On Thursday, March 1, at the Sandoval County Commission meeting, the County Manager officially announced the hire of Gilbert V. Armendariz as the new Detention Center Director for Sandoval County.

Armendariz started with the County on Monday, Feb. 26. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in juvenile corrections, adult corrections, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) auditing, American Correctional Association (ACA) contract compliance and quality control programs. He also has experience overseeing 10 correctional facilities in Southern California and Nevada and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in business administration.

The former Interim Detention Center Director, Chris Urbanic, will now serve as Assistant Detention Center Director. Urbanic interviewed and was selected for the Assistant Director position in December 2017. However, he graciously stepped into the Interim Director role until Armendariz could come on board.

“The Detention Center has the support of the County’s Manager’s Office, along with all of our County Departments,” said Sandoval County Manager Dianne Maes. “We have many challenges ahead as we move forward towards accreditation, building improvements and a stronger organization. I have every confidence that this new Detention Center leadership team can see us through these challenges and play an important role in improving safety, security and vital operations at the facility.”