New San Mateo County sheriff brings back undersheriff who resigned under Corpus

Newly appointed San Mateo County Sheriff Ken Binder stated Chris Hsiung as his first pick on his executive organization taking an undersheriff position he had prior to his resignation under Sheriff Christina Corpus following disagreements with her leadership Hsiung s return comes as Binder assumes leadership of an agency still recovering from a divisive period that culminated in Corpus removal by the Board of Supervisors earlier this month over claims of conflict of interest and retaliation Corpus denies the accusations and is pursuing legal challenges and appeals related to her removal The undersheriff was among dozens of onlookers who testified against Corpus during her removal hearing last August which led hearing officer retired Judge James Emerson to recommend her ouster According to a message from the San Mateo County Sheriff s Office Hsiung returns to the Sheriff s Office at a pivotal moment following a period of essential transition His appointment will be temporary expected to last about eight months focusing on organizational healing leadership growth and operational excellence Related Articles Binder sets sights on redemption for San Mateo County Sheriff s Office Opinion San Mateo County shows why we shouldn t be electing sheriffs Ken Binder named new San Mateo County sheriff Sheriff finalists face community as San Mateo County board prepares to appoint new leader Who s vying to be San Mateo County s next sheriff Meet the final three candidates Hsiung s appointment is temporary because he is taking a leave of absence from his role as executive director of The Curve a national nonprofit he co-founded with inspirational speaker Simon Sinek focused on policing issues according to a press release He is a founding board member and will resume his duties after completing his term as undersheriff He is a -year law enforcement veteran Hsiung spent years with the Mountain View Police Department serving as chief for his final two years before retiring and joining the Sheriff s Office in February from which he resigned in June Binder commented Hsiung brings stability experience and familiarity with the agency I m thrilled that Chris Hsiung is coming back to serve as undersheriff Not only is Undersheriff Hsiung a respected law enforcement leader but he brings a deep understanding of the Sheriff s Office and a genuine commitment to the men and women who work here Binder stated Undersheriff Hsiung is a servant leader a person of integrity and we share a similar management style His experience and values will help guide us as we continue to move forward Hsiung commented he hopes to help Binder steady the organization The San Mateo County Sheriff s Office has extraordinary deputies correctional officers and professional staff who all have deep locality ties he declared It is an honor to backing them during this critical time of renewal My focus over the next several months will be to help foster an innovative and supportive way of life invest in the people who serve here and sponsorship Sheriff Binder in ensuring the Office is positioned for long-term success Binder also revealed he plans to rehire former Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan who was let go by Corpus last year before the county intervened in his termination Monaghan a longtime San Mateo Police Department official and former Tiburon police chief is now leading a county initiative on human trafficking During removal hearings in August Corpus cited Monaghan s insubordination as the reason for his termination Monaghan however explained his removal was tied to his involvement in the November scrutiny into her leadership authored by retired Judge LaDoris Cordell which first raised accusations of conflict of interest and retaliation against Corpus and triggered the events that ultimately led to her ouster Both Monaghan and Hsiung have aid from local civic organizations Nancy Goodban executive director of the citizen-led watchdog group Fixin San Mateo disclosed she supports restoring former executive staff He is bringing back the well-respected executive gang of former Undersheriff Chris Hsiung and former Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan And he has pledged to look to further promotions from the ranks Goodban mentioned It seems as though these moves will help to build morale and facilitate teamwork