The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to offer the position of county administrator to Kristen following a second recruitment that drew 26 applicants and four finalists.

The decision follows interviews held Monday and input from a management advisory team and public feedback. Pat Melvin, the recruitment consultant assisting the board, told commissioners the hiring process included confidential background materials provided to commissioners and that the board should identify an alternate candidate in case negotiations stall.

Commissioners said the candidate pool was strong. Allison, a county staff member who summarized public comment and survey results, said the first recruitment generated 51 responses and the second round produced 16 responses (15 online and one on paper), with the majority of both staff and public feedback ranking Kristen first and Jeff Jacobson second.

Commissioner Sullivan said Kristen was her top choice because she was “extremely professional and a very effective communicator,” and emphasized the importance of communication internally and with the public. Commissioner Hamill echoed that assessment, listing professionalism, composure, interpersonal skills and alignment with county values as reasons to support Kristen.

Commissioner Wright said he preferred Jeff Jacobson, citing Jacobson’s decades of municipal administration experience and hands-on familiarity with small communities. Wright said he was concerned that choosing a candidate based in part on interview energy risked overlooking operational experience, but he voted in favor of offering the job.

Commissioner Gamble moved to offer the county administrator position to Kristen; the motion received a second and passed unanimously. Commissioners present recorded “aye” votes on the motion.

The board also authorized a negotiations committee — consisting of the chair, Commissioner Mills, Interim Administrator Rogers, HR Director Plummer and recruiter Pat Melvin — to work with Melvin to prepare a tentative employment agreement to be presented to the full county board for final approval. Pat Melvin said the agreement will be a draft for the county board’s future consideration and that he aims to maintain momentum in negotiations.

No start date, salary figure, or detailed contract terms were finalized at the meeting; Melvin said the draft agreement produced by the negotiating committee would be brought back to the county board for approval. Several commissioners noted reservations they expressed on the record even as they voted in favor, and one commissioner said those concerns reflected differences in experience and community familiarity between candidates rather than a lack of support for the incoming administrator.

Next steps include the negotiating committee meeting promptly to draft an employment agreement, followed by presentation of the draft to the county board for approval.