Board appoints Denise D. Jenkins to fill District 2 vacancy; appointment effective on her resignation as Camp Verde mayor

The Yavapai County Board of Supervisors appointed Denise D. Jenkins as the District 2 supervisor on April 16 following a structured application process and public interviews.

County Manager Maury Thompson summarized the appointment process at the start of the meeting: five complete applications were received by the March 7 deadline from Wiley J. Klein, John Hughes, Denise D. Jenkins, Thomas Thurman and Anthony Utz; all were screened for statutory qualifications and completed background checks. The board held standardized interviews at the meeting and then moved into executive session to deliberate before returning to the public meeting to vote.

Vice Chair Brooks Compton moved to appoint Jenkins "contingent and effective upon her resignation as Camp Verde Mayor," a motion the board later adopted by roll call. The clerk of the board was authorized to cast a tie‑breaking vote if needed under Arizona statute; the appointment was approved and the board indicated it would proceed with swearing her in immediately following the meeting. "I humbly accept appointment by the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors to the District 2 supervisor position," Jenkins told the board after the vote.

The county manager noted the public comment period that accompanied the recruitment ran from March 7 to March 28 and produced written input, letters of support, form letters and a petition. Thompson said staff verified party affiliation and statutory eligibility in compliance with Arizona Revised Statutes and that a required background check was completed for each applicant.

The appointment fills the vacancy created by the February 19 resignation of former Supervisor James Gregory. The board followed a process it established in February: public solicitation, verification of statutory requirements, standardized interview questions for all applicants, a rotating question format with time limits, and an executive‑session deliberation before returning to the public meeting to take action.

The board emphasized that the appointment is for the unexpired term until the next election; candidates who are not appointed may contest the seat in the 2026 election. Board members thanked all applicants for their willingness to serve and staff for organizing the process.

The supervisors recorded that one applicant had opted out of discussion in executive session; the board said that fact limited topics that could be discussed in closed session but did not prevent deliberations on the other applicants.