Clay County selects Heather Boucher as new county auditor after ranked interview process

The Clay County Board of County Commissioners on August 14 selected Heather Boucher as the county’s next auditor following public interviews with three finalists and a ranked scoring process.

Jennifer Bethany, Clay County human resources director, led the special meeting and explained that the board had completed one-on-one interviews and was holding public interviews so commissioners could ask follow-up questions. After each candidate spoke and commissioners asked questions, the board used ranking sheets (1 = highest) collected and tallied by HR to determine the final order.

The selection followed interviews with three finalists. Heather Boucher—introduced on the record by the candidate as “Heather Voucher” and identified in the selection announcement as “Heather Boucher”—emphasized audit experience at Deloitte, EverBank and CSX and said she would look for efficiencies and process improvements if hired. Boucher described automating an accounts-payable notification process at a previous employer to save “maybe 32 hours a month” and said she would be proactive in reviewing county systems. “I think I would be a great candidate for having the innovation and some of the efficiencies that we have all talked about,” she told commissioners.

The other finalists were Tara Petrucci, a CPA with Big Four experience who described work on fund accounting and piloting new engagement tools, and Philip Vincent, a municipal auditor who described hands-on auditing in Ocala and ongoing work toward a Certified Internal Auditor credential. Commissioners praised the candidate pool and discussed trade-offs among presentation skills, government experience, certifications and demonstrated initiative. Commissioners noted Vincent’s practical work on P-card auditing and Petrucci’s CPA credential as factors in deliberations.

Public comment at the start of the special meeting included a caller who raised questions about notice of candidate names on the county’s postings and alleged “unconstitutional things” in county business; the chair and commissioners declared portions of that comment out of order and limited his time.

HR announced the ranked results at the meeting: Heather Boucher received the best (lowest) composite score and was named the selected candidate; Philip Vincent placed second and Tara Petrucci third. Bethany said the length of time before Boucher could start would depend on her notice requirements with a current employer and on the pace of contract negotiations. The county discussed a target timeline that could route the contract through the Finance & Audit committee on Sept. 1 and the board on Sept. 8, with a later board meeting on Sept. 25 as a fallback if negotiations required more time.

Commissioners praised staff for organizing the search and said they were pleased with the quality of the finalists. The board discussed using interns in the auditor’s office and scheduling follow-up presentations on topics mentioned during the meeting, including a road-grading pilot the board had heard about earlier in the day. Jennifer Bethany and county staff will prepare contract materials and notify the candidates of next steps.

The board adjourned after brief commissioner remarks.

Next steps: staff will begin contract negotiations with the selected candidate, with routing through Finance & Audit and the full board for approval depending on negotiation timing and any purchasing-policy waivers the county chooses to apply.