After just over six months without a county administrator, the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors selected an active duty Army captain, Meridian Community College instructor and local Metro Ambulance Service paramedic Chris Lafferty during Monday’s regular session.

    Lafferty is an U.S. Army captain responsible for overseeing air space around Washington, D.C., including the White House.

    Lafferty begins on Aug. 1 and will be paid $100,000 plus county benefits.

    Supervisors selected Lafferty Monday following a lengthy executive session. He was one of four candidates supervisors interviewed Thursday. The Pace Group of Tupelo provided supervisors with the names of qualified applicants.  

    “I am pleased we can now move forward and relieve (Interim County Administrator) Cheryl Polk of some of her duties. She has been overloaded,” Supervisors President Joe Norwood said. “Our future is ahead of us and he is a good fit to move us forward.”

    District 3 Supervisor Josh Todd agreed with the decision to hire Lafferty.

    “First and foremost, he is from Lauderdale County. He has a lot of leadership experience being a captain in the Army,” Todd said “His demeanor just fits us. He’s open and easily approachable and that is what we need.”

    Laffert succeeds David Engel, who left last October after 14 months on the job.

    Engel returned to his previous position with the Brandon accounting firm of Fortenberry & Ballard where he previously worked for eight years.