A First: Petito Becomes Flagler’s First Female County Administrator

Bunnell, FL – The contract and the vote make it official: Heidi Petito is now Flagler’s first female county administrator. It became official following the Flagler County Board of Commissioners’ meeting on Monday (Oct. 18) where members voted 4-1 to approve Petito’s contact. Petito, who has over 30 years of experience in government administration, already defined her priorities for the upcoming year. “I believe there is always a way to become more effective and efficient. For Flagler County I would like to focus on strategic planning and visioning as we transition from a small to midsize county; on customer service and community engagement; and on employee recognition,” she said. In just this past year, Petito went from Director of General Services—which managed the $23 million budget of the county’s largest department—to interim Chief of Staff, to interim County Administrator in June. “Heidi Petito is keen on seeing that the county works optimally – to the highest governmental standards – for the betterment of our community,” said Deputy County Administrator Jorge Salinas. “She’s been building relationships since day one here in Flagler, and we’ve got a great team that is working well together.” Together, Petito and Salinas are already starting to map out a Strategic Plan for the county that will focus on operations and service levels that best meet the needs of residents, business community, and visitors. Her contract will automatically renew on October 18 each year unless given 60 days written notice by the Board of County Commissioners.