VENTURA COUNTY NEWS : Supervisors May Name New CAO Next Week : Government: The finalists--seven men and one woman--are interviewed by the county board during an all-day session.

Interviews for a new chief executive were completed swiftly Thursday with Ventura County supervisors saying they may announce the successor to Lin Koester as early as next week.

Supervisors interviewed eight candidates--seven men and one woman--during the all-day closed session. None are minorities, but one male candidate is a Spanish-speaker.

Two candidates are from Ventura County: John Johnston, who has worked in local county administration for 12 years, and Capt. Stephen Beal, a military officer for 26 years at Point Mugu Naval Air Station.

As they left the nine-hour meeting, supervisors said they were relieved the interviewing process was over and hoped for a swift appointment.

“The way it looks now, we should be able to make a decision by Tuesday,” Supervisor John Flynn said.

The announcement may be made after supervisors meet in closed session, Flynn said.

Koester retired last week after 30 years in government administration in Ventura County and four years as the county’s top chief. Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Bert Bigler is overseeing the county’s $955-million budget and 7,200-employee work force until a replacement is named.

Supervisors said they were impressed by the pool of candidates.

“I was extremely pleased and surprised by the quality of the group of candidates,” Supervisor Judy Mikels said. “It will be difficult to winnow it down.”

Mikels said if a second round of interviews is necessary, an announcement may not be made Tuesday. But some county officials say Johnston is the strongly favored candidate for the $150,000-a-year post.

Johnston, they say, has the support of the board majority because he is an in-house candidate who has union backing. During Johnston’s tenure, he forged strong ties with Koester and Flynn. Johnston was unavailable for comment.

After his interview, Beal said he believed the 45-minute session with all five supervisors in one room went well.

“It was very good, very positive,” Beal said.

Beal, who recently retired from presiding over the 12,000-person Point Mugu Naval Air Station, said he also has job interviews lined up at private defense industries.

“If this job doesn’t come through, I have other prospects,” Beal, 48, said. “It’s hard to read the tea leaves.”

Flynn, though a longtime ally of Johnston, would not reveal his choice for the post.

“The field of candidates was very impressive,” Flynn said, adding he wanted a CAO with a commitment to diversifying the workplace.

Besides the usual questions on job experience and goal-setting, supervisors asked candidates how they would lead the county out of financial turmoil.

Last month federal officials ordered the county to repay $15.3 million in Medicare reimbursements as a result of years of faulty mental health billing practices. The resulting financial burden, which is expected to grow, could result in employee layoffs and cuts in crucial services and programs.

Supervisor Frank Schillo said he would study the copious notes he took during the interviews over the weekend before making his selection. He said he was glad he was able to bring in three candidates not originally included in the pool of finalists.

“They were all excellent,” Schillo said. “Right now I’m not leaning toward any one person.”