Following interviews with nearly a dozen candidates last week, County Judge Ben Leman announced late Monday the appointment of Chad Mallett to the Precinct 1 Commissionership, replacing the late J.R. Green.
While locally famous for his private endeavors as co-owner of Mallett Brothers Bar-B-Que, Leman says Mallett is also a licensed engineer with a decade of experience in both public and private sectors.
And to the residents who urged having the Widow of Green appointed as he had originally promised, the judge says, it’s his job to appoint the best possible candidate and though the subject is sensitive, he has tried to put himself in the position of the voters and pick objectively.
But before Mallett can take his seat, Leman says, he will have to step down from the Iola ISD school board. And until then, there is no official start date for the designate. But once he does start, he will only have until election season this November to impress the rest of Precinct 1.
