James Menlove has accepted the position of Gila County manager. Since October 2016, Menlove has served as Gila County’s finance director. “I am excited at the prospect of serving as county manager and am humbled by the outpouring of support from the staff,” said Menlove. The new county manager impressed the hiring committee and Board of Supervisors with his ideas about long term financial planning as part of a sound strategic plan and his commitment to improving county policies. “James’ years of finance experience and proven leadership make him an excellent choice for the future of Gila County,” said outgoing County Manager John Nelson. In less than a year as finance director, Menlove has guided Gila County to make significant progress on pending audits. Under his direction, the department has greatly streamlined the annual budget process. Since starting at Gila County, Menlove has taken an active role in economic development, such as serving on the City of Globe Mayor’s Marketing Task Force and advocating for an asset inventory to help attract new businesses to the county. Menlove came to Gila County with more than 12 years of experience as finance director at neighboring Navajo County. When he took the reins at Navajo County, it was widely considered to be “unauditable.” Under his leadership, it became an award winning model for government finance. For seven consecutive years Menlove received the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. He took home the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for five consecutive years. He also has valuable experience on the Public Safety Personnel Retirement System (PSPRS) Reform Task Force that developed the “yardstick” tool, which was used by the state legislature to develop PSPRS reforms that were approved statewide in May 2016. Menlove served two terms as president of the Government Finance Officers Association of Arizona. Before his time at Navajo County, Menlove served as comptroller for the Mohave County Community College District, an accountant for the City of Phoenix and a senior auditor at the Arizona Office of the Auditor General. Menlove holds a B.S. degree in Accounting and a Certificate of Public Management, both from Arizona State University. Menlove’s new role is effective immediately, though Nelson will stay on as an advisor to facilitate a smooth transition in the coming months.
