Brad Bentley

FALCONER — Chautauqua County officials didn’t have far to look to find their new director of the Public Facilities Department.

On Friday, George Borrello, county executive, announced that Brad Bentley will be the new director at the county Public Facilities Department headquarters in Falconer. Bentley had been working for the Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency since the start of 2017. He also has more than 25 years experience as a public utilities manager. Bentley will replace the retiring George Spanos, who has been the county public facilities director for 16 years.

“(He certainly) has big shoes to fill, for sure,” Borrello said about Bentley replacing Spanos, who served in the Public Facilities Department for more than 31 years.

Borrello said Bentley is a native of Panama, having graduated from Panama Central School District. During his career after graduating from the University of Connecticut with a Masters of Business Administration degree, Bentley has worked in Columbus and Cleveland, Ohio; San Diego, Calif.; and Hartford, Conn. In 1997, Bentley became a registered professional engineer.

Bentley said he has always appreciated Chautauqua County, which is why he returned to the area last year.

“I’ve always had fond memories of this area … I always knew I would come back,” Bentley said.

Borrello said a five member search committee, which was headed John Hemmer, R-Westfield, who is the chairman of the Chautauqua County Legislature Public Facilities Committee, to find qualified candidates. Borrello said the search was narrowed to three people, who he interviewed. He said all three final candidates were qualified, but Bentley’s experience throughout the country was why he was selected.

Spanos said his last day as director will be Monday, Aug. 27. He joked the transition from one director to another was already started in a driveway in Bemus Point where Spanos and Bentley are neighbors.

Bentley said this is the ideal time to transition because most of the summer construction projects are completed and the department’s budget is almost finalized.

“My first priority is to get to know the people,” Bentley said about wanting to meet all of the employees in the Public Facilities Department.