DeBry named chairman of Salt Lake County Council

Steve DeBry will be chairman of the Salt Lake County Council in 2013.

The South Jordan Republican was selected by the council's 5-4 GOP majority to succeed David Wilde. His ascent was expected because he was Wilde's vice chairman last year.

A deputy chief in the Millcreek precinct of the Unified Police Department, DeBry has represented District 5 in the southwest valley since January 2010.

At that time, council members unanimously picked him from among three candidates to replace Jeff Allen, who resigned two months earlier citing family reasons. In November 2010, DeBry secured a full term on the council with an easy election victory over Democrat Tyler Andrus.

DeBry's vice chairman will be Republican Michael Jensen, the Unified Fire Authority chief who was sworn in Monday to a fourth term representing District 2 in the northwest valley.

The Democrats also turned to a three-term councilman, at-large representative Jim Bradley, to be minority leader. He and Jensen have been part of the council since 2001. —

McAdams appointments

New Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams appointed two women to high-level administration positions Wednesday.

He picked Lori Bays, a former state official currently serving as a health and human services agency executive in San Diego County, to be director of human services. In Utah, Bays had been director of the state's Office of Public Guardian. She will relocate to Utah in mid-February to fill the post previously held by Jean Nielsen, said McAdams' spokeswoman Michelle Schmitt.

For his director of administrative services, McAdams selected Jill E. Carter. She has operated her own private sector human resource management company for 25 years and worked for the state before that, Schmitt added. Carter's predecessor, April Townsend, transferred into the County Library System.

Mike Gorrell