Sara Pierce Elevated to Interim CEO
Search for a qualified outside candidate will continue
The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors appointed Assistant Chief Executive Officer Sara Pierce to serve as the county’s interim chief executive officer following a failed initial search to fill the position permanently.
The board voted 4-1 to approve the appointment, with Supervisor Mo Mulheren casting the lone “no” vote.
Pierce will step into the interim role on July 13, 2026, the day after current CEO Darcie Antle’s contract expires. Antle had indicated she planned to retire.
The interim appointment will last for up to six months or until a permanent chief executive officer is appointed.
Pierce’s annual salary is set at $344,118, including benefits.
Cherie Johnson, the county’s human resources director, confirmed that the first round of recruitment for a permanent CEO was not successful. The county has launched a second recruitment effort, with the first screening of applications scheduled for June 30, 2026.
During the board’s discussion, Mulheren said she was voting “no” because she believed the county would benefit from bringing in an outside candidate to review operations for the next six months.
“We’ve had success with Ben Rosenfeld,” she said, referring to the former San Francisco City and County controller who recently consulted with the county on overhauling its financial processes.
“We’ve had success with the outside audit, and for the CEO’s position, I think that there’s an opportunity to have somebody with a different perspective come in and look at not only the executive office but the agency as a whole.”
Supervisor Ted Williams said he was grateful to Pierce and would support her, and he also said he agreed with Mulheren that an outside consultant could provide value.
Supervisor Cline said she was “more and more impressed with Sara Pierce every day,” and that it was “awkward” when the board agreed to one thing in closed session and the discussion then goes in a different direction.