Galatioto leaves a void

County Administrative Officer Jeannine Galatioto stands next to a sign marking one of her favorite accomplishments, the renovated Flynn Administration Center. Galatioto was project manager for the renovation. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

Now, after nearly 28 years of continual service and a number of promotions, Galatioto, 56, is retiring under an early incentive program, leaving behind her title as Del Norte County’s top administrator and opting for the anonymity of daily life away from the office.

“I’m just taking advantage of what 28 or 30 other people have done,” Galatioto said with a smile while sitting in her corner office inside the Flynn Administration Center. “I think it’s time for me to do something else.”

Galatioto’s last day is Oct. 14, and her departure is expected to leave a large void in county government that many expect will be difficult to fill because of the amount of institutional knowledge she is taking with her.

After working in the Welfare Department for several years, Galatioto moved over to administration in 1998. About a year later she became the acting county administrative officer after her then-boss, Tim Goodman, was arrested on suspicion of embezzlement and misappropriation of county funds.

A whiteboard inside Jeannine Galatioto’s office at the Flynn Administration Center displays a lengthy to-do list highlighting numerous projects she is involved with. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

Galatioto once again took over and was faced with what she called one of her most challenging tasks as county administrative officer — a $1.6 million budget deficit.

“We were carrying this huge deficit on the books that we need to eliminate,” Galatioto recalled. “And we only had a short period of time in order to balance it.”

Galatioto said the county implemented furlough days for employees and held off on a number of projects. Since then, solving seemingly impossible budget situations has become one of the most gratifying parts of her job.

Sometimes it seemed like Galatioto was a savant when it came to the county’s budget, as she could accurately quote facts and figures off the top of her head like they were somehow programmed into her.

Christie Babich, has been Del Norte County’s auditor/controller for about 15 years, and worked closely with Galatioto on budgets, many times going over the numbers after hours or by Blackberry.

“It was great to work with her,” Babich said. “She was always fair to all the departments and she usually had all the solutions ahead of time before the meetings with department heads.”

Aside from budgets, Galatioto was intimately involved with many of Del Norte County’s other accomplishments over the years, two of her favorites being the renovation of the Flynn Administration Center and the construction of the new Juvenile Hall.

With so many projects touched by Galatioto’s fingers and much of the county’s history locked away in her memory, the county’s transition after her retirement is all the more disconcerting.

“I don’t think we’re going to fall apart, but if we get a good plan I think it will work,” Babich said. “But it will be difficult to replace that much experience.”

It’s unclear at this point exactly who will take over for Galatioto, and how the county will handle her absence in the meantime.

The Del Norte County Board of Supervisors intends to come up with a plan at its next meeting on Oct. 13, but Chairman Gerry Hemmingsen said no decisions have been made yet.

“We’re not fully apprised of all the options that are available to us at the moment,” he said, “but we should have those, I believe, at the next meeting.”

Even though the county must look ahead to eventually filling Galatioto’s position, Hemmingsen chuckled at the prospect of doing so, acknowledging the difficulty of finding someone who could take over for her.

“This is where I’m supposed to say she’s irreplaceable, right?” he said. “It’s going to be difficult. She is going to leave some big shoes to fill, but we’re certainly hopeful that we’ll find somebody to fill the position.”

In the meantime, there’s already a structure in place to alleviate her absence. Assistant County Administrative Officer Jay Sarina will likely help with some of her duties, and others in county government will also probably have to take up some of the slack.

And even though she’ll be called a retiree, Galatioto still expects to make herself available to the county whenever she’s asked.

This could be sooner than later, she said, considering some additional impacts from the state’s budget that could significantly affect the county’s own coffers, in particular in the Health and Human Service Department.

“I think the state budget issue, we’re going to be dealing with it in the next month or two and it’s not going to be pleasant,” Galatioto said. “There’s probably going to be some shared pain.”

Like Jay Leno, Galatioto admits there will be some adjustments that come with retirement and being away from work. But unlike him, she doesn’t believe she’ll try to get another job with her old employer.

Instead, she plans on sticking around Del Norte County, and only helping out when needed.

“I don’t see myself falling off the face of the earth,” Galatioto said. “I’m just too involved.”

Plus, she added, “This is home. I love this county.”