National search launched for his successor
Sarasota County Fire Chief David Rathbun will retire on Friday, July 17, The Sarasota News Leader has learned.
In a June 26 email, County Administrator Jonathan Lewis notified the County Commission that Rathbun would step down this summer. Lewis added, “He has accomplished great things in our department since his arrival and will be missed. We will begin the recruitment process for his replacement in the near future.”
In response to a News Leader inquiry this week, staff reported in a July 16 email that a national search had begun for Rathbun’s successor. Staff added a link to the posting: https://scgov.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/SCGOV/job/Fire-Chief_R20907-1.
That advertisement was made public on July 13, the link indicates.
As the News Leader reported in early October 2022, Rathbun had served for more than 30 years at Orange County Fire Rescue before he was named to the Sarasota County position following a nationwide search to replace Fire Chief Michael Regner, who left the county Fire Department on Dec. 27, 201 to become a shift commander and assistant chief of the Longboat Key Fire Department.
“Chief Rathbun brings valuable experience, along with a deep knowledge of the fire service in the state of Florida, to Sarasota County as the next fire chief,” Lewis said in a news release about Rathbun’s 2022 hiring. “He has a strong understanding of leading a fire department that provides life-saving service to a community,” Lewis pointed out.
In a Sept. 22, 2022 email he sent to the County Commission, Lewis wrote, “I am excited to inform you that we have found a new Fire Chief. Rich Collins and team have put a great deal of effort into finding someone who matches well with Sarasota and can continue to move the Department forward.”
Collins is the director of the county’s Emergency Services Department.
In response to a News Leader request for comment about Rathbun’s departure, Collins provided the following statement on July 16: “Chief Rathbun’s dedication to this profession and his leadership has left a lasting impact on our organization and our community. We thank him for his dedicated service, commitment to excellence, and congratulate him on a job well done! We pray only blessings for him in his retirement.”
Rathbun, who is a native Floridian, and his wife, Michele, have five children and eight grandchildren, the 2022 news release added.
His beginning salary was $150,009.60, Sara Nealeigh, then a media relations officer for the county’s Emergency Services Department, told the News Leaderwhen it requested the information.
His salary had climbed to $181,355.20, county staff reported in response to a News Leader request this week for the information.
