Commissioners' Office — Our Mission

Aundrea Cordle was appointed Fairfield County Administrator in 2021, bringing with her more than 35 years of dedicated public service to the county. Over the course of her career, she has held several key leadership roles, including Director of Fairfield County Job and Family Services and the County's Human Resources Director.

Aundrea earned both her Bachelor of Science in Communication and her Master of Business Administration from Ohio University and is certified as a Senior Certified Professional in Human Resources (SHRM-SCP) as well as a Senior Professional in Human Resources through the Human Resources Certification Institute.

Aundrea is active in the community and volunteers her time for non-profit organizations within Fairfield County. She currently serves as President of the board of directors for the Lancaster Festival, board member for Destination Downtown Lancaster and the Lancaster Special Improvement District, President Elect for Lancaster Rotary, Past President of the Ohio Public Employers Labor Relations Association, and President of the National Public Employers Labor Relations Association.

Jeffrey Porter was appointed Deputy County Administrator in December 2021. Jeff was born in Coshocton, Ohio and attended New Philadelphia High School. He graduated from Muskingum College in 1993 and from Capital University Law School in 1996 and has been a licensed attorney since 1996.

Jeff has held varying roles in both the public and private sectors. He served as Assistant City Attorney for the City of Columbus from 1997 to 2002. In 2002, he joined the law firm of Kegler Brown Hill and Ritter where he served clients in both the public and private sectors involving zoning, health information technology, and privacy regulations. From 2007 to 2015 he also served as Civil Service Commissioner for the City of Columbus.

In 2012, Jeff joined the Fairfield County Prosecutor's office where he served as an Assistant County Prosecutor in the civil division. In 2014, Jeff became the Human Resources and Risk Management Director for Fairfield County, where he has helped run the Fairfield County Health Benefit plan, a role which he continues as Deputy County Administrator.

Jeff has volunteered with various community organizations, including the boards of Visit Fairfield County, Fairfield County United Way, the Lancaster Playhouse, the Columbus Landmarks Foundation, and Leader Spark.

Rochelle Menningen began serving as the Commissioners' Clerk in January 2022. Prior to joining the Commissioners' Office, she was with Fairfield County Human Resources. Rochelle has twelve years of public sector experience where she has served in Human Resources, as a Fiscal Officer, and as a Council Clerk.

As Clerk, Rochelle maintains the Commissioners' schedule, prepares and processes resolutions, prepares meeting agendas, and records meeting minutes. Rochelle serves as a Public Information Officer for Fairfield County and manages the social media accounts for the Commissioners' Office. She helps organize events such as the Leadership Conference, the State of the County, and Quarterly Roundtables.

Rochelle resides in Fairfield County with her husband Todd. They have three adult children and three grandsons.

Bennett Niceswanger has been employed by the Fairfield County Commissioners as the Communications & Information Coordinator since January of 2022. Previously, Bennett was employed by Fairfield County Human Resources as the Records Center and Human Resources Liaison. Bennett received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 2021.

As the Communications & Information Coordinator, Bennett manages all the Commissioners' social media platforms, manages the Fairfield County website, and distributes information. He also oversees the Fairfield County Records Center, for which he develops policies and procedures for the intake, retention, and destruction of records, and serves as the Records Commission's appointed Secretary.

In addition to his other duties, Bennett assists the Commissioners' Clerk with agenda preparation, scheduling, preparing and processing resolutions, and serving as acting Clerk when needed. Bennett resides in Newark with his wife, Kylie, and their honey bees.

Daniel Neeley has been employed by the Fairfield County Commissioners since May of 2021. Prior to joining the commissioners' staff he was Deputy Director of IT at Fairfield County JFS for nearly 8 years.

As IT Director, Mr. Neeley is responsible for the varied operations in the county that relate to technology, security and cybersecurity. With a staff of seven, the department directs and supports IT operations for all county departments serving nearly 900 county staff.

Mr. Neeley resides in Pleasant Township with his wife, Aubrey, and two daughters Evelyn and Lindy.

Bart Hampson is the Budget Director. Prior to joining the Commissioners' Office, he served six years as the Deputy Director of Finance for Fairfield County Job and Family Services. Prior to his public service, Bart spent fifteen years in senior financial roles in the private sector. He is also a United States Air Force veteran serving in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Bart received his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Science in Management from Mount Vernon Nazarene University.

Under the administrative direction of the County Administrator, Bart is responsible for planning, coordinating, and managing the fiscal operations for the County Commissioners, including developing and managing the County's annual budget.

Mr. Hampson resides in Pleasant Township with his wife, Michelle, and two children, Grant and Grace.

Staci Knisley has been employed by the Fairfield County Commissioners since December 1997. She is currently serving as the Budget Officer and is also the Airport Authority Board Clerk.

As Budget Officer, Ms. Knisley serves as the first point of contact for Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable for the Commissioners' Office. She is the primary staff member responsible for providing support to the Budget Director. She assists in the daily administrative functions of the Commissioners' Office, manages financial projects, analyzes financial activity, prepares resolutions relating to appropriations and transfers, assists with budget forecasting, and approves purchase orders for all county departments under the Commissioners' appropriating authority.

As the Airport Authority Board's Clerk, she prepares the Board's agendas, meeting minutes, and is responsible for their Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. Ms. Knisley resides in Lancaster with her husband, Steve, and their dog, Sadie Mae.

Christina Spencer has been a dedicated member of the Fairfield County Commissioners' team since January 1998. She currently serves as the Payroll Officer and Fiscal Assistant, bringing more than two decades of experience and expertise to her role.

In her position, Ms. Spencer is responsible for maintaining payroll and related records for most county commission departments. Her duties also include processing prisoner medical claims, assisting with accounts payable functions, and managing property tax exemption records.

Ms. Spencer resides in Stoutsville with her husband, Rick. Together, they enjoy their blended family of three adult children and five grandchildren.

Emylee Gussler has been employed by the Fairfield County Commissioners since January 2021. She serves as the Account Clerk to the Board of Commissioners. Prior to joining the Commissioners' Office, she worked as an Administrative Professional at the Ohio EPA in the Division of Drinking and Ground Water, in Logan, Ohio.

As Account Clerk, Ms. Gussler's primary responsibilities include processing accounts payable for the Commissioners' Office, IT, Human Resources, and Facilities. She also assists in daily office support to the Commissioners' administrative staff and departments, collects airport hangar rent, collects utility and rent payments for various agencies, and processes reimbursement payments for court-appointed attorneys' fees from the State of Ohio.

Emylee graduated from The Ohio State University and holds a BA in English & Creative Writing. She resides in Pleasant Township with her husband, Ben. They have two adult children, Michayla and Ethan.