Delaware County's medical examiner administrator is now running the county jail.

Jeff Lange, who led the Medical Examiner's Office since 2022, was named interim warden of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility on Wednesday. He is one of four new agency leaders officials confirmed in a single week.

The Jail Oversight Board approved Lange's appointment at its July 15 meeting. Former warden Willie Bonds resigned after less than a year on the job, according to the Delaware County Daily Times. The facility held 1,002 incarcerated people as of figures presented at that meeting.

Lange does not have a correctional background. County Executive Director Barbara O'Malley told the board she consulted with the president of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, who confirmed many jurisdictions do not require wardens to have corrections experience. The interim warden salary ranges from $151,611 to $197,100.

"I love this appointment because it has allowed me to let people in the county see that you can think outside of the box," Jail Oversight Board member Jonathan King, CEO of Safe Corridors, said at the July 15 meeting.

Lange's departure from the Medical Examiner's Office opened a vacancy filled by Amber Weeks, the office's former chief of forensic investigations. That position pays $114,649 to $149,032, according to county records. No timeline has been announced for a permanent warden search.

Human services and public defender posts made permanent

The county Personnel Board also confirmed two officials who had been serving in interim roles since February. Chris Welsh, a Havertown resident, was named permanent deputy executive director of Human Services and Community Support at a salary of $151,611 to $197,100. As the county's former chief public defender, Welsh reduced the daily prison population at George W. Hill by nearly 40% and uncovered abuse at the county Juvenile Detention Center that led to its closure in 2021.

Taylor Dunn, who joined the Public Defender's Office as an intern in 2014 and rose to deputy public defender, was named permanent public defender at a salary of $152,563 to $198,333. Dunn also serves on Media Borough Council and served as president of the Delaware County Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

Council Member Dr. Monica Taylor cast the lone dissenting vote on both the Welsh and Dunn appointments. She told the Personnel Board she objected not to the individuals but to the county skipping its standard practice of publicly posting the positions. The county has had more than 20 interim appointments in six years, Taylor said, and had never bypassed the posting process before.

Council Chair Joanne Phillips defended the approach, describing both Welsh and Dunn as having been on a "monthslong job interview" through their interim service. Both were approved despite Taylor's objection.