Montgomery County hires new animal shelter director

Charles Jackson Charles Jackson Photo: Submitted Photo: Submitted Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Montgomery County hires new animal shelter director 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

The Montgomery County Animal Shelter has its third director in less than a year.

County commissioners hired Charles Jackson to take over the reins from interim director Dr. Todd Hayden, who stepped into the role in March because Dr. Michael White resigned in February after only one week on the job.

Jackson previously served as deputy assistant director at BARC (Bureau of Animal Regulation and Control) in Houston.

"I am very excited to bring my experience to Montgomery County," Jackson said during Commissioners Court.

According to information from the county, the nationwide search produced 50 resumes before being narrowed down to five who were interviewed by the court. Jackson, along with three other candidates, was interviewed Friday during special Commissioners Court session before the decision was made final Tuesday.

"I walked through the animal shelter with Charles on Monday to make sure that every question he had was answered before we met again (Tuesday) during executive session," Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack stated in a release. "I feel

selection and believe that now is the time for us to set aside our differences, follow Charles' leadership and focus on the future of the animal shelter."

Noack confirmed that Jackson also would oversee the county's Animal Control department.

Noack stated during Jackson's tenure at BARC, he and his staff executed one of the largest public-sector shelter turnarounds in history, saving the lives of thousands of animals. Jackson also was commended for his ability to communicate effectively to his team by providing a vision and setting goals.

In addition to selecting a new director, the court unanimously approved shifting the oversight of the shelter from under just Precinct 4 Commissioner Jim Clark to all of Commissioners Court. That move originally was suggested by Noack but died for lack of a second motion at a previous meeting.

"The Montgomery County Animal Shelter is a countywide operation," Noack said. "I believe the animal shelter will benefit from the entire court having a say in its daily operations."

Commissioners began investigating the situation in early 2015 when volunteers approached the court about conditions that they said resulted in the deaths of hundreds of animals.

Volunteers claimed the conditions went downhill after commissioners approved the reorganization of Care Corporation in January 2015. Former Precinct 3 Constable Tim Holifield and his wife Amy founded Care Corpation in 2012 to provide management for the shelter. Holifield announced his retirement in January 2015 and recommended the county continue contracting with the business and new owner Aubrey Ross, who bought it from Holifield for $10,000.

However, commissioners terminated the county's contract with Care Corporation in October and began a search for a third-party vendor to manage the shelter. In November, commissioners voted to discontinue that search and reject all bids. That same month, the county took over management of the shelter.

After several continuous meetings, the court approved a $3.4 million budget for the shelter in a 3-1 vote agreeing to put $1 million aside for use on request from Hayden. Noack was the lone nay vote.

The shelter previously was privately operated, with county's contracted budget for services at $1.5 million.