O.C. Supervisors Pick Interim CEO to Replace Popejoy

Orange County supervisors on Friday appointed Airport Director Jan Mittermeier to become the county’s interim chief executive officer, filling a leadership void created this week when their top executive resigned after they tried to trim his authority.

Mittermeier, a 21-year county employee known for her direct but low-key management style at John Wayne Airport, is seen as a sharp contrast to William J. Popejoy, a millionaire businessman who occasionally made headlines with public attacks on his bosses.

“It’s a good choice,” said Supervisor William G. Steiner after the board voted unanimously in closed session to give her the job. “Her appointment should have a settling influence on a county work force that has been reeling recently.”

Supervisors said they moved quickly and decisively to appoint Mittermeier so the county can continue its bankruptcy recovery efforts.

The action follows Popejoy’s announcement Wednesday that he is leaving the county post July 31, four months before his contract expires.