Bill Luna, currently the assistant county executive officer, was the candidate of choice for the five-member board, which began seeking a replacement for 68-year-old Larry Parrish in mid-April, when he announced his retirement after 16 years at the helm.

“The board zeroed in on Bill because he provides the most seamless transition to the future,” board Chairman Roy Wilson said in a statement.

“We've been impressed by his work in the last few years to build strong reserves while we serve a growing county – all while we move ahead on plans to build jails and other community projects that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars,” Wilson said.

Luna, 53, was promoted last year to assistant executive officer after a three-year stint as county finance director.

He got his start in Riverside County government as project manager for the Department of Community Action in 1982, and was an administrative manager in the county's Administrative Office – later the Executive Office – between 1986-1990, according to Executive Office spokesman Ray Smith.

Luna transferred to the sheriff's department in 1990, where he became director of administrative services before returning to the Executive Office in 2004.

“Bill has come up through the ranks. He's done a terrific job, and he's ready for the next step,” said Parrish, whose retirement is effective July 30.

In his new capacity, Luna will oversee general operations in county government – Riverside County's largest employer with more than 20,000 workers – and its $4.77 billion budget for the current fiscal year, ending June 30, 2009.

Luna was among five candidates who made it onto the board's “short list” of contenders for the chief executive job, said Executive Office spokeswoman Lys Mendez.