Harvey County hires Kevin Frymire as administrator; start date set for May 27

The Harvey County Board of Commissioners approved an employment agreement on April 23 to hire Kevin Frymire as the county administrator; the contract lists a May 27, 2025 start date and passed by unanimous vote. Terry Scott moved to accept the Employment Authorization Agreement; Becky Reimer seconded the motion and it carried without objection.

Commission Chairman Don Schroeder, quoted in the county press release, said, “The administrator role carries many challenges in county government. We were excited to have several qualified candidates for the position,” and added that Frymire “stood out for his professionalism, budgeting experience and leadership.” The commission asked Public Information Officer Kyle McCaskey to publish the county press release announcing the appointment.

The press release says Frymire brings executive-level private-sector experience and is a licensed nursing home administrator who has served as executive director of Dove Estates in Goddard since 2018 and previously led Villa Maria. Frymire is quoted saying, “I’m looking forward to working with our department heads as we continue to develop a common goal for Harvey County,” adding that he wants to ensure taxpayers “are getting value added for what they’re putting into the county.”

Frymire holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wichita State University and graduated from Newton High School; the release says he has lived in Newton for more than 30 years. The new administrator will fill the position vacated when Anthony Swartzendruber resigned at the end of 2024; Shannon Kingsley has served as interim administrator and will continue as assistant administrator and director of finance.