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Escambia County Promotes Two To Deputy County Administrators, One To Department Director

The Escambia County Commission approved three senior level staff promotions at their Thursday night meeting.

Chips Kirschenfeld and Wes Moreno were promoted to deputy county administrators, and Clara Long was promoted to director of the Neighborhood and Human Services.

Chips Kirschenfeld, Deputy County Administrator

Chips Kirschenfeld was appointed deputy county administrator and will maintain his position as director of Natural Resources Management while also serving in senior leadership to assist with the management of operations, the oversight of major projects, and supervision of departments under the direction of the assistant county administrator for the Community and Administrative branch.

Kirschenfeld began his career with Escambia County in 2001 as a senior scientist in charge of writing a new wetlands protection ordinance and establishing a new wetlands management program. In 2008, he became division manager of the Water Quality and Land Management division and established a new water quality laboratory to monitor area surface waters. Kirschenfeld was named director of Natural Resources Management in 2016 and was assigned additional duties as interim assistant county administrator in 2019 until the permanent positions were filled.

Wes Moreno, Deputy County Administrator

Wes Moreno was appointed deputy county administrator and will maintain the position of director of Public Works while also serving in senior leadership to assist with the management of operations, the oversight of major projects, and supervision of departments under the direction of the assistant county administrator for the Infrastructure and Public Safety branch.

Moreno began his career with Escambia County in 1987 as a maintenance worker with the Public Works department. Moreno has held several positions including equipment operator, road correction officer, engineering tech, chief of construction management, deputy bureau chief of public works and deputy director of Public Works. Beyond the numerous road, drainage and bridge improvement projects for the county, he also assisted with recovery efforts from major disasters including hurricanes George, Charley, Frances, Ivan and Dennis, and both an ice storm and flooding in 2014.

Clara Long, Director of the Neighborhood & Human Services Department

Clara Long was approved and promoted on Thursday, May 7 as the new director of Neighborhood & Human Services. Clara Long most recently served as Escambia County’s interim director of Neighborhood & Human Services, a position she held since August 2019.

Prior to serving as interim director, Long served as the Community Redevelopment Agency division manager from 2013 to 2019. Long began her career with Escambia County in April 2001 and began working in the CRA Division in 2003. She has held many positions in the agency including office administrative assistant, CRA urban planner II, development program manager, enterprise zone coordinator/redevelopment specialist, and CRA division manager.

Long graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College with an associate’s degree in business administration. She has 28 years of experience in the field of administration and is a member of Take Stock in Children Mentoring Program, the Florida Chapter American Planning Association, and the American Planning Council.

The Neighborhood and Human Services Department oversees the Community Redevelopment Agency, Neighborhood Enterprise Division and the Safe Neighborhood Program. In addition, Neighborhood & Human Services administers the Youth Employment Program, Human Assistance Program, the Indigent Burial Program and various Community and Resource Centers.