Calhoun County, AL – A new director and new direction is the hope for the Calhoun County Animal Control Facility, the Calhoun County Commission has just announced that Naomi Richards has been hired as the new director. County Administrator, Mark E. Tyner shared the following release with local media on Monday, August 22nd:
We are pleased to announce that Naomi Richards has accepted the position of the Calhoun County Animal Control Director, effective August 22, 2022.
Ms. Richards has a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. She has recently moved to Calhoun County and is excited to work with the County and has high hopes of taking the County’s Animal Control Facility to a higher level. Prior to accepting this position, she served as an Animal Control Specialist with the Collier Domestic Animal Control Services of Naples, FL and as a Supervisor of the Immokalee Sub Station in Immokalee, FL.
Ms. Richards exhibits leadership skills, is a certified dog trainer and brings experience and a proven track record of success in working with unadoptable animals, which will be invaluable in meeting the departmental goals and objectives.
We ask that you please allow our IT department time to get Ms. Richards properly set up prior to trying to reach her directly; however, her contact information will be as follows: Email: nrichards@calhouncounty.org or by phone at 256-241-2928.
Please be aware that at this time the County is still only able to accept animals in emergency situations due to high intake levels coupled with the transitioning of operations. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to work hard to become fully staffed and operational.
We are confident that Ms. Richards will be an excellent match for this position and a strong asset to the County.
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Richards to Calhoun County!
Mark E. Tyner,
County Administrator
The Calhoun Journal also spoke with Chairman Lee Patterson who stated that the commission, through Attorney Gloria Floyd and Mark Tyner, have done their due diligence in hiring a new director. He personally wanted to commend both Mr. Tyner and Mrs. Floyd for their hard work and dedication in finding the right candidate for the job. He said he was grateful for all the applicants and was impressed with the resumes that were submitted. He also wanted to stress that HR documents were reviewed from previous employers, past employers have been spoken to, and multiple references have been reviewed. “The commission has worked to ensure the right person in placed in the position of director and that policies and procedures are followed.” This is of course following accusations of animal cruelty with the last director who subsequently resigned and was later arrested with two other previous employees.
