Months after the Johnson County Commission abruptly ousted County Manager Hannes Zacharias, the commission has appointed the woman who was Zacharias’ deputy as his successor.
The commission voted 7-0 Thursday to appoint Penny Postoak Ferguson, 49, as the new county manager. She had been serving as interim county manager since the county commission stunned the community by voting 4-3 to terminate Zacharias’ employment contract as of Dec. 31, 2017.
The commission majority said at the time that the county needed new leadership and a new direction after more than eight years with Zacharias at the helm. The commission had also talked about a national search for his replacement. But in the end, the commission went with a longtime county insider. Postoak Ferguson had been hired as assistant county manager in June 2010 and had served as deputy county manager since August 2012. She is the first woman appointed since the position of county manager was created along with a new county charter in the early 2000s.
Commissioners explained their decision Thursday, saying Postoak Ferguson has done an excellent job as an interim manager for the last six months and they had confidence in her leadership.
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