Commission approves board appointments, hires HR director and waives insurance waiting period

Seward County commissioners approved several appointments and a personnel action during the meeting. Commissioners moved and approved reappointing Carmelita Goosen to the five-state fair board (three-year term) after Goosen, an agriculture teacher and FFA advisor at Southwestern Heights High School, spoke about youth and adult programming. The board also reappointed Connie McPhail and Melinda Klein to three-year terms on the Council on Aging.

Administrators introduced Angela Johnston as the county’s new human-resources director, noting she returned to Liberal and brings HR and corporate accounting experience. Following an executive-session personnel discussion and a motion on the floor, the commission voted to waive the standard 60-day insurance waiting period for Johnston so she would be eligible for benefits immediately. The motions to appoint and to waive the waiting period were recorded as carried by show of hands.