John Hess
Assistant County Administrative Officer, County of Tulare, California
As Assistant County Administrator, John Hess helps develop and administer a Countywide budget of $2.1 billion, which includes 5,000 positions across 22 departments. Modeled after GFOA’s Best Practices, Tulare County has been long dedicated to its fiscal policies and is proud to have a very low debt profile, strong credit ratings, and substantial reserves. Prior to being the Assistant CAO, John was the General Services Agency Director, where he oversaw capital planning, property management, parks and recreation, purchasing, and other functions. John has worked for Tulare County for nearly 20 years and holds a Master of Public Administration. Currently, John serves as Vice-Chair of the GFOA Committee for Economic Development & Capital Planning (CEDCP), as well as on the Board for several local nonprofits.