On Tuesday, January 10, Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe was unanimously chosen by her fellow supervisors to serve as chairwoman of the Board of Supervisors for the next two years, succeeding Fourth District Supervisor Curt Hagman. First District Supervisor Colonel Paul Cook (Ret.) was unanimously chosen to serve as board vice chairman, succeeding Rowe in that role.
“Over the next two years, I will work hard to strengthen our local economy, ensure that public safety remains a top priority, and improve the quality of life for all San Bernardino County residents,” Rowe said. “I am grateful for this new opportunity and look forward to continuing my work as the supervisor for the Third District.”
“The board is in great hands,” Cook said.
Rowe will preside over board of supervisors meetings, sign contracts approved by the board, and work to set the board’s agendas.
“We have a great team up here and a lot to be proud of,” said Fifth District Supervisor Joe Baca, Jr. Speaking to Rowe he said, “You do a great job being responsive to your district. I look forward to seeing that applied to the whole county.”
“I think we have an opportunity to do great things in our community,” said Second District Supervisor Jesse Armendarez.
Hagman has the rare distinction of having been chosen by his board colleagues to serve two consecutive terms as chairman.
Within the county hierarchy, Hagman was lauded as a champion of innovation in public service through the use of the latest technologies as well as exploring fresh approaches to government processes in pursuit of better results and efficiencies.
County officials note that on Hagman’s watch the county won more than 250 state and national awards for leading other counties in service, innovation and efficiency. He was praised for creating the Innovate 2020 program to spur county departments toward better solutions to consistent challenges and rebranding the county’s information services department to the innovation and technology department to emphasize its role in employing technology throughout the county organization to speed the delivery of public services.
Hagman received further kudos for leading the county through the COVID-19 pandemic and the establishment of the COVID-Compliant Business Partnership Program, which provided cash grants to businesses struggling to meet state-imposed mandates and for San Bernardino County being one of the first counties in the state to offer the COVID-19 vaccine.
Some in the county, however, found Hagman’s tenure less than satisfactory.
After the county’s residents voted in 2020 to reduce each supervisor’s total annual compensation to $60,000, he and the board sued their own employee, the clerk of the board, to prevent the vote from going into effect, thus thwarting the will of the county’s residents and keeping each supervisor’s $270,000 per year total compensation intact.
Under Hagman’s leadership, former Supervisor Bill Postmus has solidified his status as the most powerful lobbyist in the county, with tremendous sway over land use and business permitting decisions.
“On behalf of the entire board, we have enjoyed your leadership,” Rowe told Hagman. “I appreciate you leading us through all that you did. You’ve set an example for all of us to follow.”