The search for DeKalb County’s next ethics officer will soon be underway.

Attorney Stacey Kalberman has served in the role — which involves providing ethics training for county officials and employees, investigating allegations of wrongdoing and more — for nearly six years. It’s been a tumultuous period that has seen multiple iterations of the ethics board with which she works come and go; Kalberman herself has been a frequent punching bag for certain state legislators and local officials who have argued her position wields too much power.

By law, Kalberman’s term ends in April and she cannot be reappointed.

The seven-member ethics board — which weighs ethics cases presented by Kalberman and has the ultimate decision on potential punishments — will also be tasked with finding her replacement. It heard presentations from a pair of search firms during a Thursday evening meeting but did not select one to work with.

A firm should be chosen in the coming weeks.

Ethics board members and Mary Hinkel, who chairs the DeKalb Citizens Advocacy Council, thanked Kalberman for her service during Thursday’s meeting.

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Devon Horton (center) stands with school board members Anna Hill (from left), Deirdre Pierce, Diijon DaCosta and Allyson Gevertz at the DeKalb County Administrative Center on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, in Stone Mountain. At the time of Horton’s hire, some board members said they wanted stability and a leader who would disrupt for excellence, writes guest columnist Helen Maher Brownell. (Jason Getz/AJC 2023)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

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