The Jefferson County Commissioners named Joe Kerby the sole finalist in their search for a new county manager Wednesday, according to a news release.

Kerby, if selected, will replace Don Davis, who held the position since 2017. Davis accepted a position as deputy city and county manager for Broomfield in May.

Kate Newman is serving as the acting county manager until the position is filled.

Kerby has been a county manager for many decades, currently holding the position in Oregon, Jefferson County Commissioner Andy Kerr said. Kerby is originally from Colorado.

“He is clearly dedicated to public service and has some deep Colorado ties,” Kerr said.

Kerby has held a county manager position in Colorado before, meaning he has a unique knowledge of Colorado-specific laws and policies that a typical out-of-state candidate might not have, Kerr said.

Kerby’s LinkedIN profile shows he earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and a certified public manager candidate in public administration from CU-Denver in 2017.

Commissioners contracted with search company Raftelis to conduct an international candidate search, Kerr said. They had at least one international application and more than 50 other applicants.

Hiring officials narrowed the pool down through applications and two rounds of interviews to name Kerby the finalist. After choosing the finalist, the board has 14 days of a “cooling off period,” Kerr said, during which they can extend an offer to Kerby and do negotiations.

Once the 14-day period is over, the board can finalize the hiring and announce Kerby’s official role, Kerr said.

The county manager is responsible for implementing the Board of County Commissioners’ policies and priorities, balancing an annual budget of more than $600 million and overseeing the day-to-day operations of one of Colorado’s largest counties, according to the Jefferson County website.

The manager also oversees any departments that are not overseen by their own elected officials, including planning and zoning, transportation, health and human services and the budget team.

“The county manager position is extremely important because they have to live up to their title of a manager over those important departments,” Kerr said. “They also have to be able to work with the other elected officials and the other departments that are not directly underneath them.”

Jefferson County’s size, population and location at the Denver metro area’s main access point into the mountains make it a very important county, Kerr said.

“Jefferson County is one of the largest counties in Colorado,” he said. “A tenth of the population of Colorado reside here in Jefferson County.”

The County will announce its final decision in early January.