Joy Andrews has been appointed as St. Johns County’s interim administrator after the abrupt resignation three weeks ago of her predecessor, Hunter Conrad.

The commission appointed Andrews after officially accepting Conrad’s written resignation and approving his separation agreement, county officials said.

Conrad will receive 20 weeks of separation pay. His original contract in 2020 paid him $248,000 a year, with 5% cost of living increases each year. He also received a $700 monthly vehicle allowance.

Conrad gave no reason for resigning in a one-page letter to the County Commission on June 29. The resignation came a day before the commission planned to meet to discuss his “existing service agreement,” a meeting that was canceled.

As the county begins a national search for a new county administrator, Commission Chairman Christian Whitehurst said the board has confidence in Andrews to lead them forward as it continues to maintain “a continuity of operations with services and programs.”

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“We appreciate the extraordinary work of county staff as we continue to make progress on numerous capital improvement projects totaling nearly $280 million,” Whitehurst said in a news release. “We will be prudent and purposeful on a national search as we work together to identify a permanent county administrator.”

In his resignation letter, Conrad expressed his “deep appreciation” for being hired for the job in 2019 after having been appointed as interim administrator a month earlier. Conrad gave no reason for resigning.

The county commission will conduct a national search for a permanent administrator with the aid of an executive firm as it assembles a selection committee to review applications and develop a list of finalists.

Andrews, a 2002 Nanjing University School of Law graduate with a master’s degree in public administration, joined St. Johns County in 2006 as a budget analyst. She also held the position of director of health and human services before accepting the role of deputy county administrator in 2015.