Search for CEO continues

The search for a new CEO for Weston County Health Services moved into a new phase last week when the board of trustees created a committee at their March 9 meeting to sort through more than 40 applications that had been received from Indeed.

(According to the Indeed website, they are the “number one job site worldwide” with over 250 unique visitors per month. Indeed is available in more than 60 countries and 28 languages, covering 94% of global GDP.)

The board also elected to pause the ad on Indeed until they have concluded their review of the initial pool of applicants for now.

During the meeting, the board decided that all members would be allowed to see all the applications that were received, but that a committee consisting of Chairman LeAnn Kenagy, Ann Slagle and Connie James would review and organize the applications and report back to the full board. 

During the meeting, trustee Kari Drost predicted that setting the parameters for the CEO position would likely eliminate some applicants. 

“Especially the salary,” James agreed. 

The board has not yet set a salary or official job description for the position, and Kenagy agreed that once those parameters are set, the field of applicants will likely thin.

Monument Health is currently under a contract to provide a Chief Executive Officer for WCHS. Thomas Worsley, president of the Spearfish Hospital and Hills Market, represented Monument Health at the February meeting, and officially announced Cadwell’s retirement to the board. It was noted during the March board meeting that the board was also waiting for a new CEO contract from Monument. 

Piper Allard, the former chief operating officer at WCHS, continues to serve as the Interim CEO while the search is being conducted. Allard took over as CEO immediately upon former CEO Maureen Cadwell’s retirement on Feb. 6, but will remain an employee of Weston County Health Services. She has been employed there since 2002.

Despite Cadwell’s retirement, she remains a consultant with the facility for use of her long-term care license. During the March meeting Allard noted that she had applied for her own long-term care license and was currently in the background check phase.