Johnson supervisors to appoint Erin Shane as executive director

IOWA CITY — The Johnson County Board of Supervisors will appoint Erin Shane as the county’s new executive director later this month.

Shane has been serving as interim county auditor after longtime Auditor Travis Weipert resigned in July, citing health reasons. The supervisors appointed Shane, who was Weipert’s deputy auditor, to fill the auditor’s job on an interim basis.

Shane will succeed Guillermo Morales, the previous executive director the board fired in September.

Shane said the “variety and the pace” of the executive director’s job is what prompted her to apply for the opening.

‘When the opportunity came up, I thought, why not? … It's an opportunity for growth and, with my background, I thought it was a good fit,” she said.

Shane also previously worked as the associate director for parking and transportation at the University of Iowa.

The county’s executive director provides administrative guidance to the Board of Supervisors and assists in the daily operations and strategic initiatives of county government.

“Erin stepped up to the plate as interim auditor at a very crucial time during a major election year,” Supervisor Chairman Rod Sullivan said in a news release. “She demonstrated the necessary leadership and managerial skills to ensure a smooth election process for Johnson County voters.”

The supervisors are expected to appoint Shane at their Nov. 26 meeting, with a start date of Dec. 2. Her salary has not been announced. Morales was hired in the spring of 2023 at a starting salary of $103,545.

“Her ability to build trusted relationships with county employees and her work ethic are some of the many reasons why we feel good about this appointment,” Sullivan said. “I know she will hit the ground running and do well in this role.”

The supervisors fired Morales, its previous executive director, in a 3-2 vote, citing “harsh and disrespectful” behavior. Morales denied those claims and ran a write-in campaign for a seat on the Board of Supervisors, though he was not elected.

Supervisors V Fixmer-Oraiz and Jon Green voted against Morales’ firing, saying the action was out of line with county procedures and that Morales should be allowed to keep working under a performance improvement plan.

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