Arkansas - The state's Board of Corrections named Dexter Payne as Arkansas director of the Division of Correction on July 26. Payne previously served in several leadership positions with the division including as deputy director of institutions, superintendent/warden, deputy warden, major-chief of security, captain, building lieutenant, building sergeant, and correctional officer/corporal. He takes over for Wendy Kelley who was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchison as the state's first secretary of corrections in the governor's cabinet.
Oregon - The Roseburg City Council selected Nikki Messenger as its new city manager July 22. She replaces former City Manager Lance Colley who retired in February. Messenger had been serving as interim city manager since April. She joined the city in 1995 as an engineering technician and then worked for a private engineering firm and Douglas County Public Works. She returned to the city of Roseburg in 2006 and was promoted to public works director in 2008.
South Carolina - The Board of Trustees for the University of South Carolina (USC) approved retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Robert "Bob" Caslen Jr. as the university's new president on July 19. He takes over for Harris Pastides who is retiring at the end of July. Caslen previously served as superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and as the University of Central Florida's interim chief financial officer and senior counsel to the president.
California - Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Steve Gordon as the state new director of the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) on July 23 as part of a strike team the governor formed to head the DMV. Gordon held leadership positions in the private sector as a managing partner, vice president of global service operations, and principal consultant. He also co-founded a private firm, served as a network engineer at an airline company, and was vice president of technical services for a global IT, networking, and cybersecurity company. Gordon also worked as an auditor for the county of San Diego.
Pennsylvania - Joe Cullen, chief investment officer for the Montana Board of Investments, has been selected as the new chief investment officer for Pennsylvania State University, effective Sept. 16. He replaces John Pomeroy who retired in December 2018. Cullen previously oversaw institutional portfolio management at a private investment firm in Boston and served in senior investment positions at Amherst College in Massachusetts and at a private asset management corporation as a senior manager in its public markets group. He is a charterholder as a financial analyst and alternative investment analyst and holds financial risk manager certification from an international association of risk professionals.
Minnesota - McLeod County has hired Julie Erickson to lead its new Health and Human Services Department, formed by a merger of the county's Public Health and Social Services divisions. Erickson will serve as the department's director after working as a health unit coordinator for the Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota under the Minnesota Office of Child Support and as a child support officer for Hennepin County Child Support.