County reorganizes ahead of Rickman’s retirement

County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes, left, talks with Kathy Bryant, the Chair of the Marion County Commission, right, before the start of a zoning and planning meeting on the Double Gate ATV Park at the Marion County Commission auditorium in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, June 17, 2020. Blitch Plantation, Ltd. and International Property Services, the owners of 240 acres are proposing a large ATV park near the intersection of County Highway 329 and County Highway 318 in Flemington. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2020.

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Posted July 20, 2021 | Ocala Gazette Staff

With the retirement of Marion County Assistant County Administrator Jeannie Rickman on Aug. 31, the county took the opportunity to reorganize its operations.

County Administrator Mounir Bouyounes presented the reorganization plan to the commission, which approved it in April. The plan tweaks the two assistant county administrator’s responsibilities and adds another layer of administration by creating two executive director positions below the assistant administrators. The new organization went into effect in June.

Angel Roussel remains assistant administrator but for public and environmental services, instead of public works.

Tracy Straub takes over the second assistant administrator position now over public works and growth management. Straub was the county engineer. Straub has worked with the county since 2001 and became county engineer in 2015.

The new executive director posts will be filled by Amanda Tart, as executive director of administrative services and Michael McCain, executive director of internal services.

The departments overseen by each were also shuffled.

Straub will oversee the county engineer, MSTU assessment, building safety, community services, tourist development and growth services.

Roussel will oversee environmental services, the public library system, parks and recreation, animal services, veterans’ services, extension service and fleet management.

Tart, who was the human resources director, will continue to oversee that department as well as administration, public relations, 911 management and legislative coordination.

McCain, previously the county’s fiscal manager, will continue to oversee the office of fiscal review as well as procurement services, facilities management and information technology.

The county recently announced the hiring of Henry Holland as the new county engineer. Holland’s starting salary is $123,635.20.

Holland has been with the county since 2010 and was most recently the assistant county engineer for roadway design and construction.

Rickman took over as assistant county administrator for public services in 2015. It was Bouyounes’ former position. He became the county administrator at the end of 2015 after Lee Niblock left. Rickman joined the county in 2004 as a legal assistant in the county attorney’s office and moved her way up the ranks.