Kern County supervisors honor Clerk of the Board Kathy Krause and Emergency Services Manager Georgiana Armstrong at Aug. 26 meeting

The Kern County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a retirement resolution honoring Kathleen "Kathy" Krause, clerk of the board, and also recognized Georgiana Armstrong, emergency services manager for Kern County Fire, on the occasion of her retirement.

Supervisor David Couch presented the retirement resolution for Kathy Krause and moved the item; the motion passed unanimously. In the resolution the board credited Krause with 18 years as clerk of the board, noting she was appointed in June 2007 and that under her supervision the office implemented the county'9s electronic agenda packet in 2015 and an automated tracking system for board appointments in 2023.

"Her presence will be greatly missed," Couch said as he read the proclamation. Krause addressed the board and described process improvements she led: reducing hard-copy agendas, implementing an automated appointments tracking program for nearly 500 board appointments and 63 boards, commissions and committees, and building customized in-house software with Information Technology Services that avoided ongoing maintenance costs.

Krause said she is leaving the office to spend time with family and thanked staff and colleagues. During the recognition, former clerk Denise Pinnell and retired Marine Charles Shinn also spoke in Krause'9s praise; Pinnell called Krause'9s service "notable" and Shinn said she was the longest-serving clerk in county history.

Supervisor Jeff Peters later presented a certificate to Georgiana Armstrong, who the board credited with 22 years of dedicated service as emergency services manager with Kern County Fire and with leading coordination during emergencies including wildfire incidents, earthquakes and public-safety power shutoffs. Peters said Armstrong had been "the steady hand at the tiller" during disasters and praised her coordination across agencies and advocacy for affected communities.

Sheriff Donny Youngblood, among others, spoke to Armstrong'9s knowledge and noted that replacing her role would be difficult. Armstrong told the board she is confident in the team that will carry the work forward.

Formal action The board approved the retirement resolution for Kathy Krause by motion and recorded unanimous approval. The certificate for Georgiana Armstrong was presented and remarks were entered into the public record; no formal vote was required for that presentation.

Why this matters Krause and Armstrong'9s departures remove long-tenured, administrative and operational experience from county government. The board and county staff emphasized process improvements tied to cost savings and operational continuity: staff said the electronic agenda system saved more than $100,000 annually and the in-house appointment tracking system incurred no recurring maintenance cost.

Ending The board recessed the regular agenda after the recognitions and later proceeded with the budget hearing and other business. Krause and Armstrong were publicly thanked by multiple supervisors for long service to Kern County.