Leelanau County has a new finance director.
County Administrator Jim Dyer reports that he’s hired a new finance director.
Rio Risbridger began work March 23. She is a graduate of Central Michigan University and comes with four years experience working for Price, Waterhouse Cooper, which ranks among the “Big Four” accounting firms.
“She’s very well qualified,” Dyer said. Risbridger will be the third person in the past three months to fill this position.
Finance director Cathy Hartesvelt was formally placed on administrator leave by Dyer in January. She was terminated Feb. 10, about four weeks later.
Sean Cowan was hired in June 2023 to serve as finance director. However, he resigned months later expressing frustration over the established employment structure.
Hartesvelt worked in the finance department at the time.
Risbridger’s hiring came less than a week after commissioners adopted a resolution finalizing the organizational chart for the department — which will be overseen by Dyer.
In May 2021 commissioners began publicly discussing the creation of human resources and finance departments within Leelanau County. This was followed up in October of that year with a resolution transferring duties previously assigned the clerk’s office to finance and human resources, reporting to the county administrator.
In the time since, the county administrator seat has been a bit of a revolving door. Janik was followed by Deb Allen, who was hired for the position in October 2022. Allen resigned just over a year into the position, citing a lack of support from county board members. Then there was former Traverse City Mayor Richard Lewis, who held down the fort in 2024-2025 on an interim basis.
The county board hired current administrator Dyer a year ago. And one of his main focuses has been stabilizing the finance department.
After Hartesvelt’s dismissal, he brought in former finance director, Cowan for a 30 to 60-day period to help.
“We never agreed for longer than 60 days,” Dyer said. “He wanted to make sure things were on an even keel … moving smoothly and he accomplished that.”
