The Boulder County Commission interviewed three candidates for the position of Boulder County Coroner during a regular meeting at 1 p.m. on February 6, 2024. The County had 15 applicants for the position; three were selected for an interview.

In addition to Boulder County Commissioners Claire Levy and Marta Loachamin, panelists included Dr. John Meyer, previous coroner of Boulder County; Michael Murphy and Heath Carroll, funeral directors; and Katie Becker and Michelle Stillo of the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.

Dustin Bueno

Dustin Bueno said he has past experience in the Coroner’s Office, having served for 16 years in Adams County as a death investigator who took cases through the autopsy. During that period he learned how to build an organization.

He was Chief Deputy in Boulder County and managed the Coroner’s Office in Boulder County. His top priorities will be the staff and their morale. He served many years experiencing fear and trauma in the office that had nothing to do with their actual work. The staff need support as they develop relationships.

He said the office needs to build vital relationships with funeral directors by developing trust. During the 2013 flood, he learned to lean a lot on the resources in the county. When they had the mortuary fire, a lot of people were involved. He had to determine what relationships the County could count on.

He has a very collegial philosophy regarding leadership: titles shouldn’t matter, especially when the team has so much knowledge. In this type of job, staff must never stop trying to improve.

Regarding trust and loyalty in the office, he said it takes time to develop, and that he has built it here. He works with the department as a whole.

In closing, he said that Boulder County needs someone who is experienced in the office and he will make sure the office moves forward.

Jeff Martin

Jeff Martin said he was the Chief Deputy in Boulder County, with 32 years in public service including working in Oklahoma and Florida. Seventeen years of those years were spent as an executive director; he was also chief of medical examiner systems. He brought some of those skills to Boulder County.

For his top priorities, he wanted to make it clear that the Boulder County Coroner’s Office delivers excellent service. The office has absolute rock stars, he said, who work with efficiency, but the top priority is staff. He wants to ensure they have the right leadership to do their work.

Since early fall he has been acting as Coroner. He has talked to senators and representatives about unclaimed bodies and increased fees. He has a very strong commitment to funeral directors.

Regarding his leadership style, he notes that sometimes a person gets into power and uses that as a weapon. However, sometimes the leader does not need to call the shots. He wants to create a team that enables the employees to have a voice.

He added that trust and loyalty are foremost, and that his door will always be open. He will listen to every member of the Coroner’s Office.

Martin has several letters of support. He has established a peer support group which is attended by 25 different coroners.

Deron Dempsey

Deron Dempsey said his past experience has included service since 1999 as a death investigator. He served in four administrations, including Jefferson County. He has been part of the Boulder County community for 25 years and has been a coach in schools.

He wants to run the office as a medical system and document death events. His priorities include developing a relationship model and then building on that foundation, which is the backbone of public service.

The staff needs leadership to do their jobs effectively. Collaboration with law enforcement and public health is going to be key. Fairness exists.

Doing the job properly will take constant outreach with funeral directors, so they know how the coroner’s office operates.

His leadership style is innovative. When you are new to the field, he said, you have a false sense of accomplishment. You require supportive leadership, and he has been on the front lines for 20 years.

He will check in on the caseloads of employees and monitor documentation of the caseload. He hopes to develop trust, and has experience with the staff and leveraging County resources.

The final interview for candidates will be on February 15, and the final candidate will be announced on February 20. The election for the position will take place in November.