vet the applicants for County Administrator and for their thoughtful and invaluable insights,” Allen said.

Lesher retires after 16 years with the County. A third-generation Tucsonan, Lesher has spent most of her adult life in public service, working for the City of Tucson, the State of Arizona, the federal government, and the County. She joined the County in 2010 and was named Deputy County Administrator by County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry in 2011, and then Chief Deputy County Administrator in 2017. The Board asked her to serve as interim County Administrator in October 2021 after Huckelberry was hit by a car and severely injured. She became County Administrator in April 2022 after Huckelberry retired due to his injuries.

The County Administrator is appointed by the Board of Supervisors and functions as the County’s senior executive officer. The Administrator oversees 34 central departments, 7,000 employees, and the support and other services provided for seven countywide elected official agencies and the Superior and Justice Courts. The Administrator also annually crafts the County’s budget for consideration by the Board.  

Because of Huckelberry’s 28-year tenure, and the unique circumstances of his hiring and retirement, this is the Board’s first candidate search for County Administrator since 1989.

Candidate brief bios

Carmine DeBonis Jr.

DeBonis is one of three Deputy County Administrators for Pima County, where he has held the position for over 10-years and where he has worked for more than 30 years. DeBonis has spent his entire professional career at Pima County. As Deputy County Administrator, he oversees 10 departments including most of the Public Works departments, Economic Development, Environmental Quality, and Finance and Risk Management. Prior to his appointment as Deputy County Administrator, he was Director of Development Services for more than 15 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in geography/regional development and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Arizona.

Resumé

Leonard Hernandez

Hernandez is the Thurston County, Washington County Manager, a position he has held since April 2024. He has spent the past 25 years working in local government for counties and cities. He served in various roles in San Bernardino County, California over 13 years, starting in an entry level position at the San Bernardino County Library, then County Librarian, Deputy Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Executive Officer for three years. He also worked for the City of Riverside, California as a department head. Hernandez has a bachelor’s degree in history from California State University, Fullerton, and a master’s degree in library and information science from Clarion University, Pennsylvania.

Resumé

Leah Rhineheimer

Rhineheimer has been the Assistant Town Manager for the Town of Gilbert, for five years. She previously served as Deputy Town Manager for four years, as well as in the roles of Director of Intergovernmental Relations and Assistant to the Town Manager for Gilbert. Earlier in her career, she served as Assistant to the City Manager in El Mirage, Arizona. Rhineheimer brings more than 15 years of local government experience and has a bachelor’s degree in government and politics and a master’s degree in public affairs and public administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. 

Resumé

Search Committee Members

The Board Chair also chaired the Search Committee that was compiled from a broad spectrum of community stakeholders.