March 17, 2026
By TIM HUNDT
VERNON COUNTY, Wis. – Vernon County will soon be looking for a new top executive. Administrative Coordinator Cassandra Hanan announced she will be stepping down from her position effective May 1.
Hanan informed the Vernon County Board of Supervisors and county staff of her decision in an email on March 17. She cited a desire to spend more time with her family as the primary reason for her departure.
“Ultimately I am just looking for a better work life balance while my boys are still at home,” said Hanan. “I am grateful for the collaboration professionalism and commitment to public service that I have witnessed throughout my time here.”
Hanan said she has been commuting from Holmen and she has taken a position in another community closer to her home. Hanan added that she will do everything she can to assist with a smooth transition over the coming weeks.
The resignation marks another major shift in a long string of turbulent management changes and structural reorganizations that have reshaped Vernon County government over the last six years.
A History of Structural Change
Historically the Vernon County Board of Supervisors operated without a central executive and handled both legislative and administrative duties. That began to change in the fall of 2020 under former County Board Chair Justin Running when the board voted to create a formal county administrator position to centralize decision making and professionalize the county management.
The county hired Cari Redington as its first administrator in December 2020. Under Running and Redington the county underwent massive structural changes. In 2021 the board consolidated 16 standing county committees down to just six. Later that year the county board itself was downsized from 29 supervisors to 19.
The push for centralized management also led to the creation of a dedicated finance department to handle budgeting and bookkeeping functions that had previously been scattered across different departments.
However the political winds shifted in April 2022 when Supervisor Lorn Goede was elected as the new board chair. Under state statute a county administrator has the power to appoint non- elected committee members which stripped that traditional power away from the board chair.
In October 2022 the board held a surprise vote following a closed session to eliminate the county administrator position entirely and revert to an administrative coordinator model. The move effectively ousted Redington, but legally obligated the county to pay out the remainder of her contract through the end of 2023.
The General Government Committee then spent months hammering out the duties of the new coordinator position to ensure it reported directly to the board and returned committee appointment powers to the board chair.
At the time a number of Supervisors were highly critical of the sudden change and the disruption it caused among staff during the transition period and viewed it as a step backward.
Goede defended the switch arguing that an administrative coordinator provided better checks and balances for the board than an administrator who did not have to take advice from the board.
“If we did end up with dissension with a county coordinator it will be a lot easier to correct the course of action because the only course of action with a county administrator is basically to hire or fire,” said Goede.
Hanan was ultimately hired as the new administrative coordinator in May 2023 but the county found itself paying two executive salaries for the remainder of that year.
When asked about Hanan’s resignation Goede said he is happy the outcome of the switch to a coordinator and noted all of the challenges Hanan faced when she was hired.
“She will definitely be missed,” said Goede. “I really appreciate her service. There was a lot to take on and I don’t think we’re going to find another person with government experience as far as the statutes and stuff, and and administrative and finance. That finance was a big one.”
Goede said he intends to get together with board leaders and do an evaluation of the how the position has been working and discuss if any adjustments that could be made to the position.
Recent Crises and Financial Reforms
Hanan stepped into the role during a period of intense transition and soon faced a massive financial crisis. In March 2024 then Finance Director Bobbi Johnson resigned after it was discovered the county tax levy was miscalculated by over 2.2 million dollars. Hanan was forced to fill both the administrative coordinator and finance director roles for a year until the county finally hired Annie Lockyer as the new finance director in the spring of 2025.
Despite the staffing shortages Hanan guided the county through several major financial reforms. She established a strategy of borrowing up to five million dollars a year for the next several years to fund large capital projects and equipment. This strategy allowed the county to shift capital expenses off the operating levy and create more room to survive under strict state levy limits.
As part of that shift the county developed its first ever capital improvement plan to identify large expenditures ahead of time for better budgeting and planning. These structural changes have proven successful as a recent audit showed the county had cleaned up many of the previous financial deficiencies that had been noted in past audits.
Now Hanans departure comes just as Vernon County is attempting to cross the finish line on several massive structural projects she helped guide.
The county is currently in the middle of a complex transition to a new enterprise resource planning computer system. The system integrates payroll human resources and accounting to replace antiquated software and centralize previously scattered financial processes.
Hanan has also been spearheading a countywide rebranding campaign which includes new internal templates and exterior signage. The project is slated for a public launch this spring.
Beyond internal operations the county is currently navigating several precarious regional issues. Hanan and other officials are attempting to secure a final state permit for a multi million dollar landfill expansion while simultaneously trying to stretch the remaining airspace at the current facility. Resolving issues with the troubled western Wisconsin Workforce Development Board and preparing for the likely cancellation of the regional SMRT Bus transit system in 2027.
Hanan praised the work of the county employees as she prepared to exit her role.
“I am incredibly proud of all the work that has been accomplished by our staff and I hope you are as well,” said Hanan. “Thank you for the support the relationships we have formed and the partnership during my time with the County.”
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