Local selected as PacCom interim director

Published 6:48 pm Monday, July 1, 2024

SOUTH BEND — The Pacific County 911 Dispatch Center (PacCom) Administrative Board swiftly selected an interim director last week. The board was left scrambling after David Houseberg, who was picked to be the new director, bowed out at the last minute.

Eleven applicants vied for the coveted role, which has an opening monthly salary of $9,114 and tops out at $10,314. Houseberg had been selected due to his experience as a corporal at the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office and extensive administrative work.

Two PacCom employees initially applied for the position — Jerri Hawks, a dispatcher, and Caitlyn Ochoa, a dispatcher/administrative secretary. Neither made it to the final three interviews.

Ochoa has been key in keeping PacCom functioning and has performed many of the responsibilities of a director. She was second-in-command in the absence of then-director Ed Heffernan, who retired June 30.

According to the PacCom Board, they met on Thursday, June 27, in an executive session to hash out new options for a director. On Friday, June 28, the board held an official public meeting to appoint Ochoa as interim director.

Heffernan reportedly recommended that Ochoa be given a shot at leading the agency with a probation period of approximately six months. The board went a different direction, with a motion from Pacific County Sheriff Daniel Garcia to immediately reopen applications and search for a more qualified director.

Ochoa, 32, can reapply for the position and attempt to retain the top spot. Ochoa has her roots dug into Pacific County and has been with PacCom for five years. She is a fully functional dispatcher and secretary and has filled various functions at the agency.

“I have held every hat in there — Spillman administrator, assistance terminal agency coordinator, public education coordinator, trainer and union shop steward,” Ochoa said. “I’m also a [leader on the] Telecommunicator Emergency Response Task Force.”

During the process of acquiring new applicants and going back through the process, Ochoa has a “significant” chance to retain the position if she proves herself.

“I personally wish Cait nothing but the absolute best in her new role at PacCom,” Jaime Souvenir, a dispatcher, said. “As a very unique team, we need someone who can take us into new things and breathe some life back into the center.”

“I feel like we all function well as a group and are very eager to have a young, smart, energetic leader at the helm of PacCom,” Souvenir added.

Ochoa said she is excited about the opportunity and has vowed to “work hard to prove herself.”

“I take pride in my knowledge across most facets of the job,” Ochoa said. “Honed through dedicated and hands-on experience. This understanding not only equips me to excel in my new duties but also enables me to seamlessly jump in and support my team and the organization as a whole.”