Lisa Eickholt, Geary County Director of Human Resources and Special Projects has announced her upcoing retirement from that Geary County Position. She will work independently with a human resources consulting firm. Eickholt anticipates her last day with Geary County will be Oct. 24.
In 1997, Eickholt was appointed to the newly created Human Resource Director position for the County. Since then she has been responsible for human resource functions as well as administrative projects for Geary County government operations including the development of GIS services, reorganization of the joint planning and zoning position with the City of Junction City, an innovative purchase card system and other projects.
Eickholt said, “It has been an honor to serve as the first Human Resource Director for Geary County and to represent the employees of the County and the taxpayers for the past 18 years. I have only held two positions in my professional career since graduating from Kansas State University. First as a 4-H Extension Agent for Geary County where I was the first Extension Agent in the state to be fully funded by a county, and then as the first HR Director for Geary County govenmental operations. Each of these have been innovative positions that I have loved and considered to be my “Dream job” so I stayed with each of them for a long period of time; nine years as an Extension Agent and 18 years as HR Director.”
Eickholt stated she is now moving on to another “dream job” as a consultant specializing in Human resources challenges in county and city G\governments. “The trust the Geary County Commissioners, department heads, elected officials and employees have placed in me over the past 18 years has been amazing and appreciated.”
Eickholt will be affiliated with McGrath Human Resources Group, Wonder Lake, Illinois as a human resource consultant. McGrath Group specializes in classificastion and compensation consulting with public sector cities and counties. McGrath has clients in more than 20 states including many in the midwest and plains states. Eickholt will remain based in Geary County and working from a home office.
Eickholt will assist the Geary County Commission with a recruitment plan to fill the appointment in the coming weeks.