“This is a dream in the making,” he said.
It’s hard to believe that Coconino County is larger than Switzerland, but according to Coconino County Manager Andy Bertelsen, it is!
Bertelsen recently stepped into this position with the retirement of long-time Coconino County Manager Steve Peru, to oversee county services across more than 18,600 square miles, from Grand Canyon to Sedona.
“This is a dream in the making,” he said.
Bertelsen is not new to Northern Arizona. He served as an intern for the Coconino County Board of Supervisors 25 years ago.
“I worked for the City of Sedona while living in Flagstaff for five years. I was a planner and assistant to the city manager there. During that time, the uptown improvement project was in the beginning stages. I came back to Coconino County in 2005, just before my first son was born. I was the budget manager for three years. The opportunity in Public Works opened, so I then became Public Works director.”
Next for Bertelsen was an opportunity to fill in the position as Public Works director for the City of Flagstaff. “I was really fortunate to be a part of the new public works facility on West Route 66.”
“Andy and I both began our careers with the county about 20 years ago and we’ve worked closely together through wildfires, floods and many other challenges,” said Coconino County Deputy County Manager and Flood Control District Manager Lucinda Andreani. “I’m really excited to see him step into this critical role. He brings his passion for serving others, his love of Coconino County, his personal warmth and caring along with his broad experience and knowledge to furthering the county’s mission. I’m honored to serve with him.”
Coming from the rural community of Seton, Illinois, Bertelsen’s family were farmers. He studied political science and public administration at Augustana College and played football throughout his college years. “During college I worked for the Chicago Park District as a recreation leader.”
After college, Bertelsen went to graduate school at the University of Iowa and earned his master’s degree in urban and regional planning.
Bertelsen began tracking Arizona state legislation activity, including the Growing Smarter Initiative and the Arizona Preserve Initiative, when he was interning. “I feel fortunate to have worked on some of those initiatives early in my career. It’s really impacted our local community, as that was the beginning of Coconino Parks and Open Space initiatives. Today, we have parks throughout Coconino County, including the Louise Yellowman Park in Tuba City, Rogers Lake Natural Area off Woody Mountain Road, several improvements to Fort Tuthill County Park and the Pepsi Amphitheater being a very successful venture.”
“Andy has shown a great deal of competency in his handling of tasks, and he is very professional, curious, amiable and easy to work with,” said Darrin Womble, chief of security at Coconino County Superior Court. “I think he’s going to do a good job and I believe he has the mindset that has been in Coconino County, very family-oriented as an organization, very community service-oriented.”
In January 2010, Flagstaff was buried in record-breaking snowfall, then a devastating fire in June. “We called it ‘snow-maggeddon.’ Then on Father’s Day that year, I was coming back from a Williams camping trip with my children and saw the beginnings of the Shultz fire. That resulted in a lot of change for our community and our county because it caused devastating flooding due to the impact of the wildfire. It was very impactful for all of us. Some close friends of ours lost their home.”
The county was able to secure funding through Natural Resources Conservation Services and other funding mechanisms to start to build infrastructure to manage post-wildfire flooding on the east side of Flagstaff. “We learned a lot from those devastating events and we’ve been able to provide expertise to other areas of the country,” said Bertelsen.
“Andy knows the county very well,” said Peru, who will remain with the county to support Bertelsen and his team as well as take on some special projects. “He also knows the neighborhoods and communities and the organizations. With all these positives, I’ve felt that the board [Coconino County Supervisors] made the right choice in appointing Andy into this position.”
Bertelsen and his wife, Lexia, a nurse, have six children. “I have four sons and two daughters ranging in ages from 7th grade to a sophomore in college,” he said. “They make life fun and I’m happy to say that I will be turning 50 on Election Day.”
MY PERFECT DAY
It would be spent outside enjoying the scenery. Coconino County provides us with the setting to having our best days and in all seriousness, if I can be out in the communities of Coconino County visiting and working with employees, friends, residents, business owners and community members, with the landscapes of this county as the backdrop to the conservation, that would be the setting for a perfect day. We are fortunate to live amongst so much diverse beauty and a day walking in it is the best day.
MY FAVORITE MEAL
All of my meals have been my favorite. A Navajo taco in Northern Arizona is uniquely special to us, or a piece of pie after a train ride to the Grand Canyon. We also have so many good breakfast places, and a guilty pleasure is adding two pancakes to the order. So many of our local businesses pour their hearts and souls into what is being prepared and what is being served. I think it’s all represented as our local soul and our local flavor.
WHERE I GO TO RELAX
Well, our home is unbelievably active with our family, so I wouldn’t say it would be everyone’s version of relaxing, but our home is where I go to rekindle the fire needed for this work. I have to consciously tell myself to take a minute and disconnect, take a breath and just enjoy a peaceful moment. Our home is our hearth, and this is where we create a space for ourselves to re-energize.
MY SUPERPOWER
Perspective. I sure have gained knowledge from seeking perspective and the best way to gain perspective is to live within the experiences we share. Finding and keeping a positive perspective as we face our trials and tribulations as individuals, and even collectively as a community, becomes a necessary element to making forward progress. We will find a way through. We will pull together as a community to face our challenges.
MY GUILTY PLEASURE
I love listening to and studying music. I sure don’t play music or write lyrics, but I love being around it and I love visiting with people who do. In my 25 years in Northern Arizona, we have always had good musicians living here and passing through and it is so great to witness the continuum of the development of music and art scenes in our communities. FBN
By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN
Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney: Coconino County Manager Andy Bertelsen leads the county with knowledge, experience and compassion for people and communities.