After a tumultuous process to hire the county’s top official ended with a unanimous appointment this summer, the county needs to fill about 10 more top leadership positions.

Interim leaders now oversee all four major branches of the county, including the Health and Human Services Department and the public safety group. Another high-ranking county official was also demoted after the new county chief took the helm. The county is also looking to hire a public health official, chief medical officer, public works director and director for the Office of Immigration and Refugee Affairs.

The job openings represent a turning point for the district government, which was long run by a Republican board majority and now has a Democratic majority.

New County Commissioner Ebony Shelton has a chance to hire key people to carry out her vision for county government. She is also considering a reorganization of the nearly 19,000-employee operation. Shelton’s decisions will be critical to whether county government meets the long-term desires of Democratic supervisors and activists for a more progressive, worker-friendly county government that is on the front lines of addressing the region’s biggest challenges.

Due to the job postings, the district is currently under interim leadership that is less well equipped to push forward important new initiatives – and there is also a great deal of uncertainty.

Many of the positions are not new. Some are the result of long-planned retirements, including three high-profile ones. Some have been created since Shelton took office.

County spokesman Michael Workman said the wave of departures is not alarming, in part because many positions were left open so the new CAO could build her own team. A nationwide search for replacements is currently underway.

“When a new CAO comes in, changes happen,” Workman wrote. “The people serving in the interim roles are experienced district leaders, and business is running smoothly.”

(Worth noting: Workman, the county’s longtime communications director, is preparing to leave county government himself later this year. He retired in March, but supervisors voted that same month to rehire Workman until a successor is found or for up to 960 hours, a cap Workman will reach in mid-November.)

In a statement, County Board Chair Nora Vargas said the county is “committed to filling vacancies through a fair and thorough process to ensure we hire the best candidates.”

“Above all, we are focused on hiring officials who will effectively meet the needs of our constituents across the region and uphold the values ​​of our community,” Vargas wrote.

Workman said Shelton plans to fill the deputy CAO positions by early October and anticipates a multi-year reorganization of the county to increase efficiency, better align programs and services with “community needs” and attract and retain a talented workforce.

Shelton’s vision for county government, Workman said, is “a team that represents and champions our values ​​of equity and belonging, that creates a culture of acceptance and an environment of trust to empower team members to make decisions that improve the lives of all San Diegans and increase economic prosperity.”

He said Shelton’s key policy priorities include preventing homelessness, the county’s climate change and housing plans, improving mental health and promoting alternatives to incarceration.

Since Shelton took the helm, there has already been a big change.

Former county elections director Michael Vu, whom former county supervisor Helen Robbins-Meyer appointed as her deputy CAO, was named acting CAO last month and is now the sole head of the elections office he formerly headed. Vu, once considered a frontrunner for the county’s highest non-elected post, took an $85,000 pay cut.

The other deputy CAOs each oversee at least seven departments – and the election official previously reported to the bureaucrat in charge of other functions, including the county auditor and controller, the communications office and human resources.

When Voice of San Diego asked about the limited scope of Vu’s new role, Workman wrote that the county previously had only one deputy CAO position, “filled by people focused on a single or narrow task” or special assignments. Workman said the position had been “dormant” for the past few years following a county restructuring.

Workman declined to comment on the reasons for Vu’s job change or provide further details.

Shelton appears to have decided against appointing Vu, a local official popular during his time as registrar, as her No. 2, instead putting him in charge of overseeing elections to give her a smoother transition into what is likely to be a temporary role.

Among the issues that could come up in the upcoming restructuring is the scope of Vu’s current and past roles.

Longtime county official Sarah Aghassi, who left county government on July 6 after serving as interim CAO, formally called for changes in a memo to the county board of supervisors earlier this summer, suggesting a thorough review of county government and “potential reorganization options.”

“Over the past five years, I have continually advocated for an assessment of our county’s organizational structure to determine if we have outgrown the existing structure,” Aghassi wrote. “This is evidence that a culture change is needed throughout the organization that will enable innovative thinking to meet the structural needs of the organization.”

Aghassi’s more specific recommendations include: forming a “more robust financial planning team” to analyze past trends and prepare for potentially more difficult financial times; examining whether the deputy CAO’s administrative structure is still effective; reviewing district policies to ensure they are “consistent with our goals of equity and efficiency”; identifying bottlenecks in departments such as purchasing and contracting to “evaluate areas where improvement is needed.”

Workman said Shelton intends to implement all of Aghassi’s recommendations and is preparing strategies for the next step.

Vice Board Chair Terra Lawson-Remer and Crystal Irving, who leads the county’s largest union, wrote in separate statements that they also see the leadership change and wave of job openings as an opportunity to reshape the county.

“The county has a unique opportunity to develop a transformative vision that will end the culture of neglect of its workforce and the critical services the community depends on,” wrote Crystal Irving, president of Service Employees International Union Local 221. “We are optimistic that our new CAO will assemble a leadership team with the values ​​and skills needed to create a county that truly works for all San Diegans.”

Lawson-Remer wrote in a statement that she wants the new county leadership to prioritize community-focused and data-driven work.

“This board has steered the county in a new direction over the past four years, and I want leaders who can accelerate that work. I want change-oriented leaders selected,” Lawson-Remer wrote. “I want them to be empowered to be innovative, experienced enough to take calculated risks, and willing to listen to the voices of their workforce to fulfill our mission of serving the residents of this county.”